TO: NDSC Members and Affiliated Parent Groups
FROM: Susan Goodman, Director, Governmental Affairs
DATE: November 21, 2006

The New Landscape in Congress

Background
Election Day 2006 resulted in significant changes to the U.S. Congress. The Democratic Party won control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Beginning in January, the Democrats will lead the Senate with a 51-to-49 majority, hold the Committee chairmanships and determine the agenda. However, bi-partisanship is necessary because of the slim majority. The Democratic majority in the House is broader (29) but the new members are more conservative than past Democratic members. Democrats also increased their control in state legislatures and the Governor's mansions.

Democratic Representatives have selected Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as the first woman Speaker of the House. She will officially assume her duties when the new Congress convenes in January.

Implications for Disability Related Issues
The first big challenge will be the adoption of the budget resolution. While the budget resolutions are not law, they are broad outlines adopted for spending by each committee. After the President submits the Administration's budget, the committees will hold hearings, mark-up and attempt to pass the resolutions in committee and ultimately by the full House and Senate. This process will start in February.

NDSC will closely follow the progress of the budget resolution and advocate for adequate funding for Medicaid, education, employment and other programs of interest to people with disabilities and their families.

Action
Advocates are encouraged to contact their newly elected Senators and Representatives and develop relationships with staff members who are likely to be assigned to disability-related issues.

I.D.E.A. 2004 - Action is STILL Needed on the State Level

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 has been passed and final regulations have been published. States will now be writing their regulations, a process which must be of vital interest to special education advocates.

Generally, the state Department of Education will be writing the regulations. Below are steps you can take to have a role in their development.

• Contact your State Department of Education and ask them the current status of regulation development. If you can provide input through a committee that is developing the regulations, you should try to do so.
  
  
• Insist that public meetings or hearings on the regulations are held at times that are convenient for parents and in accessible locations throughout the State.
  
  
• Organize! Make sure that there is parent representation at the public hearing.
  
  
• Publicize the list of locations, dates and times for public meetings or hearings

An excellent resource for IDEA advocacy is an article entitled: Doing Your Homework: The Most Powerful Advocacy Tool in IDEA 2004: Your State Advisory Panel. This article was written by Sue Heath, Associate Editor, Wrightslaw and can be found at http://www.wrightslaw.com/heath/state.advisory.panel.htm

Correction: In the last Newsline we inaccurately reported that Andrew Hamelsky, co-counsel on the Grieco v. State of New Jersey is the parent of a child with Down syndrome.