Policy Corner: September 22, 2023
Categories: Policy Corner Archives
Lawmakers Recognize September 18 as National Concussion Awareness Day
This week, Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced a bipartisan resolution in the Senate recognizing September 18, 2020 as National Concussion Awareness Day. The resolution was also introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Chair Congressmen Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) and Co-chair, Don Bacon (R-Neb.). Later that day, Senator Hassan held a Facebook Live event with concussion awareness advocate Brooke Mills from Concord to who discussed the importance of concussion awareness, especially for young people.
The resolution that the lawmakers introduced this year recognizes September 18, 2023 as National Concussion Awareness Day and commends organizations that raise awareness about concussions, and encourages further research and prevention efforts. In the Senate, the bipartisan resolution was also cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
Committee Holds Hearing on Accessible Government Technology for People with Disabilities
Yesterday, the Senate Select Committee on Aging, chaired by Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) held the hearing, “Unlocking the Virtual Front Door: Ensuring Accessible Government Technology for People with Disabilities, Older Adults, and Veterans.” In his opening statement, Senator Casey said that the COVID pandemic illustrated the importance of websites and apps for accessing government programs, services, and information. Yet, many of these technologically based services were unusable for people with disabilities. He noted that this month marks the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1973, which prohibited discrimination by the federal government, in federally funded programs, and by federal contractors offering services, resources and supports for individuals with disabilities.
Last December, Senator Casey released this report, Unlocking the Virtual Front Door that found accessibility problems with technology used by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and throughout the federal government. He highlighted improvements being made by VA, as well as the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the General Services Administration which are committed to new oversight and transparency of accessible federal technology. Senator Casey added, “These long overdue proposed standards are necessary to ensure people who are blind, deaf, have physical disabilities, or intellectual disabilities can access programs, services, and information provided by local and state governments.” He then announced that he, along with several senators, will introduce the Federal Agency Accessibility Compliance Act to bolster the role of Federal Section 508 compliance officers in federal agencies; require agency and department heads to personally certify that their organizations’ technology is accessible; and to post plans and timelines if their agency technology is not accessible.
Senate Finance Committee Holds Hearing on Problems in Providing Home Health Care
On September 19, the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Health Care, chaired by Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Ranking Member Steve Daines (R-Mt.), held the hearing, “Aging in Place: The Vital Role of Home Health and Access to Care.” In his opening statement, Chairman Cardin identified challenges in providing home care options, including workforce and reimbursement, and the lack of a coordinated national strategy to address these issues. Witnesses for the hearing included: William A. Dombi; President of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice; Carrie Edwards, Director of Home Care Services at Mary Lanning Healthcare; Judith Stein, Executive Director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy; and David Grabowski, a professor and researcher at Harvard Medical School.
House Recesses Without Passing a Measure to Fund Federal Government
The House of Representatives recessed yesterday without passing or even agreeing to spending bills or a continuing resolution (CR) to fund federal government starting the new fiscal year that begins October 1st. However, members were not officially sent home for the weekend because House leaders lacked the votes to adopt a motion to adjourn. It is reported that the House will return Tuesday, and leadership plans to ready the 11-remaining full-year appropriations bills for votes in order to be able to negotiate with the Senate — which senate appropriators have stuck to the spending levels agreed to in the debt ceiling bill passed last spring. The appropriations bill for Military Construction-VA is the only spending bill that has passed the House. The House was unable to move the spending bill for the Department of Defense to the floor this week, which is usually the easiest bill for members to approve. House appropriators are calling for deep cuts in federal spending and have also attached policy issues to spending bills that are opposed to by the Senate and the Administration.
Meanwhile, the Senate failed to block a motion to suspend the rules relating to an objection that Senator Ron Johnson (D-Wis.) imposed last week against a package of three spending bills, referred to as a “minibus,” that combined Fiscal Year 2024 funding for Military Construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Agriculture; Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Senator Johnson called for breaking up the bills individually to debate or support a bill sponsored by Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) that would require members of Congress to stay in Washington to complete work on the annual spending bills if they fail to pass them by the Sept. 30 deadline. Congress has only next week to resolve the appropriations dilemma or face a government shut down.