Policy Corner: December 1, 2023
Categories: Policy Corner Archives
Congress Returns to the Capitol for Work this Week
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate returned to Washington, D.C. this week after being in their home districts for the Thanksgiving recess. The House is to leave town for the holidays on Dec. 14 and the Senate is scheduled to leave on Dec. 15. Although government is operating on two short-term continuing resolutions (CR) passed before the Thanksgiving holiday, the two chambers are divided on topline spending for federal agencies, making it difficult for the House and Senate to agree on spending bills to fund government the remainder of the fiscal year.
Lawmakers have until Dec. 31 to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other health provisions. Congress has yet to pass a measure that would mitigate Medicare rate cuts to physicians as scheduled by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Unless something is done, physicians will experience a 3.37 percent cut on Jan. 1, 2024. Meanwhile, the first CR expires Jan. 19 that funds Agriculture, Energy and Water, Military-Construction-Veterans, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The rest of the agencies, including the spending bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, are funded until Feb. 4, 2024.
House Expels New York Rep. George Santos
In a rare vote this morning, the House expelled Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from office following a report from the House Ethics Committee and a 23-count federal indictment charging him with wire fraud and money laundering, among other crimes. He is the sixth member in history to be expelled from the House of Representatives. His office is now vacated. New York Governor Kathy Hochul must declare a special election within 10 days of a seat’s vacancy and the state must hold the election between 70-80 days after the Governor’s proclamation. The Republicans now just hold a three-seat majority.
BIAA Supports DRRC’s Comments on NIH’s Proposed Mission Statement
As a member of the steering committee for the Disability & Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC), the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) supported DRRC comments submitted Nov. 24 relating to the proposed update to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) mission statement. The DDRC applauds NIH’s efforts to address systemic and structural factors that exclude people with disabilities both in the scientific workforce and clinical research participation. The proposed revised mission statement reads, “to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and to apply that knowledge to optimize health and prevent or reduce illness for all people.” NIH removed “reduce illness and disability” from the mission statement.
The DRRC letter did emphasize the need to continue emphasis on rehabilitation and disability research as a component of optimizing health. In that regard, DRRC suggested that NIH consider language focused on pursuing scientific advancements that improve the ability of people with disabilities to live and work in our society. DRRC suggested the following language, “… and to apply that knowledge to optimize health and function, and prevent or reduce illness for all people.”
UN to Celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities
On Dec. 3, the United Nations (UN) will celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with the theme “United in Action to Rescue and Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for, with and by Persons with Disabilities.” The UN identified 17 goals to transform the world for people with disabilities in 2015. These goals related to reducing poverty, improving health and well-being, ensuring access to quality education and work. The UN will host a panel discussion on Dec. 1st to discuss progress toward the goals and call for re-energizing efforts to make the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for people with disabilities.
Education Department Celebrates 48th Anniversary of IDEA
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Education celebrated the signing of the Education for All Handicapped Childrens Act of 1975 (Pub. L. 94-142), which mandated special education and related services for students with disabilities. In 1990, the reauthorizing legislation changed the name to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and added traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as autism, to the list of disabilities that may qualify for special education and related services. The legislation specifically lists ten disability categories and the Education Department added two additional disability categories through regulations: “deaf-blindness: and “multiple disabilities.” The regulations also separated deafness from hearing impairment, bringing the total number of disability categories to 13.
The Education Department collects data on the number and percentage of children in public schools that have been evaluated and found eligible to receive special education and related services under the IDEA. TBI is considered a low-incidence disability accounting for less than 0.5 percent of children identified with a disability. In the past year, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) under the Education Department’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) published materials and resources, including the handout, “OSEP Fast Facts: Students Identified with Traumatic Brain Injury,” in March 2023.