so many last minute things. how do they even know what they have done. 

maybe mags program will be refubded and she can move forward with her home purchase. 

good luck mag. 


--- On Tue, 10/7/08, Kendall D. Corbett <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> From: Kendall D. Corbett <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Fwd: The Capitol Insider for the week of October 6
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 11:20 AM
> FYI
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Annie Acosta <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 1:45 PM
> Subject: The Capitol Insider for the week of October 6
> To: Kendall Corbett <[log in to unmask]>
> 
> 
> 
> Forward to a Friend | The Arc Public Policy | Update
> Profile
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Volume 13, Issue 40
> 
> October 6, 2008
> 
> 
> 
> Action Alerts
> 
> None
> 
> 
> 
> Sign up for Capitol Insider
> 
> Major Events Last Week
> 
> U.S. Congress
> 
> A wild week on Capitol Hill ended with the Congress sending
> several
> key bills to the White House for the President's
> signature.  The
> Congress then adjourned until after the election in
> November.
> 
> Fiscal Year 2009 Continuing Resolution
> 
> Just hours before the start of FY 2009 on October 1,
> President Bush
> signed into law the FY 2009 Continuing Resolution (CR). 
> The
> Resolution maintains FY 2008 level funding for all human
> services
> programs until March 6, 2009.  This action essentially
> freezes all
> federal spending for domestic programs for five months. 
> The law does
> appropriate FY 2009 funding for the Departments of Defense,
> Homeland
> Security and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. 
> The CR does
> allow for an increase of up to $618 million for certain HUD
> project
> based Section 8 contracts.
> 
> Emergency Economic Stabilization Act
> 
> Following the defeat in the House on Monday of a bill to
> stabilize the
> financial markets and the banking and housing industries,
> the stock
> market plummeted and the House and Senate were forced to
> seek a new
> approach.  The Senate acted first.  The Senate voted 74-25
> to add a
> number of new provisions to better monitor and enforce the
> banking and
> housing industries, authorizing up to $700 billion to buy
> troubled
> assets from banks.  The Senate also tacked on a major bill
> that
> contained a number of tax credit extenders.  The House then
> voted
> 263-171 to adopt the package, with 58 House Members
> switching their
> votes.  President Bush promptly signed the bill into law on
> Friday
> afternoon.  The full effect of the bill will not be known
> for weeks or
> months.  The key indicator will be how the stock market
> reacts.  The
> new law is also expected to assist homeowners at high risk
> of mortgage
> foreclosure.
> 
> Health Care
> 
> The Senate and the House of Representatives passed the Paul
> Wellstone
> and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity
> Act, which
> was included in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of
> 2008 (H.R.
> 1424). The bill mandates that commercial insurers must set
> mental
> health insurance co-payments and treatment limits equal to
> those for
> coverage of physical conditions. It also bans cost-sharing
> requirements that only apply to mental health or substance
> abuse
> disorder benefits.
> 
> Unemployment Benefits Extension
> 
> Immediately after the House completed action on the
> Emergency Economic
> Stabilization Act, it voted to extend unemployment
> benefits. The
> unemployment extension bill will provide an additional
> seven weeks for
> workers whose benefits have expired and an additional
> thirteen weeks
> for workers in those states that have an unemployment rate
> of 6
> percent or higher.  The Senate has not acted on a similar
> bill.  This
> bill may be addressed in mid November when the Senate holds
> what is
> expected to be a brief lame duck session.
> 
> Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
> 
> President Bush signed into law the SSI Extension for
> Elderly and
> Disabled Refugees Act, P.L. 110-328, on September 30. The
> law became
> effective on October 1 and extends SSI eligibility for
> elderly and
> disabled refugees, asylees, and other humanitarian
> immigrants from
> seven to nine years. In addition, a provision of the bill
> will cover
> those who have already lost their SSI benefits. These
> individuals fled
> persecution or torture in countries such as Iran, Russia,
> Iraq,
> Vietnam, and Somalia and now meet the criteria for SSI
> eligibility
> based on disability or age. The Social Security
> Administration is
> working to ensure implementation as soon as possible.
> 
> Transportation
> 
> On Wednesday the Senate cleared by a 74-24 margin a bill
> (H.R. 2095)
> authorizing $13 billion for Amtrak. H.R. 2095 includes rail
> safety
> provisions and the Amtrak reauthorization. The language
> requiring
> Amtrak to report on their plans for meeting the ADA
> deadline of
> station accessibility by 2010 remains in the bill. The
> President is
> expected to sign the bill.
> 
> Prevention
> 
> The Senate and the House of Representatives passed the
> Mercury Export
> Ban Act of 2008 (S. 906) which prohibits the sale,
> distribution,
> transfer, and export of mercury. Public health experts
> believe mercury
> causes neurological disorders, particularly through
> prenatal exposure.
> 
> Victimization
> 
> Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) introduced the "Crime Victims
> with
> Disabilities Act" (S. 3668) on October 1 . The
> legislation would
> provide grants to states to facilitate collaboration among
> the
> criminal justice system and a range of agencies and other
> organizations that provide services to individuals with
> disabilities.
> In addition to increasing the awareness, investigation,
> prosecution,
> and prevention of crimes against individuals with a
> disability--including developmental disabilities--the
> legislation
> would also improve services to those who are victimized. A
> companion
> bill has not yet been introduced in the House.
> 
> Medicaid
> 
> The Centers on Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) made
> available to
> selected disability organizations, including the Disability
> Policy
> Collaboration, a draft white paper related to pending
> proposed changes
> to the 1915c Home and Community Based Waiver regulation.
> CMS gave the
> organizations only one week to respond to the planned
> changes which
> would begin with an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
> Two
> changes are proposed: 1) CMS would allow states to combine
> targeted
> groups (aged or disabled or both; mentally retarded or
> developmentally
> disabled or both; mentally ill) within one waiver; and 2)
> strengthen
> the requirements for providers to allow more choices of
> housing
> alternatives in the community and make all the choices
> truly home and
> community centered. The DPC will be responding to the white
> paper this
> week and looks forward to the Advanced Notice of Proposed
> Rulemaking
> when affiliates of UCP and chapters of The Arc can also
> provide
> comments.
> 
> The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published
> final
> regulations for the Medicaid Self-Directed Personal
> Assistance
> Services Program State Plan Option (Cash and Counseling).
> The rule
> allows eligible beneficiaries to purchase personal
> assistance services
> as specified in an approved self-directed services plan and
> budget.
> Since this is an optional service, states will decide
> whether to
> include the program in their state Medicaid plans. The
> final
> regulations can be found at:
> http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-23102.pdf.
> 
> Employment
> 
> On October 1, 2008 President Bush issued his annual
> Presidential
> Proclamation recognizing October as National Disability
> Employment
> Awareness Month. Congress designated this month to
> recognize the
> contributions of Americans with disabilities and to
> encourage all
> citizens to ensure equal opportunity in the workforce. See
> the
> Presidential statement at:
> http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/10/print/20081001-12.html
> 
> 
> 
> Major Events Ahead
> 
> U. S. Congress
> 
> Both Houses adjourned last Friday. The House has no
> schedule to return
> for a lame duck session. The Senate will begin a lame duck
> session
> during the week of November 17. There are a number of bills
> that have
> been blocked by "holds" from one or more Senators
> that will be brought
> up for a vote. It is possible that the Senate would also
> act on the
> House passed unemployment benefits extension legislation.
> Medicaid
> advocates will continue to pursue an increase in the
> Medicaid state
> match during the lame duck session to help the escalating
> number of
> states whose Medicaid programs are in dire straits.
> 
> Announcements
> 
> Medicaid Spending Report
> 
> The Kaiser Family Foundation released a report entitled
> "Headed for a
> Crunch: An Update on Medicaid Spending, Coverage and Policy
> Heading
> into an Economic Downturn." This annual 50-state
> survey of state
> Medicaid and budget officials finds enrollment in Medicaid
> began to
> rise in fiscal year 2008 with states expecting even larger
> increases
> for fiscal year 2009 as they confront a weakening economy.
> Medicaid
> enrollment across the country grew 2.1 percent, and
> spending increased
> by 5.3 percent in fiscal year 2008. For fiscal year 2009,
> states
> expect to see even larger increases in Medicaid enrollment
> and
> spending. See the report at:
> http://www.kff.org/medicaid/7815.cfm
> 
> Voter Registration
> 
> Scheduled network maintenance of the Social Security
> Administration's
> (SSA) computer grid over the Columbus Day holiday may
> interfere with
> voter registration efforts. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA)
> and members
> of the Election Assistance Commission raised concerns that
> the
> shutdown would make it difficult for state election workers
> to perform
> voter data cross-checks against SSA databases required by
> the Help
> America Vote Act (HAVA). During record voter registration
> in the final
> push leading to the election, as many as 12-41 states could
> be
> affected. The potential result for newly registered voters?
> Some
> possibilities include the need for additional
> identification on
> Election Day or casting provisional ballots.
> 
> Family Caregiver Tele-class
> 
> Sign up for a free two-part tele-class for family
> caregivers on
> "Communicating Effectively with Health Care
> Professionals." Learn how
> the US healthcare system works, your role on your loved
> one's care
> team, good communication for optimal health care, and
> preparing for
> doctor visits. Other topics include developing rapport with
> providers,
> composing assertive messages for communicating healthcare
> situations,
> and preparation and coping mechanisms for emergency room
> visits. The
> tele-classes will be held on November 6th and 13th from 2-3
> PM
> Eastern. To sign up, go to www.thefamilycaregiver.org or
> call (800)
> 896-3650 for more information.
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> Please note that you can view previous issues of the
> Capitol Insider,
> at thearc.org anytime by choosing "Capitol
> Insider" under "Public
> Policy."
> 
> 
> 
> If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at
> [log in to unmask]
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Annie Acosta
> Director of Communications and Grassroots Advocacy
> Disability Policy Collaboration
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please
> click here.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
> 
> 
> Kendall
> 
> An unreasonable man (but my wife says that's
> redundant!)
> 
> The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the
> unreasonable one
> persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
> Therefore, all
> progress depends on the unreasonable man.
> 
> -George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950
> 
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