NCIL Statement on Passage of Budget Reconciliation Bill: H.R. 1

This afternoon, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1 with a final vote of 218-214. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the policy changes in this bill will result in nearly 1 trillion dollars in cuts to Medicaid and an estimated 17 million Americans are at risk of losing their healthcare coverage.

This marks a deeply troubling moment for the disability community. This legislation threatens to roll back critical protections and access that disabled people rely on to participate fully in civic life, and its impact will be both immediate and long-lasting. We recognize the real and devastating harm this will cause — particularly to people with disabilities, especially those who are multiply-marginalized and those living in rural or underserved areas.

Over the last several months, the disability community rose up. Grassroots advocates from across the country mobilized, organized, testified, and refused to be silenced. Our voices were powerful, persistent, and impossible to ignore. Our efforts made a difference: they brought national attention to the dangers of this bill, pressured lawmakers, and built solidarity across movements.

NCIL members sent thousands of messages to their congressional representatives; hosted town halls, in-state rallies, and community educational conversations; drafted letters; participated in fly-in activities in Washington, DC; and more.

We are not defeated. The Independent Living Network knows this fight is far from over and will continue monitoring, resisting, and holding systems accountable. This will require our full network of Centers for Independent Living and Statewide Independent Living Councils to engage, educate, and act collectively.

Building and sustaining community is more important than ever. The passage of H.R. 1 is not just a policy loss — it’s a personal blow to many disabled people who are afraid and feel unseen, unheard, and disregarded. We must create space for grief, for anger, and for healing.

Our CILs and SILCs must continue to be places where disabled people can come together — not just to mourn what’s been lost, but to find strength in one another, to strategize, and to organize.

The services that CILs provide will be more important now than ever in helping those most at risk of death and / or institutionalization to not only survive but to thrive.

In community, we remember that we are not alone — and that together, we are powerful.

Our work continues.

Kent Crenshaw

NCIL Board President