Note: This resource is based on a rapidly evolving situation and will be updated as we receive more information.

UPDATE from July 3, 2025:

Last night, the House started a vote on the rule to open debate around 9:30 pm ET. Initially, the rule did not have enough votes to pass, but vote was held open for five hours in order to get some Members of Congress to change their vote. The rule passed 219-213, and the bill could move forward for a full floor vote. The only Republican member of Congress to vote no was Representative Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania, the Chair of the Bi-Partisan Disabilities Caucus.

The House floor is currently debating the Senate-passed version with no changes. Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been speaking for more than four hours reading stories about the importance of Medicaid from all 50 states. There is still time to contact your Representatives to ask them to oppose this bill and to protect Medicaid and SNAP.

UPDATE from July 2, 2025 at 7:53PM:

Current State of Play: Speaker Johnson brought the House to the floor today to vote on the rule to debate and the budget reconciliation text from the Senate, but the Republican  leadership is short of the votes needed to pass the rule for debate. The House floor has been frozen since the vote began around 2:00 pm ET as the leadership tries to have conversations to sway Members of Congress who have not decided how they will vote yet. This means that the bill is stalled. 

The content of the bill is still the same as what was in the Senate bill. It is critical that you contact your Representatives to ask them to oppose this bill and to protect Medicaid and SNAP.

UPDATE from July 2, 2025:

Current State of Play: Early Wednesday morning, the House Rules Committee advanced the budget reconciliation bill after 12 hours of debate. The House Rules Committee plays an important role in determining how a bill will be considered on the floor. The committee can set time limits for debate, restrict or allow amendments, and even determine how certain amendments will be handled. 

There were no changes to the Senate’s version of the budget reconciliation bill in the House Rules Committee. The content of the bill remains the same as described in the update from July 1st update. The House is set to convene Wednesday morning and start voting on the rules to advance the legislation.

UPDATE from July 1, 2025:

Current State of Play: The Senate passed its version of the budget reconciliation bill on July 1st, with Vice President Vance casting a tie-breaking vote. This bill must still pass the House in order to be final.  Contact your Representatives to ask them to oppose this bill and to protect Medicaid and SNAP. 

The Senate budget reconciliation bill makes the largest cuts to Medicaid in history, almost $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. This is about 20% of the federal Medicaid budget and would cause 17 million people to lose access to healthcare. The bill also contains nearly $200 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Four out of five households that receive SNAP benefits include a person with a disability. If passed by the House, these cuts will mean that disabled people and our families will go hungry. 

Throughout the Vote-A-Rama process, amendments were passed that changed what was in the original bill. Some parts of the bill were also taken out because they violated rules about what can be voted on by a simple majority through the reconciliation process. 

The following amendments were added to the Senate bill:

• The rural health fund was increased to $50 billion from $25 billion. It directs money to mental health and behavioral health clinics, but not other disability-specific providers.
• Minor funding for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)

Neither of the increases within these amendments will come close to fully addressing the closures of rural health providers or the reduction of HCBS that this bill will cause if passed by the House.  

Some dangerous provisions got removed:

• The Medicaid funding reduction for states that cover undocumented immigrants with their own funds. This means that states that provide Medicaid coverage for undocumented immigrants with state funding will still receive their full federal match for Medicaid. 
• The prohibition on Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care. 
• A requirement for Medicaid applicants to verify citizenship 
• A 5-year moratorium on the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) platforms by states as a condition of accessing funding for broadband infrastructure and bridging the digital divide faced by marginalized communities. This means that states can still 

But there are many harmful parts remaining. Here are a few examples of what’s still in the bill:

• Stricter work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and increased program costs for states with high overpayment rates
• A one-year prohibition on Medicaid payments to reproductive health 
• Medicaid cuts to states through provider tax caps, work requirements, more frequent eligibility determinations, and new copays for Medicaid recipients. All of these changes will make it harder for people to become eligible for and stay on Medicaid, resulting in people losing benefits. 
• A national school voucher program that will divert $30 billion from public schools to fund private school tuition, making it more difficult for students with disabilities to access special education services

What’s Next? We take the fight to the House. 

This fight is not over. Because the bill the Senate passed is different from the bill the House passed, the House has to pass this version of the bill for these changes to be final.

The House Rules Committee has already come together to prepare the Senate-passed bill for House floor consideration. The bill could be on the House floor as early as Wednesday morning, and debate and final votes on the Senate-passed bill begin. Please contact your Representatives to ask them to oppose this bill and to protect Medicaid and SNAP. 

We are encouraged that some House members have already indicated their opposition to this harmful legislation. We urge everyone to contact their Representatives immediately and demand they vote NO on this destructive bill.

 AAPD is firmly against any legislation that undermines the rights and well-being of people with disabilities. We call on Congress to protect Medicaid and ensure that people with disabilities have continued access to the services they need to thrive.

UPDATE from June 29, 2025:

Current state of play: Very late on Saturday night, the Senate passed the motion to proceed by a vote of 51-49. Passage of the motion to proceed allows the Senate to begin debate on the reconciliation bill.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) joined with all Senate Democrats voting against the motion to proceed. Senator Paul has been outspoken in his opposition to the bill because of its substantial increase to the federal debt. Senator Tillis has been making headlines for his very recent, but very vocal, opposition to the bill’s Medicaid cuts.

After intense negotiations with Senate Republican leadership and Vice President Vance, several Republican holdouts withdrew their opposition. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) reported that he and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) agreed to vote for the motion in exchange for an amendment to the final bill that would end the 90% Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) for Medicaid expansion. Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) did not confirm Senator Johnson’s statement. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) was given several Alaska-specific provisions, including an increased FMAP for the state (although this was later ruled out by the parliamentarian after senator Murkowski voted for the motion to proceed). A previously included $25 billion rural hospital fund was enough to quell opposition from Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO).

Next steps: Last night’s vote was only the beginning of the Senate floor process. Senate Democrats are forcing a full reading of the 900+ page bill by the Senate clerks. The Senate has now entered 20 continuous hours of debate, called “vote-a-rama.” The hours are divided evenly between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats will likely use all of their 10 hours of debate to highlight the unpopular parts of the bill. Republicans will probably forfeit most of their time to speed up vote-a-rama. If all stays on track for Republicans, a vote on the final bill should occur sometime on Monday.

Negotiations with Senate Parliamentarian still not finished: While a Monday vote is ideal for Senate Republicans, Sunday morning rulings from the Senate parliamentarian are casting doubt on that goal. The parliamentarian is still working but here’s what we know as of now, according to Senate Democrats. As of writing, more than 209 amendments have been filed.

What’s been removed from the bill?:
Repealing parts of the Biden era eligibility and enrollment rule for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Repealing parts of the eligibility and enrollment rule for the Medicare Shared Savings Program
Repealing parts of the nursing home staffing rule
Increased FMAP for high poverty states – this is an Alaska-specific provision
Increased payment for outpatient hospital treatments in Alaska and Hawaii
Expansion of the orphan drug exclusion in Medicare drug price negotiations

What’s still in the bill?:
Provider tax language provision that remains unchanged from Saturday morning draft
Limiting receipt of Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits by certain immigrants
Barring Medicare participation for most non-citizens

What does this all mean?: Passage of any sort of reconciliation bill is not guaranteed! Thune continues to say a Monday vote is aspirational, and parliamentarian rulings are making that even harder. This makes all the more important that your Senators need to hear from you NOW that you oppose this budget and all cuts to Medicaid. Click here to tell them to vote NO on cuts to Medicaid and SNAP!

*If* the bill passes the Senate, it still has to be passed by the House. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says he will give House members 48 hours to return to DC to vote. As of now, several House Republicans are on record as no votes, with a potential final vote occurring Wednesday or Thursday.

Original Post from June 28, 2025:

This weekend, the Senate is trying to pass the budget reconciliation bill. AAPD is an outspoken opponent of the budget reconciliation bill, because of its significant cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other essential programs. 

The Senate Parliamentarian – a person whose job is to help the Senate follow its rules – found that some key parts of the bill violate budget reconciliation rules (read more about the budget reconciliation process here). In response, Senate leadership released a rewritten 1000-page bill early this morning. The Senate is trying to push through a vote on it today, even though there is no way Senators will be able to read all 1000 pages of the bill before they vote. 

This is especially concerning because the contents of this bill have the power to drastically change the country by taking away food and healthcare from millions of Americans, force millions of Americans into poverty, and kill at least 51,000 Americans every year whose deaths would have otherwise been preventable without this budget.

Your Senators need to hear from you NOW that you oppose this budget and all cuts to Medicaid. Click here to tell them to vote NO on cuts to Medicaid and SNAP!

The bill caps Medicaid provider taxes, which  makes it harder for states to fund Medicaid. Currently, Medicaid makes up 30% of state budgets, much of which is funded by Medicaid provider taxes. The bill also cuts federal Medicaid funding for states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, or currently provide coverage to undocumented immigrants with their own state funds. The bill also requires more people who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to work, also known as “work requirements.” SNAP is an essential program that helps millions of people with disabilities, seniors, and their families buy food each month.

These rules will add substantial new costs for states, which could result in state cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, or other key areas like education and transportation. 

In addition, the revised bill says that states are not allowed to regulate Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms for ten years. States must agree to this if they want to access the bill’s funds for AI deployment and increasing access to broadband internet. States are more likely to agree to this because they want – or need – to access the bill’s $500 million in AI deployment and $42 billion in broadband internet funding. 

Artificial intelligence is a fast-evolving technology, and regulatory frameworks around AI are still under development. Without regulations and laws, it is easier for AI to discriminate based on disability, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender, or other identities. This leaves marginalized groups, including people with disabilities, at risk of discrimination by the AI platforms and algorithms the government and many companies are now  using for everything from hiring processes to approving (or denying) benefit applications.

There are some positive things in the bill that would help disabled people. The bill does include minor funding increases for Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers. It also extends certain tax advantages for people with disabilities who have ABLE Accounts. These tax benefits help people with disabilities save money, which can be used for expenses that Medicaid or other insurance does not cover. 

However, these helpful parts are overshadowed by the bill’s massive cuts to Medicaid. These cuts would result in new, burdensome administrative and work requirements that will result in many people being unenrolled from Medicaid, even though they qualify for it. 

AAPD remains strongly opposed to the budget reconciliation bill. 

If successful, this afternoon’s procedural vote will trigger what is known as a “Vote-a-Rama”.  During this step of reconciliation, any Senator can offer an amendment to the bill to add or remove harmful provisions.  Once the Senate votes on final passage, the bill has to go back to the House of Representatives to work out the differences between the Senate Bill and the House Bill. Once the House approves the Senate’s version, the bill goes to the President to be signed into law. You can read more about the Budget Reconciliation process in AAPD’s Reconciliation Explainer here. 

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, plans to offer an amendment to the reconciliation bill during the “Vote-a-Rama” that would strike all provisions that cut Medicaid from the bill, and ensure that the ultra-wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share of taxes. AAPD has endorsed Sen. Wyden’s amendment.

The bill’s text could still change, especially during Vote-a-Rama. Several Senators have expressed continued reservations about the bill’s contents, and there are many hours of debate to come. AAPD will share updates as this process continues. 

Your Senators need to hear from you NOW that you oppose this budget and all cuts to Medicaid. Click here to tell them to support Sen. Wyden’s amendment and vote NO on cuts to Medicaid and SNAP!

The post Action Alert: Senate Budget Reconciliation Update appeared first on AAPD.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was just voted out of committee and is poised to become the first Black woman Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, pending a full vote by the Senate.  Today, we are calling on our network to take action by reaching out to your Senators and pushing them to ensure the fair, swift, and bipartisan confirmation vote that Judge Jackson deserves.

Read AAPD’s press release applauding the vote advancing Judge Jackson out of committee and AAPD’s press release celebrating her nomination. To learn more about her track record on disability and civil rights you can read the Bazelon Center’s research memo on Judge Jackson’s decisions.

Take action by contacting your Senator through phone, email, or social media and urging them to confirm Judge Jackson!

Dial 888-852-7561 and the #ConfirmJackson hotline will connect you to your local Senator or tag your Senator on Twitter and use the #ConfirmJackson hashtag. 

Sample Email/ Phone Script:

Hello, My name is [Your name]. 

I am contacting you today to urge you to support Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Jackson’s personal and professional experiences will increase public trust in our courts and improve judicial decision making on a number of issues, including disability rights. 

In numerous decisions, from her time as a federal public defender to her service on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Judge Jackson has shown deep appreciation for our nation’s disability rights laws. She has represented defendants with mental health disabilities and ensured that they would receive a fair day in court. She has ruled on many cases that affirm people with disabilities deserve equal opportunities for participation in our workplaces, government programs, and places of public accommodation. 

As a member of the disability community, my life has been directly impacted by the decisions of the Supreme Court. It is important to me that the Supreme Court understands the importance of disability rights and civil rights more broadly, and Judge Jackson has demonstrated that she does. All Americans will benefit from Judge Jackson’s presence on the Supreme Court!

Sample Tweets: 

[@Your Senator] the #SCOTUS decisions impact people with disabilities & Judge Jackson has exhibited an exemplary track record on disability & civil rights along with a dedication to equity. We deserve a Justice like Judge Jackson. Vote yes to #ConfirmJackson #CripTheVote

[@Your Senator] I am calling on you to recognize Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s exceptional record and to deliver the fair and swift confirmation vote that she deserves. We need a Supreme Court that will represent all Americans. #ConfirmJackson #CripTheVote

We need [@Your Senator] to #ConfirmJackson, not only for a more reflective and equitable Supreme Court but also so that we can have a highly qualified Justice that is impartial and fully dedicated to disability and civil rights for all. America needs Judge Jackson. #CripTheVote

The post Action Alert: Ask Your Senators to Confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson! appeared first on AAPD.

Today, we are calling on our network to take action to protect access to the ballot. The U.S. Senate is considering a voting rights bill called the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Week. This bill would restore the power of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to protect our right to vote from restrictive laws that seem to limit voting access for people with disabilities, people of color, and disabled people of color.

Learn more about the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and take action below!

Check out all of the activities taking place this week at aapd.com/ndvrw and…

The post Action Alert: Ask your Senators to Protect Our Access to Voting! appeared first on AAPD.

Tell Your Senators We Need Emergency HCBS Funding in the Next COVID-19 Relief Bill! 

Many disabled people rely on home and community-based services (HCBS) to live in the community. Now, at a time when COVID-19 is rapidly spreading, these services are more critical than ever as they keep people with disabilities out of institutions, where the virus is spreading at devastating rates. The disability community needs emergency funding for Medicaid home and community-based services. That funding has not been included in any of the COVID relief legislation passed since the beginning of the pandemic, but we must change that. 

Congress is putting together the next COVID-19 relief package now, and the House of Representatives has already included emergency HCBS funding in their version of the COVID relief package. Now we need the Senate to do the same. We’re asking you to participate in our week of action, and ask your Senators to make sure the final COVID-19 relief bill includes the funding our community needs. Here’s how you can participate:

Take Action

Call your Senators! 

You can call your senator and use this script: 

Hello! My name is [your full name], and I am from [city]. I’m calling to ask Senator [Name] to make sure the Senate’s COVID relief package includes emergency funding for Medicaid home and community-based services.

Home and community-based services funded by Medicaid allow people with disabilities like [me/ my family member/ my friends/ my neighbor/ etc.] to continue living safely at home. These services keep people with disabilities out of institutions, where COVID-19 is currently killing thousands. Because of the pandemic, community-based service providers are struggling to stay open, and without emergency funds, some will be forced to close. 

The House has already included emergency funding for Medicaid home- and community-based services in their COVID relief bill. We just need the Senate to include it too. This funding is a life and death issue for disabled [residents of your state]. Can I count on Senator [Name] to stand up for people with disabilities by making sure that funding is in the Senate bill?

Need help making calls? Check out our proxy calling system: https://proxycaller.org/ 

Want to help make calls for other people? Send an email to info@proxycaller.org with your name and preferred email.

Email your Senators! 

Contacting Congress provides unique links to email your Senators directly. You can use the same script you did while calling.

Engage your Senators on Social Media! 

Tweet your Senators – find their Twitter handles here.

Sample Social Media Posts:

Take action TODAY to protect the disability community during COVID-19: https://www.aapd.com/action-alert-hcbs-funding/  #MedicaidCantWait

The Senate emergency COVID-19 relief funding includes NO funding for community-based services — services that many people with disabilities rely on to stay out of institutions, where COVID-19 is spreading. Take action TODAY. https://www.aapd.com/action-alert-hcbs-funding/ #MedicaidCantWait #HCBS

The Senate is refusing to include #HCBS funding in the new COVID-19 relief package. Don’t let them get away with it — call/email TODAY to let your elected officials know we’re watching! #MedicaidCantWait https://www.aapd.com/action-alert-hcbs-funding/

Without #HCBS funding, people with disabilities risk being forced into institutions, where COVID-19 is running rampant. Call and tell your Senator that #MedicaidCantWait using this script: https://www.aapd.com/action-alert-hcbs-funding/

Join the Facebook event for scripts, tips, and check ins throughout the week.

Our community has been left out of the picture when it comes to COVID relief over and over again. Enough is enough. When HCBS is at risk, our lives are on the line: #MedicaidCantWait!

*Script language from ASAN.

The post Action Alert! Tell Your Senators We Need Emergency HCBS Funding in the Next COVID-19 Relief Bill! appeared first on AAPD.

Tell Your Senators to Vote No on Amy Coney Barrett!!

The Senate Judiciary Committee broke Senate rules, and Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court will be headed to a full vote VERY SOON. We expect the full Senate to vote on Judge Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court as soon as October 26, though the date is not set. Your calls, emails, and tweets are needed now more than ever. Judge Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court would pose a serious threat to the rights of people with disabilities.  Judge Barrett has stated that she believes the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional.  During her confirmation hearings she refused to back down from this statement. She also refused to say that Medicare and Social Security were clearly constitutional. Millions of Americans with disabilities stand to lose their health care coverage if Justice Barrett becomes a deciding vote to strike down the law.  If she is confirmed on the schedule currently set, she would join the Court in time to participate in the November 10th arguments in the case challenging the ACA. 

Please take a few minutes today to tell your Senators to vote no on her nomination!

The Affordable Care Act is important for people with disabilities.  Its protections for people with pre-existing conditions, expansion of Medicaid, requirements for coverage of mental health services and habilitation services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, expansion of home and community-based services options, protections against disability discrimination, and expansion of the reach of mental health parity are essential to the health, independence, and self-sufficiency of Americans with disabilities.

Judge Barrett’s record also raises other serious concerns for people with disabilities as well.  For details, you can read the letter that AAPD and more than 50 other disability organizations sent to the Senate opposing her nomination.

Now more than ever, Senators in every state need to know that Barrett is a dangerous nominee who would put disability rights at risk and vote to overturn the ACA. 

Please take some time today or through the weekend to let your Senator know that you’re counting on them to protect disability rights and oppose Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

Take Action

Call your Senators

Call Senators through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 (voice) or (202) 224-3091 (tty) and ask to be connected to your Senators. Use Contacting Congress to easily identify your Senators.

Sample Call Script:
Hello, this is [name]. I’m a resident of [town, state]. I am calling to ask [Senator’s name] to oppose the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. As a [person with a disability or family member/friend/co-worker of a person with a disability], I am worried that Judge Barrett’s statements on the Affordable Care Act mean that, if confirmed, she would vote to overturn the ACA. Millions of Americans with disabilities rely on the ACA to protect our right to healthcare. If the ACA is overturned, especially during a pandemic, millions of lives could be at risk.

I ask you to vote no to Judge Barrett and pass on my concerns to your fellow Senators.

Thank you!

[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address and zip code to ensure your call is tallied]

Email and Tweet your Senators

Use the advocacy tool below to send an email and tweet directly to your Senators to tell them to oppose the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court, or keep scrolling for sample social media content. Once you fill out your information, edit the email to personalize it with your name, location, and experience.

Be sure to connect your Twitter account to use the social media outreach feature of this tool.

Sample Posts that include options to call out states and Senators directly:

The Senate will vote on Judge Barrett’s nomination to replace Justice Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. She has stated she believes the ACA is unconstitutional. A vote for judge Barrett is a vote to repeal the ACA and roll back disability rights! Tell your senator to vote NO on her nomination! View our full action alert https://www.aapd.com/action-alert-nominee-barrett-2/  #OurCourt #WhatsAtStake

ACTION ALERT: The Senate is days away from confirming Judge Barrett to the Supreme Court, threatening the #ACA and lives of millions of people with disabilities. Tell your Senator today to vote NO on Barrett! #OurCourt #WhatsAtStake Learn how to help at https://www.aapd.com/action-alert-nominee-barrett-2/

100,000 million people will lose critical healthcare protections if the ACA is repealed. Amy Coney Barrett believes that the ACA is unconstitutional. Tell your Senators to protect the ACA and to vote NO on her nomination! #OurCourt #WhatsAtStake View our full action alert https://www.aapd.com/action-alert-nominee-barrett-2/

Twitter Graphic, Facebook Graphic, Instagram Graphic

Check out our Social Media Toolkit for more social media posts and graphics!

Material on Judge Barrett

• AAPD Joins Over 50 Disability Rights Groups in Opposing Nomination of Jude Amy Coney Barrett (10/5/2020). AAPD joins disability rights groups to express our opposition to the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It is imperative for the disability community that Justice Ginsburg’s replacement be someone who understands and respects the rights of people with disabilities.
• ASAN Opposes Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett
• AUCD Opposes the Nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States
• Bazelon Center: Amy Coney Barrett’s Record on Issues Affecting People with Disabilities
• Little Lobbyists Oppose the Nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court
• Judge Amy Coney Barrett Radio interview disagreeing with Supreme Court decision to uphold ACA

*Script language from AUCD.

The post Action Alert! Tell Your Senators to Vote No on Amy Coney Barrett appeared first on AAPD.

Judge Amy Coney Barrett has been nominated to fill Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s vacant seat on the United States Supreme Court. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has stated that the Senate will move quickly with her confirmation hearings and a vote.

AAPD and at least 50 disability rights groups strongly oppose the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett due to her direct hostility towards the Affordable Care Act and her record on many issues that would harm people with disabilities. On Monday, October 12th, the disability community is coordinating a national call-in day to voice our opposition to the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. With her confirmation hearings beginning the 12th  and a vote planned for the end of the month, it is important that we make our voices heard now!

Take Action

Share your story

We need your stories of how the ACA has helped you, and how overturning the ACA would be harmful. Please share your stories with us using this online form. We are requesting this information by Friday, October 16, 2020.

Call your Senators

Call Senators through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 (voice) or (202) 224-3091 (tty) and ask to be connected to your Senators. Use Contacting Congress to easily identify your Senators.

Email and Tweet your Senators

Use the advocacy tool below to send an email and tweet directly to your Senators to tell them to oppose the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. Once you fill out your information, edit the email to personalize it with your name, location, and experience.

Be sure to connect your Twitter account to use the social media outreach feature of this tool.

Sample Call Script:

Hello, this is [name]. I’m a resident of [town, state]. I am calling to ask [Senator’s name] to oppose the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. As a [person with a disability or family member/friend/co-worker of a person with a disability], I am worried that Judge Barrett’s statements on the Affordable Care Act mean that, if confirmed, she would vote to overturn the ACA. Millions of Americans with disabilities rely on the ACA to protect our right to healthcare. If the ACA is overturned, especially during a pandemic, millions of lives could be at risk.

I ask you to vote no to Judge Barrett and pass on my concerns to the Judiciary Committee.

Thank you!

[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address and zip code to ensure your call is tallied]

Material on Judge Barrett

• AAPD Joins Over 50 Disability Rights Groups in Opposing Nomination of Jude Amy Coney Barrett (10/5/2020). AAPD joins disability rights groups to express our opposition to the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It is imperative for the disability community that Justice Ginsburg’s replacement be someone who understands and respects the rights of people with disabilities.
• ASAN Opposes Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett
• AUCD Opposes the Nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States
• Bazelon Center: Amy Coney Barrett’s Record on Issues Affecting People with Disabilities
• Little Lobbyists Oppose the Nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court
• Judge Amy Coney Barrett Radio interview disagreeing with Supreme Court decision to uphold ACA

*Script language from AUCD.

The post Action Alert! National Call-in Day on Supreme Court Nominee Judge Barrett appeared first on AAPD.

As disability right advocates, you’ve made countless calls to your elected officials. You know how to make your voice heard. Now, we need you to do something different: use email and social media to tell your members of congress, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Kevin McCarthy that they MUST center the needs of disabled people in the new coronavirus relief package.

The disability community has been overlooked in Congress’s previous attempts to address COVID-19. Now, Congress is working on a third bill, the largest one yet—and we are being excluded again. People with disabilities are being hit the hardest by COVID-19. If we are going to get through this, we need Congress to pay attention to us and make sure the third bill includes things like:

• Extra funding so Medicaid can still provide home and community based services during the crisis.
• Making sure family caregivers for adults with disabilities are covered by paid leave.
• Making sure that people on SSI or SSDI are able to receive cash payments like everyone else, without worrying about income or asset limits.
• Making sure that people with disabilities can get our medications refilled.
• Making sure we don’t face discrimination in health care.
• Protecting the rights of students with disabilities.
• Permanently reauthorizing Money Follows the Person, to make sure that people who are institutionalized during the crisis can return to their homes and communities.

Because of the virus, there aren’t many people in Congress answering the phones right now. But we can still make our voices heard. Here’s what you can do:

• Email your Members of Congress using this tool from The Arc.
• Tweet at your Members of Congress and tell them that they must include the disability community’s needs in the new coronavirus relief package.

The post ACTION ALERT—Congress: Include People with Disabilities in COVID-19 Relief! appeared first on AAPD.

The American Association of People with Disabilities is working with the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies (the Partnership) on two historic pieces of disability and disaster legislation that will dismantle barriers faced by people with disabilities, older adults, and Medicaid eligible people impacted by disasters. These bills should improve outcomes throughout disasters and increase resources for disability organizations, emergency managers and local communities.

The Real Emergency Access for Aging and Disability Inclusion for Disasters Act (REAADI) and the Disaster Relief Medicaid Act (DRMA) was introduced into both the Senate and the House of Representatives on June 10th.

Real Emergency Access for Aging and Disability Inclusion for Disasters Act (REAADI):

• Ensures there is a strong disability and older adult voice throughout the preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation of disasters,
• Includes universal design and visibility standards, as well as reasonable accommodation before, during and after disasters,
• Establishes a National Commission on Disability Rights and Disasters with a focus on:
  • accessible communication,
  • protection of civil rights,
  • accessible transportation and evacuation, and
  • accessible shelter, health and medical services;
• Creates a network of disaster and disability centers focused on training, technical assistance, and research to assist states and localities to better include and support disaster-impacted people with disabilities, older adults and others who also have access needs;
• Directs the Government Accountability Office to review the spending of disaster funds by federal agencies and states to ensure funds have been spent in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Creates a competitive grant program to pilot strategies for greater inclusion of people with disabilities, older adults and people with access needs throughout disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation;
• Requires the Department of Justice to examine how the civil rights of people with disabilities and older adults are or are not upheld during and following disasters; and
• Establishes a role for Centers for Independent Living throughout local disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

To find out more about REAADI check out Senator Casey’s One page Summary.

Disaster Relief Medicaid Act (DRMA):

• Provides uninterrupted access to Medicaid services when recipients must evacuate across state lines, increasing health maintenance and community living and preventing institutionalization during disasters.
• Helps states meet the needs of Relief-Eligible Survivors through a limited time one hundred percent federal match for displaced individuals,
• Provides technical assistance and support to develop innovative state strategies to respond to an influx of out-of-state individuals.
• Creates a grant to help states develop an emergency response corps to provide home and community-based services.
• Guarantees that a 100 percent federal matching payment for medical assistance is provided to states in disaster areas.

To find out more about DRMA, check out Senator Casey’s One Page Summary.

Take action now!

• Reach out to your Senators and Representatives and ask them to support REAADI and DRMA 
  • Go to https://reaadi.com/take-action-now/ for information and templates.
  • Check the REAADI site for updates on co-sponsors.
• Express organizational support for REAADI and DRMA
  • Go to https://reaadi.com/take-action-now/ for information and templates.
  • Email dart@disasterstrategies.org with your organization’s name and a short statement indicating support for REAADI and DRMA,

For more information on REAADI and DRMA, check out www.reaadi.com.

You can sign up for notifications on REAADI and DRMA and request additional information and advocacy support!

The post Action Alert: Ask Congress to Sign-on as Original Cosponsors to Bills Protecting the Rights of Disaster-Impacted People with Disabilities ! appeared first on AAPD.

Senators Bernie Sanders (VT) and Patty Murray (WA), Representatives Robert “Bobby” Scott (VA), Mark Pocan (WI) and Stephanie Murphy (FL) have introduced the Raise the Wage Act in Congress to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and to phase out subminimum wage practices. Subminimum wage (Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act) allows employers to pay as little as $1 per hour, or less, to workers with disabilities if they are considered less capable than a person who is not disabled. We need your help to pass this Act and get Americans with disabilities paid a fair wage. 

On March 26, call your Senators and Representative on national call-in day and ask them to support the Raise the Wage Act and eliminate the sub-minimum wage for disabled workers. If enacted, this legislation would:

• Sunset the much-criticized ability of employers to pay workers with disabilities a subminimum wage through certificates issued by DOL;
• Raise the federal minimum wage to $8.55 this year and increase it over the next five years until it reaches $15 an hour in 2024;
• After 2024, adjust the minimum wage each year to keep pace with growth in the typical worker’s wages;
• Phase out the outdated subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been frozen at a meager $2.13 since 1991; and,
• Phase out the subminimum wage for workers under the age of 20.

Call your Member of Congress and request that they co-sponsor and vote to pass the Raise the Wage Act (S.150, H.R.582)!

Take Action

Call your Members of Congress

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY) and ask to be connected to your Senators or Representative. Once connected, make sure you give them your name and identify that you are a constituent. Below is a sample script for your calls. 

Sample Call Script: 

Hello, this is [Name]. I’m a resident of [Town, State].  I am calling to express my support for the Raise the Wage Act. Raising the minimum wage to $15/hr and ending subminimum wage practices is a win-win for workers AND the economy. Eliminating the sub-minimum wage for disabled workers is long over due in achieving real justice and economic security.  I am asking [Member of Congress’ Name] to cosponsor the Raise the Wage Act and vote YES to ending the sub-minimum wage and raising the minimum wage to $15/hr. Thank you for taking my call! [IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address and zip code to ensure your call is tallied]

[Optional Add On]

Personal stories are the most effective form of advocacy. Talk about why ending subminimum wage and raising the minimum wage is important for you or someone you know and love.  

Email your Members of Congress

Contacting Congress provides unique links to email your Senators and Representative directly. 

Tweet your Members of Congress

Twitter has become a powerful tool to communicate with elected officials directly. Find your Senators and Representative on Twitter and tell them to co-sponsor the DIA!

• House of Representatives Twitter Handles
• Senate Twitter Handles
• Use the hashtags: #RaiseTheWage and #FightFor15

Additional Resources:  

• Spanish language email and graphics
• English language email and graphics
• English language driver graphics
• Raise the Wage Act Sign on Statement

The post Action Alert: Raise the Wage Bill National Call-In Day, March 26! appeared first on AAPD.

This Wednesday, March 6th, the disability and aging communities are hosting a National Call-In Day to support the EMPOWER Care Act that would extend the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Program for five years. The MFP Program has helped more than 88,000 seniors and people with disabilities move out of nursing homes and other institutions and into the community. MFP has improved the lives of seniors and people with disabilities, saved states money, and led to better outcomes. That’s why nearly every state has participated in the program. But funding for this program is running out soon!

We need your help to pass this Act and get more people with disabilities back into their communities. Call your Member of Congress and request that they co-sponsor and vote to pass the EMPOWER Care Act (S. 548, H.R. 1342)!

Take Action

Call your Members of Congress

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY) and ask to be connected to your Senators or Representative.

Once connected, ask to speak with a staff member who handles civil rights and/or disability issues. Make sure you give them your name and identify that you are a constituent. Below is a sample script for your calls.

Sample Call Script:

Hello, this is [Name]. I’m a resident of [Town, State].  

I am calling to express my support for extending the Money Follow the Person (MFP) program. MFP has enabled over 88,000 older adults and people with disabilities living in institutions to transition back to their communities. MFP is fiscally responsible: it has improved the quality of live for thousands of individuals while saving states money. 

I am asking [Member of Congress’ Name] to cosponsor and support the EMPOWER Care Act to improve and extend the Money Follows the Person Program.

Thank you for taking my call!

[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address and zip code to ensure your call is tallied]

[Optional Add On]

Personal stories are the most effective form of advocacy. Talk about why Money Follows the Person is important for you or someone you know and love.  

Email your Members of Congress

Contacting Congress provides unique links to email your Senators and Representative directly.

Tweet your Members of Congress

Twitter has become a powerful tool to communicate with elected officials directly. Find your Senators and Representative on Twitter and tell them to co-sponsor the DIA!

• House of Representatives Twitter Handles
• Senate Twitter Handles
• Use the hashtags: #FundMFP

Additional Resources:

• FB Event for National Call-In Day to Support the EMPOWER Care Act
• EMPOWER Care Act One Pager
• Money Follows the Person Overview
• 2018 Empower Act Action Alerts: Action Alert! The EMPOWER Care Act from Jan 30, 2018 and Action Alert! The EMPOWER Care Act from June 14, 2018

This alert was developed with content provided by the Center for Public Representation

The post Action Alert: National Call-In Day to Support the EMPOWER Care Act on Wednesday, March 6th! appeared first on AAPD.