On May 6, advocates in Mississippi gathered outside of both the Jackson and
Pascagoula state offices of US Senator, and Senate Majority Leader, Trent
Lott (R-MS) to encourage him to bring Senate Bill 331 -- the Work
Incentives Improvement Act -- up for floor action by the full US Senate.
About 40 advocates participated at the Jackson office and almost 20 at the
Pascagoula office (which is also Lott's home town).
Sponsored by the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, demonstrators
included individuals who represented a truly diverse cross-section of the
disability community. Participants included those who are blind, deaf,
physically impaired, cognitively impaired, psychiatric survivors and family
members.
The article below, which further describes the demonstration, appeared in
the May 7 edition of the Clarion-Ledger (Mississippi's largest circulation
daily newspaper).
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(article filed, digested and carried 5/7/99
by The Associated Press, Copyright (c) 1999)
Disabled Protest Lott's Refusal To Move on
Health-Benefits Bill
Law would lift limits on Medicare, Medicaid recipients' earnings
By Pamela Berry, Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer
Photo: Picture of L.D. Reed, a wheelchair-user, holding a sign reading "I
HAVE A DREAM TO WORK" and several other advocates demonstrating outside
Sen. Lott's office building in Jackson, MS.
Photo cutline -- L.D. Reed of Jackson joins in the rally by the Coalition
for Citizens with Disabilities at lunchtime Thursday outside the Federal
Courthouse in downtown Jackson. The members rallied to draw attention to
Sen. Trent Lott's vote against Senate Bill 331 that would enable people
with disabilities, who are now on Social Security, to work without
forfeiting their Medicare or Medicaid coverage or other benefits.
Lucinda Robinson of Jackson said that like other Mississippians she wants
to work, pay taxes and earn a living.
But Robinson, who was left partially paralyzed from a 1986 accident, is
afraid if she returns to work she'll lose her government health coverage.
"I deserve the right to work," said Robinson, a former nurse. "I didn't
ask to be this way."
On Thursday, Robinson and about 30 other Mississippians with disabilities
protested in front of US Sen. Trent Lott's offices in Jackson and
Pascagoula, taking issue with Lott's inaction on a Senate bill that they
say would enable people with disabilities to work without losing Medicare
or Medicaid.
The group, Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, is seeking to have
Lott bring the Work Incentives Improvement Act before the full Senate for
consideration. Among the bill's 74 co-sponsors is Sen. Thad Cochran,
R-Miss.
"We hope Sen. Lott will go ahead and bring it to the floor immediately,"
said Coalition Executive Director Mark Smith. "We have no doubt it would
be adopted if it were brought to the floor because it has a lot of
support."
Senate Bill 331 would protect people with disabilities from losing their
insurance coverage if they start working or return to work and begin
earning more than $500 a month, Smith said.
"Surveys show over 70 percent of people with disabilities on Social
Security want to work, but most of those folks are afraid if they do try to
work they'll lose their often life-saving insurance coverage," Smith said.
"Since most Social Security recipients would be denied private health
insurance, the fear of losing Medicare and Medicaid is the biggest barrier
for most people to deal with in considering employment."
As Senate majority leader, Lott controls if and when the Senate takes up
bills, Smith said.
He said his group has attempted to discuss the bill with Lott, but that he
has not returned phone calls or letters.
"We can't allow this issue to be ignored," Smith said.
Lott has said the bill won't be presented until two of his concerns are
addressed.
"The bill came out of the Finance Committee and it allows people that are
not yet disabled to qualify," Lott said Wednesday. "I thought that was too
wide open. It also requires no income qualifications for this program.
You can be a millionaire to qualify for this program....Soon as we get
those two provisions taken care of, we will bring it up."
Christy Gilliland, director of Living Independent for Everyone of Central
Mississippi, said she's anxious to have the bill brought up for a vote.
"As a person with a disability, I want to be able to work and get good
health coverage," said Gilliland, who led other protesters in a chant and
march in downtown Jackson. "The bill would give me the opportunity to work
and get good health care. We want the freedom to work and be taxpayers.
The way the system works is that if you return to work after being injured,
you lose your health coverage."
end news article
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Over the next few weeks, advocates in Mississippi will continue their
efforts to encourage Senator Lott to bring S. 331 to the floor for full
Senate action.
We hope disability rights advocates across the nation will join us now in
the effort asking Senator Lott to bring S. 331 up for a vote immediately.
Mark Smith
Jackson, Mississippi
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CONGRESS DIRECTORY:
Senator Trent Lott, DC- Phone 202-224-6253,
Fax 202-224-2262
E-mail- senatorlott@lott.senate.gov
http://www.senate.gov for YOUR Senators
http://www.house.gov for YOUR Representatives
or
http://www.congress.org
Capitol Telephone Switchboard for Senator Lott and all members of Congress:
202-224-3121
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to add, delete or change your address on this list; have questions about
The Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999; or have other comments,
contact Alana R. Theriault <alrt@igc.org> or Bryon
R. MacDonald
<bryosemite@aol.com>.
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