Action Alert — House Subcommittee Hearing on Community Choice Act — Urge committee members to attend!
Action Alert
January 9, 2008
House Subcommittee Hearing on Community Choice Act
Issue:
After years of advocacy by members of ADAPT, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on January 16th 2008 on the Community Choice Act (HR 1621) and related issues. A group from the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester is driving down to DC to attend the hearing! We need to make sure the Members of Congress who are on this Subcommittee attend the hearing.
Action:
There are three New York Representatives on this Subcommittee: Reps. Towns, Engel and Weiner. Please call these Representatives and encourage them to attend the hearing.
Call these three New York Representatives in their DC office, and leave the message:
I am an advocate for people with disabilities in New York and I support the Community Choice Act (HR 1621). I am calling to urge Representative ______ to attend the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on January 16.
Thank you
Rep. Edolphus Towns: (202)-225-5936
Rep. Eliot Engel: (202) 225-2464
Rep. Anthony Weiner: (202) 225-6616
Background:
U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and House of Representative member Danny Davis (D-IL) have introduced the Community Choice Act of 2007 (S.799/H.R.1621). Formerly known as MiCASSA, this legislation would increase access to community-based services and other supports for Americans with disabilities and older Americans.
The Community Choice Act builds on the Money Follows the Person initiative, paving a way to Real Choice in long term care. The bill will allow people who are eligible for nursing homes or other Medicaid-funded institutions to have the choice of living in the community through various services and supports. The legislation also provides enhanced federal matching funds to help states develop their long term care infrastructure and grant funds to help states increase their ability to provide home and community-based services. Finally, this bill creates a demonstration project to evaluate service coordination and cost sharing approaches for those eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare services.
RA and ADAPT note:
For those of you who are not in New York, here is a list of Committee members to call. Go to http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml to look up their numbers.
ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE
HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS
110TH CONGRESS
DEMOCRATS
FRANK PALLONE NEW JERSEY
HENRY WAXMAN CALIFORNIA
EDOLPHUS TOWNS NEW YORK
BART GORDON TENNESSEE
ANNA ESHOO CALIFORNIA
GENE GREEN TEXAS
DIANA DEGETTE COLORADO
LOIS CAPPS CALIFORNIA
THOMAS ALLEN MAINE
TAMMY BALDWIN WISCONSIN
ELIOT ENGEL NEW YORK
JANICE SCHAKOWSKY ILLINOIS
HILDA SOLIS CALIFORNIA
MIKE ROSS ARKANSAS
DARLENE HOOLEY OREGON
ANTHONY WEINER NEW YORK
BARON HILL INDIANA
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REPUBLICANS
NATHAN DEAL GEORGIA
RALPH HALL TEXAS
BARBARA CUBIN WYOMING
JOHN SHADEGG ARIZONA
STEVE BUYER INDIANA
JOSEPH PITTS PENNSYLVANIA
MARY BONO CALIFORNIA
MICHAEL FERGUSON NEW JERSEY
MICHAEL ROGERS MICHIGAN
SUE MYRICK NORTH CAROLINA
JOHN SULLIVAN OKLAHOMA
TIMOTHY MURPHY PENNSYLVANIA
MICHAEL BURGESS TEXAS