AKA the Big Betrayal of a Bill

As you’ve likely heard by now, Congress has passed the budget reconciliation bill. It will now go to the president’s desk, where it will be signed into law. 

We condemn the cruel cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, and private health insurance subsidies that are in this bill. There is no way to sugar coat this: these cuts to vital programs will harm people with disabilities. The bill was passed very quickly, so we are still analyzing what is in it and exactly how the cuts will impact Colorado. We will be scheduling a town hall soon to share the implications of this bill’s passage. 

We will not let people who voted for this forget when their constituents suffer as a result, and we will hold elected officials accountable for their behavior.  That is what advocacy is. We will continue to act based on our values that center upholding life and liberty for all people, especially people with all types of disabilities.   

This is a hard, heartbreaking moment. Because CCDC is an organization run by people with disabilities for people with disabilities, none of what has happened or will happen is abstract for us. We know that many in our community will be struggling with this news today.  While we are angry, betrayed, and upset, we know now is not the time to wallow.  Our team is already planning for what comes next. The fight is not over, and the work that is yet to come will likely be harder than the work we’ve done over the last few months to stop this bill from becoming law. We will need to collaborate with legislators, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (Colorado’s Medicaid agency), the governor’s office, counties, organizations like RAEs and Case Management Agencies, friendly providers, and other advocates to ensure that this bill is implemented in the least harmful way possible. We will need everyone to come to the table with creative solutions and a willingness to have hard conversations and make difficult decisions.  We need the disability community to show up and lead on a new level and be part of these tough decisions. This is a time when we show the rest of the world how valuable we are, because we know how to get through hard times. 

Our job as an organization and our commitment to our members – and the community as a whole – is that we will not stop fighting. We will regroup and do everything we can to mitigate the harm this bill will cause. We will continue to believe in the power of community and organizing and building power for disabled people. We will continue to believe in our communities’ resilience, grit, and creativity. We will continue to do the work, no matter how hard. We hope you’ll join us.