Washington, DC – The Arc released the following statement following news that the United States Senate would not hold a vote this week on the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson proposal. This was the sixth attempt this year by Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act and cut Medicaid.

“The Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson proposal recycled the same threats to Medicaid we fought back on time and time again this year. It was an unacceptable approach for those who rely on Medicaid for a life in the community. While there won’t be a vote this week, it doesn’t change the fact that the architects of this bill showed a disturbing disregard for the important role Medicaid plays in meeting the needs of their constituents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“The victors in this battle are the advocates across the country who made clear that the disability community staunchly opposes legislation that includes per capita caps or block granting of Medicaid. We thank all the advocates who rallied together and would not be ignored when the civil rights of people with disabilities were at stake. We also thank the Members of Congress who joined us in opposing this bill.

“This year, we’ve fought multiple health care proposals that threatened the health and well-being of people with disabilities. While we celebrate this victory, we remain vigilant and ready to oppose future threats to Medicaid put forward by Congress,” said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc.

The Arc advocates for and serves people wit­­h intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), including Down syndrome, autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, cerebral palsy and other diagnoses. The Arc has a network of over 650 chapters across the country promoting and protecting the human rights of people with I/DD and actively supporting their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes and without regard to diagnosis.