[Resolved] Balanced Budget Amendment

Latest (4/12) – This bill failed to pass the House.

 

Summary – This bill would require Congress not to spend more than it earns.

 

4/11/2018 – Easterseals positioning established with the following letter sent to House representatives.

 

Dear Representative,

 

I am writing to share Easterseals’ concerns with H.J. Res 2, which is being considered this week in the United States House of Representatives.

 

Easterseals is a national network of more than 70 leading nonprofit organizations with over 34,000 dedicated staff members who provide local services to help over one million individuals with disabilities and others to live independently and to fully participate in their communities.

 

Timely access to appropriate services empowers individuals with disabilities to live with greater independence and to need fewer services and supports over their lifetimes. As such, Easterseals views legislative proposals through the lens of whether they will improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and other most-in-need populations. Easterseals is concerned about the impact H.J. Res 2 will have on Congress’ ability to make strategic investments in programs and services, especially those with long-term benefits.

 

 

For example, Easterseals specializes in helping children with disabilities meet key developmental milestones through early intervention services, such as speech, occupational, and speech therapies. Early intervention services greatly improve a child’s school readiness. In addition, early intervention services represent a strong return-on-investment, often paying for themselves within a few years after the interventions due to the reductions in other service use and associated costs (2017 study). Under Section 1 of H.J. Res 2, federal expenditures must match federal revenues for that year, which raises concern whether adequate resources will be invested to meet current needs, especially those whose benefits are maximized in future years. In addition, H.J. Res 2 fails to account for significant, unexpected national incidents, such as recessions or national epidemics .

 

 

Easterseals supports a rigorous debate on policies and strategies to grow the economy, improve our nation’s fiscal health, and strengthen and protect social programs. However, given the uncertainty around the legislation’s effect on the ability of individuals with disabilities to access life-changing services, we ask that you vote AGAINST H.J. Res 2.

 

 

Thank you for considering Easterseals’ views.