the advocacy monitor

Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

Action Alert: Ask Congress to Increase Independent Living Funding in FY 2017!

Last October, Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act, which provides overall spending caps. While the Independent Living Program was flat funded in 2016, it’s still possible for Congress to make cuts to important programs like the IL Program in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. With IL funding levels devastatingly low, we must keep advocating for increased funding!

Congress is currently working on FY 2017 funding bills, and Members of both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees need to know that investing in Independent Living is essential. Please contact your members of Congress today and help us make sure they know how important the Independent Living Program is to their constituents. Visit the NCIL Action Portal to send a message to your Senators and Representatives.

This is especially important if your members of Congress are on the House or Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittees (see list below). Please take action now!

NCIL will also be submitting testimony to both the House and Senate. You will be hearing from us again soon with NCIL’s testimony and more information on submitting your own. 

House:

  • Tom Cole, Chair (R-OK)
  • Mike Simpson (R-ID)
  • Steve Womack, Vice Chair (R-AR)
  • Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN)
  • Andy Harris (R-MD)
  • Martha Roby (R-AL)
  • Charlie Dent (R-PA)
  • Scott Rigell (R-VA)
  • Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member (D-CT)
  • Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
  • Barbara Lee (D-CA)
  • Chaka Fattah (D-PA)

Senate:

  • Roy Blunt, Chair (R-MO)
  • Patty Murray, Ranking Member (D-WA)
  • Jerry Moran (R-KS)
  • Richard Shelby (R-AL)
  • Thad Cochran (R-MS)
  • Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
  • Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
  • Mark Kirk (R-IL)
  • Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
  • Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV)
  • James Lankford (R-OK)
  • Richard Durbin (D-IL)
  • Jack Reed (D-RI)
  • Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
  • Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
  • Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
  • Brian Schatz (D-HI)
  • Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)