Advocacy Team
Check out #ADA30InColor
This is a great project featuring a series of original essays on the past, present, and future of disability rights and justice by disabled BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) writers. The series is published and edited by Alice Wong of Disability Visibility Project, with support from Project Coordinator Andraéa LaVant, plain language summaries by Finn Gardiner, and audio narration by Alejandra Ospina. The main #ADA30inColor page is at this link; on Sunday July 26, there will be an online #ADA30inColor panel event hosted by Andraéa LaVant. See this link for more details and to register.
Congressional Action Alert – New Covid-19 Relief Bill
Second, we want to update you that Congress is now back in session and working on a new Covid-19 relief bill. However, the process is very, very challenging. The CARES Act, which was the last major relief bill that was passed, offers unemployment benefits only through around the end of this month, which increases pressure on Congress to meet the needs of millions unemployed during the pandemic. The U.S. House passed the HEROES Act, which would provide about $3 trillion in relief, but some in the U.S. Senate think that is much too expensive. So instead, the Senate has been putting together a new bill, but there is a lot of fighting inside the Republican caucus about how much to spend. No matter what, the Senate and the House will have to agree on something to pass.
How can you help?
Continue to help us contact Congress to let them know that dedicated funding for home and community based services is critical. It’s far too easy for Congress to lose sight of this priority, and stable funding for HCBS is one of the top ways we can keep people with disabilities out of congregate settings, where the Covid-19 death toll is all too well-known. Use this email tool to help send a letter to your Senators. If possible, please take a few minutes to edit the letter to make it personal to you.
The clock is ticking. The U.S. House is scheduled to adjourn for recess on July 31. The U.S. Senate is scheduled to adjourn for recess on August 7. The situation in Congress is clearly high stakes and stressful. Keep an eye on the news.
Please share this info with fellow advocates!