NCIL’s Executive Director, Kelly Buckland, testified at the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (L-HHS-ED) Appropriations Subcommittee’s public witness hearing in April, and in that testimony he requested that funding for the Independent Living line item be increased by $200 million in FY2016. NCIL members, board, and staff followed suit by echoing that request in written testimony. The US House of Representatives has not yet introduced the L-HHS-ED appropriations bill, and as budget discussions continue, it’s important for us to ensure that Committee members understand the importance of CILs in this country.
CILs provide services to millions of people with disabilities in their own homes, enabling them to be in control of their own lives and become less reliant on long-term government services. From 2012-2014, CILs provided the four core services to nearly 5 million individuals with disabilities. In that same period, CILs moved 13,030 people out of nursing homes and institutions, and provided services such as housing assistance, transportation, personal care attendants, and employment services to hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities.
The community-based services CILs provide save federal and state governments a tremendous amount of money. But in order to do this effectively, CILs need funding to restore cuts, make up for inflation costs, address the increased demand for independent living services, and carry out the new fifth core service effectively. And with IL now being the only federally funded program mandated to provide transition services, the need for funding is critical! Right now, the Independent Living Program is receiving nearly $3 million less in funding than we were in 2010. This is simply unacceptable.
CILs around the country fight every day to ensure that people with disabilities have a real choice in where and how they live, work, and participate in the community. CILs keep people engaged with their communities and save taxpayer money. We need to make sure that Congress hears this message! It’s extremely important for Congress to hear from their constituents around the country, so please call your members of Congress and ask them to ensure increased funding for the Independent Living Program in the FY2016 budget!
Note: This is important for all members, but especially for members who live in districts represented by members of the L-HHS-ED Appropriations Subcommittee. Contact information for the Subcommittee members:
- Congressman Tom Cole (Chairman), Oklahoma: (202) 225-6165
- Congressman Steve Womack (Vice Chair), Arkansas: (202) 225-4301
- Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (Ranking Member), Connecticut: (202) 225-3661
- Congressman Charlie Dent, Pennsylvania: (202) 225-6411
- Congressman Chaka Fattah, Pennsylvania: (202) 225-4001
- Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, Tennessee: (202) 225-3271
- Congressman Andy Harris, Maryland: (202) 225-5311
- Congresswoman Barbara Lee, California: (202) 225-2661
- Congressman Scott Rigell, Virginia: (202) 225-4215
- Congresswoman Martha Roby, Alabama: (202) 225-2901
- Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, California: (202) 225-1766
- Congressman Mike Simpson, Idaho: (202) 225-5531
