My work as a disability advocate helping people with disabilities help themselves with important legislation.

The bill passed the US House of Represenatives by a resounding vote. The danger, problem in the Senate is a proposed Republican filibuster. A filibuster basically means the bill will be talked to exhaustion. There is a very real danger, the bill will not be voted.

Immediately below in the next paragraph is the date and exact voting results of the entire House of Represenatives.

April 23, the whole House of Representatives passed legislation (HR 5613) that would forstall seven newly proposed Medicaid regulations by the Bush presidency. See top of page for more details. The bill passed by a vote of 349-62 – a margin definitely more than adequate to defeat a presidential veto. Source:The National Council for Community Behavorial Health www.thenationalcouncil.org.

According to the director of the rehab program if the house bill comes to the Senate floor the bill will pass. However some members of the Republican senators are organizing to block the bill. Some of the more conservative republicans are threatening filibuster. They claim HR5613 does nothing to prevent medicaid fraud. My concern is the fact that if this bill is not passed in the US Senate, many disabled people could lose greatly needed services. Perhaps the US Senate could vote on a revamped bill that does protect against most if not every kind of Medicaid fraud. Preventing fraud is certainly important. So is being fair to people with disabilities.

We sent the letters to Senator Arlen Specter R. The clients and facilitators are hoping being comparatively progressive for a Republican, the PA Senator can help prevent filibuster.

Partial List of National US Disability and Progressive Groups for HR5613

www.care2.com Specially the Campaign for Housing, Health Care etc.

Care2.com includes www.petitionsite.com, communities, networking and much more. Its one of the largest progressive sites on the Internet.

Families USA www.familiesusa.org The Voice for Health Care Consumers.

Mental Health America, formerly National Mental Health Assn.

National Alliance for the Mentally ILL NAMI

National Association of Community Health Centers

People on Wheels. www.peopleonwheels.org. A wheel chair advocacy and support organization.

www.retiredamericans.org

Many more groups too numerous to mention. umers help themselves fight back against heartless legislation.

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