You Can Help Save Disability Protections Nationwide

NORMALLY MY BLOG IS OF MOST INTEREST TO PEOPLE WHO RESIDE IN DC, BUT THIS TIME THERE'S ESSENTIAL INFORMATION - AND A CALL TO ACTION - FOR THOSE OF YOU LIVING IN ONE OF THE FIFTY STATES!  PLEASE READ ON!

I won't lie to you:  this morning's Project ACTION! (https://www.facebook.com/dcprojectaction/) meeting was pretty discouraging.  

That's in part because the House is still on recess and we still don't know where we stand with DC's FY2025 budget.

But it was also discouraging to learn about the impact the Trump administration's FY 2026 budget passback for the US Department of Health and Human Services could have for essential disability supports nationwide, as explained here by the American Association of People with Disabilities.  

And this is where you - in DC but especially in places where you have voting representatives in the US Congress - can make a big difference - go to this page, fill it out, and also send it to your voting representatives.  SAVE ESSENTIAL DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE US by making your voice heard NOW.

Here's Where We Stand with our Budget

 

Here I was with my message last Saturday (the other side of my sign said "Hands Off DC and Medicaid").  It was a good turnout, both here and in other cities around the country.

On the subject of our budget - The House of Representatives will go out on recess again today, for the next two weeks, without having passed the Senate bill protecting DC's FY2025 budget, so our relief continues to be postponed.  Hopefully things will look up for us when they reconvene toward the end of the month, but I can't help thinking the timing of this bill just passed by the DC council won't help us much.  This is a time for treading very carefully, not waving a red flag.  Hooray to Janeese Lewis George (who chairs the DDS/ODR committee) and Charles Allen for seeing that clearly!

From what I can tell, the mayor is still holding up presenting her FY2026 budget until we (hopefully) get House agreement on FY2025, so we really need to keep our eye on that ball.  

HANDS OFF DC APRIL 5!

 

The cherry blossoms were beautiful while they lasted, though most are sadly now gone with our recent rains.  Tomorrow, April 5, is the Petalpalooza celebration, but make sure you detour to the Washington Monument for the Hands Off rally starting at noon, and hold up high those "Hands Off DC Government" and "Hands Off Medicaid" signs!  

For the past couple of weeks, I had thought I would be writing about FY2026 budget hearings before the DC Council, but in light of the refusal by the US House of Representatives to pass the bill "allowing" DC to spend our own local tax dollars in this fiscal year (FY2025), everything about next year's budget has been postponed.  (If the House doesn't take action soon, we may be having to make abrupt cuts in this year's local spending.)

SO - GET OUT THERE TOMORROW AND SAY IT LOUDLY:  HANDS OFF DC GOVERNMENT!