Issues: Disabilities

I am proud to have supported Americans with disabilities throughout my career in public service. For me, this fight has always been a matter of guaranteeing every American their civil rights. In fact, New Mexico is in the Top 3 in the nation in terms of percentage of Medicaid expenditures directed toward allowing individuals with disabilities to receive care in their homes and communities, instead of in institutions. As President, I will continue to work hard on behalf of those with disabilities.

Achieve Universal Health Care

I will implement a comprehensive plan to insure every American. My plan creates no new bureaucracies, levies no new taxes, and requires that every American be covered through partnerships with the federal government, the states, and the private sector. For the whole plan click here.

Streamline Funding

We need to guarantee automatic federal grant funding to implement Money Follows the Person (MFP) legislation. This funding will allow states to transition people from nursing homes into community settings. States should not need to go begging to Washington in order to obtain first-year implementation funds. And I will support reforms to the MFP legislation so that the money for the program does not come from the same pot as other Medicare funds.

Restore the Americans with Disabilities Act

I believe that the Court's recent reactionary decisions must be corrected by federal legislation. We must end the Catch-22 of allowing businesses to say that a person is "too disabled" to do a job, but "not disabled enough" to be protected by the ADA.

Support our Veterans

We need to guarantee funding for America's V.A. system and hospitals. It is a disgrace that America's veterans with disabilities are forced to go hat-in-hand to the government for guaranteed V.A. funding every year. In my administration, our veterans will receive the care that they have worked so hard to earn. I will also issue a Heroes Health Card to all veterans so that they can receive medical care that is nearby and accessible, even when the nearest V.A. hospital is not.

Streamline the Bureaucracy

I will make it a priority to reduce the shameful backlog of Social Security Disability cases waiting to be decided by the Social Security Administration, which has more than doubled during the Bush administration, from 311,000 to 755,000 cases. I will ensure additional funding for Administrative Law Judges and support staff to reduce the backlog and decrease wait times for hearings – now 500 days, double the wait time in 2000. Nobody living with a disability should have to endure the loss of a home or have to declare bankruptcy while awaiting desperately-needed support.

Give Mental Health Parity

I will ensure that all people with mental illness and substance-use disorders receive the treatment and support they deserve, including ensuring that all health plans – including Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP -- provide equal coverage of behavioral and physical health benefits. Mental health is an integral component of overall health.

Provide Support for Caregivers

We all know that family caregivers are irreplaceable. There are between 30 and 38 million caregivers in the United States at any one time caring for older (50+) family members. I will provide a caregiver tax credit to provide caregivers some relief from long-term care costs; support full funding of the Lifespan Respite Care Act; make sure that Social Security continues to help those most in need by awarding a Social Security tax credit at least as high as the minimum wage for time taken out of the work force to care for children or elderly parents; and expand the Family and Medical Leave Act to this end.

Support Stem Cell and Other Research

I proudly support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act and federal funding for stem cell research to help move towards cures for paralysis and other disabling conditions.