President Kelly Buckland Confronts John McCain on Opposition to the Community Choice Act

Dear Fellow Advocates:

As many of you know, I announced at the NCIL Annual Conference that Senator McCain was changing his position on the Community Choice Act (CCA) and that he would be making a formal announcement of his support for the CCA at the Disability Issues Forum in Ohio. This information had been given to me by a staff person within the McCain campaign with direct responsibility for disability policy issues. Therefore, I felt confident in making this announcement to the NCIL membership during our time together at the conference.

However, as we all now know on July 26, the 18th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, at the Disability Issues Forum in Ohio, Senator McCain once again stated that he does not support the Community Choice Act.

The National Council on Independent Living supports two pieces of legislation in regards to people with disabilities receiving services in the community.  They are the Community Choice Act and the Community Living Assistance, Services and Supports (CLASS) Act.  There is a strong historical linkage between NCIL and the struggle for people with disabilities to live in their own homes and communities - not in institutions.  We believe it is important for the NCIL Membership to know that Senator Obama is signed on as a co-sponsor of both of those pieces of legislation and Senator McCain is a co-sponsor of neither.  For more information on where the candidates stand on our issues, visit the candidates’ campaign websites:

1. http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues and
   
   
2. http://www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities. 

The Community Choice Act would give people with disabilities the right to live with dignity in homes of our choosing, rather than to be forced into nursing homes or other institutions.  Senator McCain said that he opposes the Community Choice Act because of cost, placing the value of money over the value of people with disabilities’ dignity and choice.   Also, evidence-based research by Dr. Mitch LaPlante from the University of California San Francisco, who is recognized as one of the foremost disability researchers in the country, proves that the Community Choice Act is affordable.

We must end the institutional bias now.  We have to stop locking people away from home, friends, and family just because they have a disability.  Ending this bias will make a better and richer society because history has shown that ending bias and segregation against people, any and all people, is good for us all. We encourage you to continue and ramp up your advocacy efforts and to exercise your right to vote.   In the words of Justin Dart – “Vote as if your life depends on it, because it does.” 

Sincerely,

Kelly Buckland, President

Excerpted Transcript from the Presidential Forum on Disability Issues:

Judy Woodruff: Senator, another issue that has come up today has to do with long-term care reform, and you mentioned this in your remarks, and I want to ask you just to amplify on that a little bit more. Because we know that the current long-term care system mostly funded with Medicaid has a mandated priority for institutional services in settings like nursing homes and often doesn't provide for choice, you had earlier said that you -- at least it's our -- my understanding that you had earlier said you did not support the idea of community choice, but I believe I understood you now to say that you have changed your view, but help us understand what your view is on this question of -- of choice.

John McCain: Sure. Obviously, I support the concept and will pursue efforts for community choice. This legislation (Community Choice Act) that is presently there, I am not in support of. But let me also say, Judy, that I believe that the majority of Americans, the longer they can remain in a home setting as opposed to institutionalized care, that that's what their preference is. Now, there are many that don't prefer that, but we've found that the home setting is what most Americans would prefer for obvious reasons. Now, our system here in Arizona is called access, and we have provided incentives for people to remain in their homes as long as possible and provide the services necessary, and that institutionalized care be the last option. On a per capita basis, our state has two and three times more people in the situation of home health care, rather than institutionalized care. I also believe that there's -- there's a pilot program which is working that I think could apply to all of our citizens that are under this -- under the system of Medicaid or Medicare, and that is one that's been called cash and counseling, where the money is given to the individual, and that individual makes the decisions themselves. I'd like to put the choice far more in the hands of the American who is eligible for these programs and very badly needs these programs as opposed to the government making most of the decisions. I think the individuals are best capable of making those decisions, and I think most persons would rather remain in their homes as long as possible. (applause).

Judy Woodruff: Just to follow up on that, Senator McCain, what is it in the legislation that -- that you do not support?

John McCain: Primarily, we've got to pay for these things, Judy. The primary thing is that we have to pay for them.

July 26, 2008