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U.S. Congress Fails to Pass Important Bills
Mental Health Parity, full funding for IDEA shot down by key lawmakers
by Phil Jordan
December 18, 2001
With the 107th Congress mired in partisan squabbling, important legislation that could have helped people with disabilities once again fell through the cracks. There simply isn't a lot of good new for the disability rights community coming out of Washington D.C. these days.
House Republican Leadership Kills Mental Health Parity
The Senate passed a substantial Mental Health Parity bill this session (S 543), and sent it over to the House of Representatives for approval. Advocates were optimistic when more than 50% of the House members indicated that they supported the measure.
Unfortunately, the House Republican leadership, for unknown reasons, applied intense pressure to the Republican Congresspersons who ended up voting to kill the Parity measure which had been attached to the Health and Human Services Appropriations bill.
The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) identified House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-TX), Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX), Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-TX), Republican Conference Chairman J.C. Watts (R-OK) among the principal culprits in killing this important bill that was supported overwhelmingly in both Houses of Congress.
IDEA Fails to be Fully Funded
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, has provided federal funds to states for years. These funds supplement state funding that helps provide children with disabilities a public education. The U.S. Congress has long promised to "fully fund" IDEA - that is, to provide the maximum funding per pupil allowed in the original IDEA bill. Current federal funding levels fall well short of that threshold.
Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Chuck Hagel (R-NB) led the charge this year to fulfill the long neglected promise to provide maximum funding for Special Education.
Once again, it was House members - led by Education Committee chair John Boehner (R-OH) - who derailed this bill which could have done so much for people with disabilities.
There was some positive news from Congress regarding education. Two amendments that would have allowed local school districts to expel students with disabilities were rejected by the Conference Committee.
Medicaid Increase Unlikely
Members of Congress have been seeking consensus on an economic stimulus package for many weeks, now. One of the proposals included in such a package was to increase the federal share of Medicaid funding in order to help state governments avoid Medicaid cuts. The Senate Finance Committee approved a provision to increase Medicaid payments, but the full Senate was unable to muster the votes to approve it. The House stimulus proposal included no Medicaid provision.
It now appears unlikely that a Medicaid increase will be included in any economic stimulus package.
MiCASSA Going Nowhere
The Medicaid Community Attendants and Supports Act, or MiCASSA, would go a long way to helping people with disabilities who use Personal Assistance Services (PAS) become more independent. Current Medicaid law makes it easier for PAS users to receive services in nursing homes and other institutions, rather than receiving services that allow them to live in the community.
The bill was referred to the Senate Finance Committee in August, and it apparently is stuck there, with no further action being planned.
For more information on MiCASSA, read this article.
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