By Laura Halvorson
DC Metro ADAPT
February 27, 2017 (Washington DC) Today ADAPTers from Maryland and the DC Metro met for the final day of their action at the National Governors’ Association Conference. We stealthly entering the Dirksen building where the Media Briefing was taking place. The Governors were delayed at the White House, for a Governor’s Only Meeting. While the media were getting situated in the briefing room, Sheryl Grossman and Cara Liebowitz snuck into the room unnoticed and handed out brochures to the press. Cara was able to ask about the governors about Medicaid block grants and per capita caps. Governor McAuliffe of VA responded that he does not support those measures. After the press conference, we handed out more brochures and got interviewed by a local Spanish language TV station.
After the briefing we staked out the Kennedy Room in the Russell Building, where the governors were eating. Security was tight, but Laura decided to “go hard or go home” and got passed the security to start greeting them at the door. She handed our brochures to Governors Baker of Massachusetts and Sandoval of Nevada, and told them the importance of saving the ACA and saying no to block grants and per capita caps and how they will affect the disability community, particularly LTSS. One of the last to leave the room was Laura’s own Congressman, Gerry Connolly. She gave him a brochure and told him how ADAPT wanted the NGA to adopt the draft resolution and support our issues.
Our voices were heard loud and clear, and we have laid the groundwork to pursue action at the Summer NGA meeting in Des Moines. Until then, ADAPT will reach out to Chairman McAuliffe to advocate more on our issues.