March 25, 2025

Call to Action

SHARE YOUR STORY!

This week, we are focusing on YOUR story about why Medicaid matters to you, your family, friends, and community. Your stories put a face to the proposed $880B in Federal cuts, many of which are likely to come from the Medicaid program.

Your stories have the greatest impact in advocating to preserve Medicaid. The more stories we share, the more powerful our advocacy!

CLICK HERE TODAY to share your story and help federal leaders understand the true impact the proposed cuts will have on people with disabilities. It can be your own story, or the story of a friend, neighbor, or loved one. 

If you need help telling your story, The Arc US Storytelling Toolkit has great resources to help you shape your story into an impactful advocacy message.

By now, we hope that each of you reading this alert has already done the following:

1. Sent a letter to your Congressional representative through The Arc US one-click campaign. Remember, you can do this every day!
2. Made a phone call to your representative (find your representative)
3. Requested or held a meeting with your representative (either virtual or in person)
4. Provided feedback to The Arc New York about your efforts and what you’ve learned

If you have not completed each of these steps, please do so. Congressional representatives need to hear from EACH of their constituents. It’s not enough that your Chapter is organizing a meeting or one or two people on your board are – every one of you must take these steps for our voices to be amplified and for legislators to understand the breadth of concern by their constituency. 

In the News

Below are several news articles or releases related to Medicaid funding, which provide valuable background and talking points.

• The East Hampton Star: “LaLota’s tele-Town Hall: Seven Questions, No Follow-Ups”
• Silive.com: “Let’s talk, protesters say: Rally at Staten Island Rep. Malliotakis office demands town hall meeting”  
• The Hill: “NY Republican slams Social Security office closure plan: ‘Slap in the face’”  
• lohud: “Mike Lawler answered questions in ‘tele-town hall’: What he said on Medicaid, more”  
• Oswego County News: “Protesters want Tenney to hold town hall meeting”  
• Times Union: “Stefanik slated for April 2 confirmation vote for UN ambassador”  
• WKBW: "'A charade’: Congressman Nick Langworthy discusses why he declined invitation to public town hall”

In addition to the fight against Medicaid cuts, you may have also seen the recent Executive Order signed by President Trump aimed at heavily reducing the functions of the U.S. Department of Education, raising concerns about support for children with disabilities. Some information about that order can be found in the links below:

• Video Update for Chapters on Federal Education Policy by Katy Neas, Arc US CEO

• White House Fact Sheet, Mar. 20, 2025

• National Education Association: “What was school like for students with disabilities before IDEA?”

• Chalkbeat: “A big change for kids with disabilities is underway, Trump says. Critics say it’s against the law.”

To urge Congress to protect the U.S. Department of Education, click here. 

The Arc US Storytelling Toolkit 🔗

Use the resources in this toolkit to help you tell your story in a way that effectively encourages elected officials to change laws or policies. Then share your story to support federal advocacy here.

The Arc New York Medicaid Info Sheet 🔗

Use this info sheet to inform yourself and your representative of the dire need to support Medicaid in New York state.

The Arc New York & NYDA's Congressional District Info Sheets 🔗

Use these district-specific info sheets and maps to inform your representative of the local impact in their district.

The Arc US Medicaid Toolkit 🔗

Access this toolkit for an array of resources that will aid your conversations with lawmakers about the importance of Medicaid.