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VOR ACTION ALERT
June 3, 2005
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Table of Contents
1. Speak out for Medicaid and Social Security -- Support VOR Initiative
Participants with your calls and faxes
2. ACTION NEEDED + TIME LINE
3. Phone/fax template message
4. Congressional contact information
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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1. Speak out for Medicaid and Social Security - Support VOR Initiative
Participants with your calls and faxes
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During the week of June 13, 2005, more than 75 VOR members will be visiting
their Congressmen and staff. You can support their visits by also calling
your Senators and Representative with our shared message.
Calls from "home" are incredibly effective. Past participants report going
into offices with VOR's materials and hearing, "We just heard from someone
else from Voice of the Retarded." Your calls will serve to empower your
peers in Washington and also lend greater visibility to our shared issues
and concerns.
This year, the Initiative focus will be Medicaid and Social Security. For
many people with mental retardation, their quality of life is dictated by
the availability of services and supports from the federal government.
Because federal funding is so critical, Voice of the Retarded (VOR) works
to demonstrate to Congress how important it is to fund federal programs
that support and promote the quality of life of people with mental
retardation and disabilities each year as Congress sets its budget
priorities.
MEDICAID
Congress has completed its work on the federal budget plan for 2006. This
plan calls for $35 billion in cuts from entitlement programs over the next
five years, nearly one-third or approximately $10 billion of which will
come from the Medicaid program.
Through the appropriations process, Congressional committees will now take
the spending levels set by the budget plan and apply these cuts to the
programs under their jurisdiction. VOR is monitoring the actions of the
House Energy and Commerce and Senate Finance Committees, the committees
that will implement the Medicaid cuts. Overall, Congress must pass 13
different appropriations bills by October 1, 2005.
VOR will be working diligently over the coming months to mitigate the harm
caused by Medicaid budget. This budget was not widely supported by
Congress. This budget plan passed by only three votes in the House of
Representatives and two votes in the Senate. As the appropriations process
develops, we will be calling on VOR members to speak out and tell Congress
to invest in programs and supports for people with mental retardation.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Congress is also debating Social Security Reform, the effects of which on
people with mental retardation are still unknown. As part of our Initiative
message, we will make sure people with mental retardation are on the radar
screen when Social Security Reform is pursued.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!
You can help VOR now by helping us inform others about the impact that the
federal budget has on the programs and supports needed by people with
mental retardation. Call or fax your Congressmen today. Share this action
alert with families and friends.
Full details, including templates and contact information follows.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
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2. ACTION NEEDED + TIME LINE
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Calls and/or FAXES to Congressional offices using the template below.
TIME LINE: If you can time your calls for Monday, June 13 that would be
best. That is when VOR members will be hitting the Congressional Hill. If
not Monday, June 13, then as soon as possible.
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3. Phone/fax template message
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Phone/fax template message:
"I am a member of Voice of the Retarded. During the week of June 13, 2005,
VOR members from across the country come to Washington, D.C., to meet and
talk with their congressman about issues that will affect persons with
mental retardation.
All of us in VOR are concerned about -
* Cuts and caps in Medicaid funding: People with mental retardation are
already medically underserved and cutting or capping Medicaid will mean
that even more people will suffer without needed services. For people with
mental retardation, "optional" Medicaid benefits are lifelines.
* Social Security Reform: Regarding the impact to persons with mental
retardation, there are too many unanswered questions. VOR calls on Congress
to request from the Social Security Administration, a Beneficiary Impact
Statement for any reform proposal.
Thank you in advance for welcoming my peers from VOR when they visit your
office. If you have any questions, please let me know."
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4. Congressional Contact Information
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To find out who represents you in Congress, visit
http://www.congress.org.
You can also reach any congressional office by calling the U.S. Capitol
Switchboard: 202-224-3121
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tamie Hopp
Executive Director
Voice of the Retarded
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