The disability community had high expectations for President Obama. He said the right things. He had been a co-sponsor of the Community Choice Act, and he had committed to supporting this legislation when he became President.

When the President began an initiative to reform healthcare, it seemed obvious that this was the opportunity for addressing the institutional bias. Yet, in the meetings with this administration, we were told that we needed to be patient and wait our turn. We were told that the administration would not be addressing long term services and supports in healthcare reform. We were angry and we pushed back, but the administration was consistent and clear: this was not the time. Healthcare reform was just too complicated to include the issue of long term care services and supports.

Now, the administration has just issued a letter supporting the inclusion of the CLASS Act in healthcare reform! See below

July 6, 2009

The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy
Chairman
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Mr. Chairman,

I am writing to express the Administration’s support for the inclusion of the Community
Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act in the Affordable Health Choices
Act. As you know, the President endorsed and cosponsored the CLASS Act when he was
a United States Senator. He believes it is appropriate to include the CLASS Act as part
of health reform because enactment of this important legislation would expand resources
available to individuals and families to purchase long-term services and supports to
enable them to remain in their own homes in the community. The CLASS Act is an
innovative voluntary program that will provide important benefits to people who need
them.

We look forward to working with Congress on issues related to implementation and
administration of the legislation. Should you have any questions, please contact me or
have your staff contact Andrea Palm, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislation, at (202)
690-7627.

Kathleen G. Sebelius
Secretary of Health and Human Services

The CLASS Act allows working people to pay premiums for long term care insurance from the government through payroll deductions.

While the goals of this legislation are laudable, the CLASS Act does nothing to address the institutional bias which forces Americans with disabilities and older Americans into nursing facilities and other institutions. It does nothing to address the needs of seniors and people with disabilities who are not working and will need long term services and supports.

During the Presidential Campaign, I had such hope for the future. I trusted Senator Harkin and others who said that Obama would make the changes our community needed so that every American – regardless of disability – could share in the freedom we all cherish. I had ignored the people who said Obama was elitist and instead focused on the message that Obama understood our issues and was a community organizer at heart.

When I voted, I was sure that I was voting for a great man who would bring freedom to people with disabilities. The parallels to Lincoln could not be dismissed. Just as Lincoln freed the slaves, I felt that Obama would FREE OUR PEOPLE.

Now, I see what a fool I was.

It is clear that this administration supports policies which incarcerate seniors and people with disabilities.
It is clear that this administration doesn’t care in the least about the poorest among us.
It is clear that this administration is going to continue “business as usual” in DC.

And it is clear what we need to do.

We need to fight back.
We need to make our voices heard.
We need to make sure that it is clear we will not be taken away quietly.

Too many of our lives have been stolen.

We won’t mourn; we will organize!
Count on that!

Click Here to read ADAPT’S response to this event in plain text

Click Here to read ADAPT’S response to this event in HTML on the CDR website