We represent a coalition of disabled people, our caregivers, our allies, and other stakeholders who stand together in support of our civil right to live freely in the community. We write to demand that Representative Pallone fulfill his promises to the disability community and stand against institutional bias in our healthcare system.
In August 2018, Representative Pallone promised to cosponsor the Disability Integration Act (DIA) at a campaign event. Today, he is the only NJ representative who has yet to do so. The Disability Integration Act (DIA) is a civil rights bill which aims to end the institutionalization bias of insurance companies and support community living. Representative Pallone has been blocking the movement of the DIA, refusing to set a hearing in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which he chairs. Representative Pallone claims that he does not wish to bring this legislation to a vote because he believes it will not pass, though we already have the votes in the House to pass this legislation. We demand that Representative Pallone give the DIA a chance by bringing this bill to a hearing.
In a May meeting with ADAPT activists, Representative Pallone claimed that he is waiting for a score on DIA from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and assured us that the score should be available around August, while promising to inform us of this movement. We have yet to receive this score, as of November 15th, 2019. We demand that Representative Pallone use his power as chair of the Energy and Commerce committee to push for a CBO score on the DIA.
Also at this meeting, ADAPT activists identified that Representative Pallone’s Long Branch Office has some accessibility concerns (specifically, a large lip to the ramp that makes it difficult to access for wheelchair users). Representative Pallone promised to contact the landlord to make adjustments to the ramp and keep us updated on this effort. As of November 15th, we have still not received any updates. We demand that Representative Pallone make sure his office is accessible to ALL constituents.
At a Town Hall in August, Representative Pallone promised a follow-up meeting with ADAPT activists. Recently, Pallone’s staff has informed us that he no longer sees a need for the meeting. We disagree. We demand that Representative Pallone give us the meeting we deserve as disability activists and stakeholders to keep us updated on the progress of the DIA.
In addition to blocking the DIA, Representative Pallone has been opposing efforts in Congress to limit the invasive practices of Electronic Visit Verification (EVV). EVV is a harmful mandate, which is part of the 21st Century Cures Act, that would invade the privacy of disabled individuals and their direct support professionals through geotagging, tracking, and surveilling. EVV has the potential to force disabled individuals out of the community and in to institutionalization. We demand that Representative Pallone take a stand against the invasive practices of EVV by publicly stating his opposition of EVV invasive practices.
These five demands represent necessary steps that Representative Pallone must take to ensure the civil rights of individuals with disabilities!
Any questions can be directed to Maggie Leppert: maggie.lee.leppert@gmail.com
