Jul 25 2008
As the anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act approaches tomorrow, July 26, 2008, BIAA continues to advocate, as part of a broad coalition of groups, urging Congress to pass the ADA Amendments Act (H.R. 3195) this year, and has just signed on to a coalition letter urging Senators to swiftly pass the bill. Continue Reading »
Jul 25 2008
BIAA has issued a Legislative Action Alert requesting that advocates call their Senators and urge them to vote for passage of the Addressing America’s Priorities Act (S. 3297). Continue Reading »
Jul 25 2008
Despite little progress on appropriations so far this year, the House of Representatives does plan on bringing the Fiscal 2009 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs spending bill to the floor next week. This will be the first regular Fiscal 2009 appropriations bill to receive House floor consideration this session, and could also be one of the last. Continue Reading »
Jul 25 2008
Take Action!
Call Your Senators TODAY
Earlier this week, Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) introduced the Advancing America’s Priorities Act (S. 3297), an omnibus bill that combines nearly three dozen non-controversial, bipartisan measures which have been blocked from full Senate consideration due to objections from Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn. Continue Reading »
Jul 14 2008
The Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations process continues to be stalled, as the House Appropriations Committee does not plan on marking up any more bills this summer after a partisan dispute erupted in recent weeks over amendments on energy policy. And while the Senate Appropriations Committee plans to have all 12 of its bills approved by the panel by the end of this month, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said this week that action on appropriations in his chamber will be very limited in the next few months. Continue Reading »
Jul 14 2008
In a welcome and surprising turn of events this week, the Senate voted by a veto-proof margin of 69-30 to pass a key Medicare bill (H.R. 6311), after a unexpected, dramatic appearance and “aye” vote by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) on Wednesday. Sen. Kennedy had not been in the Capitol for six weeks, as he is recovering from surgery in early June to remove a malignant brain tumor. Continue Reading »
Jul 14 2008
BIAA issued a press release today urging both presidential candidates to attend the 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall and engage in an in-depth discussion of the increasingly complex issues facing America’s military and veterans community, including the rate of traumatic brain injury among returning service members. BIAA is a member of the 2008 Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium, and the event is tentatively scheduled to occur on August 11, 2008. Continue Reading »
Jun 30 2008
Progress on appropriations occurred this week on the Senate side, as the full Senate Appropriations Committee marked up and approved its Fiscal 2009 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education funding bill. Continue Reading »
Jun 07 2008
Also this week, BIAA joined coalition efforts focused on several important policy issues impacting the disability community, including efforts to protect Medicaid, strengthen the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and formally comment on recently proposed rules concerning the Developmental Disabilities Act. Continue Reading »
Jun 07 2008
The House of Representatives passed the final fiscal 2009 budget resolution conference report (S. Con Res 70) on Thursday, by a narrow vote of 214-210. The Senate adopted the same resolution on June 4 by a vote of 48-45. Continue Reading »
