Volume VIIII, No. 1, February 4, 2010
In this issue:
- President Obama Releases Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Blueprint
Newsbytes
- House Committee Approves Bill to Prevent Harmful Seclusion and Restraint of Students
- Justice Department Sues Georgia for ADA Violation
- Report Shows that Health Care Reform Would Help the Economy
- CHIP Anniversary Kicks off New Program for Kids
- Labor Department Hosts Sessions on Disability Employment
- TANF Funds to be Available for Mental Health Services
President's Budget is a Mixed Bag
With health care reform stalled for the moment, the fiscal year 2011federal budget proposed by President Obama this week is the prime focus of advocates’ and policymakers’ attention. If its freezes, cuts and increases were enacted as submitted (never happens), children and adults with mental disabilities would win some and lose a little.
Under the $3.8 trillion plan, new funding would address growing unemployment, relieve economic pressures facing the middle class and reduce deficits. War funding would also increase.
A three-year freeze is proposed for non-security domestic discretionary spending. While the freeze would not impose across-the-board cuts to programs, many programs would be cut, eliminated, consolidated or level-funded. Others, however, would receive increases.
Some programs and services that assist children and adults with psychiatric disabilities face these budget challenges. However, in light of the nation’s economic crisis and overall goal of deficit reduction, several important programs serving this population fare well under the plan, in a mixed bag of gains and losses.
Read the full Reporter |
