ADAPT took to the streets on November 8th to call for Senator Cornyn’s support for the BBB, Build Back Better, bill currently going through Congress. National ADAPT has gone to Washington DC twice now and is headed there for a third trip to support this important legislation, and ADAPT of Texas members have gone each time. Locally however, we went to Cornyn’s office building and picketed and leafletted over 400 flyers outside. One of the building staff came out to talk with us and arranged a meeting with his staff so three of our members went in to talk with Cornyn’s staff for about 45 minutes asking for his support of the bill.
Build Back Better includes increased funding for community services, it includes:
• making Money Follows the Person permanent (right now it has to be reauthorized again and again),
• better wages for attendants,
• addressing the SUBminimum wage wages many people with disabilities work for,
• increased funding for very affordable housing,
• along with a host of other import human infrastructure.
IF you haven’t already, please contact your US Senators and tell them you want them to support disability supportive legislation like this. Not sure how to get in touch? No problem! Click here.
We will be returning soon to see what progress his staff have made on his support for any of these issues. For more information on the terrific national actions in DC go to:
click here for national ADAPT’s facebook page
click here for National ADAPT’s website (lots of great stuff here!)
and here for the ADAPT of Texas Facebook page
Then on December 9th, with many of our members again joining National ADAPT in DC, ADAPT of Texas returned to picket Senator Cruz’s office when his staff refused to talk with us. Then they marched across downtown back to Senator Cornyn’s office to face another set of cold shoulders; his staff also refused to meet. But the action was not a bust as media came to cover the action (click here to see one story we got) and both offices knew why we were there, leaflets were passed out and our call for their support of Build Back Better was heard across downtown Austin.
ADAPT continued the push for BBB in Austin as well as DC!
Left: BBB action signs displayed in front of ADAPT’s newly rebuilt 10 foot wheelchair.