TO: NDSC Members and Affiliated Parent Groups
FROM: Susan Goodman, Director, Governmental Affairs
DATE: July 20, 2006

Senate Bill Threatens Cuts in Vital Disability Services

The NDSC has joined other national disability organizations urging Senators NOT to support S. 3521, the "Stop Over-Spending Act of 2006 (SOS)." This bill, introduced by Senator Judd Gregg (R.NH), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee could have negative implications for programs serving people with disabilities in the following ways:

• Limit funding for discretionary programs. This would force cuts in programs that provides the support that people with disabilities need to live and work in the community.
  
  
• Give the President the power to eliminate or scale back any expansion to the domestic and entitlement programs, such as special education programs, Medicaid, Medicare and other programs that support people with disabilities and their families to live and work in the community.
  
  
• Permit the creation of a Sunset Commission -- a group of individuals who would have the power to eliminate programs essential to the lives of people with disabilities.
  
  
• Requires a "pay-go" provision for domestic programs which means that any increase in funding entitlement programs would require a cut in other entitlement programs or increased revenue. There is no such "pay-go" requirement for tax cut legislation.