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We need to continue to email, one-click, call, and visit each of our representatives over and over again for the duration of this lengthy fight. When our Congresspeople support us, we need to make sure they know how thankful we are for that support. We need to write op-eds to our local papers and share our stories on social media to get the attention of the public and our Congressional representatives. We need to encourage our friends, families, colleagues, and neighbors to do the same. We need to prepare ourselves to do this week, after week, after week until we are victorious.
Late last week, the House of Representatives voted to move the $880B in cuts forward as part of President Trump’s agenda. The House is expected to have a draft bill by May 9 and may vote on it as early as Memorial Day. This is a critical time for you to stay active with your representatives!
At a rally on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, we were joined by several representatives, including Mike Lawler (R, NY-17). You can view Rep. Lawler’s comments by clicking the link above beginning with his introduction at the 51:18 mark. We were so pleased he joined us, and even more pleased with his remarks, including:
“The IDD community is one that is important to me. It’s important to our community. It’s important to our country. …I have long believed that we, as a society, have a moral obligation to help those who cannot help themselves or need assistance…It is the responsibility of government to support the long-term care and needs of the IDD community.
…Now, let me, let me address the elephant in the room, which is the issue of Medicaid. I want to be very, very clear about something. We are not cutting Medicaid for anyone in the IDD community. We are not cutting Medicaid for our seniors. We are not cutting Medicaid for our children. We are not cutting Medicaid for those who need and rely on this critical program, period.
…And that is my commitment. That is my promise to you, that we will continue to make sure that this vital program is protected, especially for those in the IDD community. There are a group of members, myself included, who have met with the Speaker, who have met with leadership, who have met with President Trump. President Trump has made clear, he does not want to cut Medicaid for anyone that is entitled to these benefits, period.
And so, we will work through these challenges, keeping all of you in mind, making sure that the services that you rely on are protected because this is a life or death situation for many people in this country. And I, for one, will stand up to make sure that you have the services that you need.”
We need each of the seven Republican members of Congress for New York to make the same commitment: that they will protect Medicaid for New Yorkers with IDD. And we need to make sure they understand that any reduction in Medicaid funding to our state could impact the people we support.
Please continue to do what you’ve done, and encourage others to do the same. It is working. We are making a difference.
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