DAILY BRIEFING
—
Thursday, September 18, 2003 Austin AmericanStatesman
statesman.com
[Headline] Disabled demonstrators end trek
with rally for in home care bill
By Chuck Lindell
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

WASHINGTON — Weary and sore after leading her wheel-chair on a two-week, 144-mile protest, Austin's Jennifer McPhail crossed the finish line Wednesday on Capitol Hill, greeted by whoops and cheers from hundreds of well-wishers.

"It was tough. We went from being in this ridiculously hot weather to driving rain the next day,' McPhail said "It doesn't hurt as bad as I thought it would, but I'm hurting."

McPhail was among 215 people with disabilities, most of them in wheelchairs, who began their journey at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia to rally support for a bill that would divert more federal money to in-home care instead of nursing homes or similar facilities.

"We're sending a message to Congress that the long-term care system needs to stop warehous-ing people in nursing homes and other institutions," said Bob Kafka, also of Austin and one of the national organizers for the event billed as the Free Our People March and sponsored by the disability rights group ADAPT.

[image]
[image caption]

Kevin Wolf ASSOCIATED PRESS. Austin's Bob Kafka helped organize the Free Our People March, in which 215 people with disabilities traveled from Philadelphia to Washington.

Traveling seven to 16 miles a day, spending the night in a tent city that volunteers spent hours building up and tearing down each day, the caravan of pro-. testers arrived in Washington in the early afternoon for a 20- minute, traffic-stopping display.

With shouts and chants, the group urged Congress to pass the Medicaid Community-based Attendants Services and Supports Act, which would change Medicaid rules that mandate nursing-home home instead of home-based care.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, told the crowd that he will push the Senate Finance Committee to hold hearings on his bill early next year. "Keep up the pressure," he said.

Harkin's bill has 14 co-sponsors in the Senate. Seven of the 81 House co-sponsors are Texas Democrats, including Rep Lloyd Doggett of Austin.
clindell@statesman.com; (202) 887-8329

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Četvrtak 18 Jul 2013

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Petak 27 Novembar 2020

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• Free Our People March, 144 miles Philadelphia to DC, September 2003

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