GOOD BYE 2020
HELLO 2021! Thank you for your unwavering support of NADR this past year! We hope to see you in person this year to celebrate better times!
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DISABILITY REPRESENTATIVES
FORTH QUARTER 2020
IN THIS ISSUE:
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A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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2021 BALTIMORE CONFERENCE
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CONGRESSIONAL OUTLOOK
CONTENTS
NADR NEWSLETTER FORTH QUARTER 2020
IN THIS ISSUE 3
A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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2021 BALTIMORE CONFERENCE
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CONGRESSIONAL OUTLOOK
A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT and share their posts to promote NADR to your colleagues and friends. Despite a rough year for most organizations, NADR membership numbers are actually up. Kelly Blad and her committee have been instrumental in reaching out to secure and retain our members. This is not an easy task when you consider that some of our members have had a very difficult year income wise. Sherrell Rodgers and her outstanding Mentorship Committee (Carol Balderee and Earline Marchand) have successfully guided multiple mentor/mentee pairs to increasing levels of professional growth. The Finance Committee, headed by Christopher Mazzulli and assisted ably by former treasurer (now VP) Michael Wener have helped stabilize and even improve NADR’s financial health. We are in very sound financial shape, hopefully for years to come. I’m sure I’ve left out some of our activities. But you get the idea…even in our current chaotic state, the NADR Board and administrative staff have been busy insuring that NADR is a relevant and responsive professional organization. If you have a chance, engage a board member and learn the details. Even better, volunteer to help.
Greetings ColleaguesI hope this newsletter finds you, your family and friends all happy and healthy and that you were able to celebrate the Holiday Season in a fulfilling manner. The NADR Board and administrative staff continue to make every effort to maintain and improve NADR programs and policies. We recently revealed the 20th Anniversary logo revision. Many thanks to Christopher Mazzulli, his committee and Eva and her staff for the work on this project. There has also been an update to the NADR website. If you haven’t visited recently, please do so. The landing page is inviting and easy to navigate. This upgrade also improved the mobile utility and access. This was, again, a tremendous under taking by Eva, her staff and NADR committee members. Looking back, NADR has been quite busy. So, as a retrospective, please consider the following: The Legislative Committee is more active than ever with phone meetings, email exchanges and position paper submissions to/with the SSA management team. I have to commend SSA for their recent openness to communication and their efforts to provide the best possible service, under very difficult circumstances, to our clients. Our webinar series, marshalled by board member, Melissa Smith, has been an overwhelming success. Interesting, informative topics have led to a high level of participation. If you have a topic of interest, please communicate it to me or Melissa and we’ll make every attempt to get it on the calendar. Our Social Media team, headed by Cliff Berkley and Julie Phelps, continue their tireless efforts to keep us informed and entertained on many platforms. Please utilize NADR NEWS
HAPPY NEW YEAR to each of you! Greg Cates, NADR President
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FORTH QUARTER 2020
NADR CONFERENCE MARCH 21-24, 2021 FOUR SEASONS, BALTIMORE, MD
NADR NEWS
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FORTH QUARTER 2020
CONGRESSIONAL OUTLOOK Congressional Outlook The big question of which party will control the Senate in the 117th Congress will not be decided until the results of a January 5 run-off for both Georgia Senate seats are in. If Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Osoff defeat Republican incumbent Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, the Senate would be evenly divided, Vice President Harris would serve as the tie-breaking vote and Democrats would have control over both Houses of Congress. If they fail to do so, Republicans will retain control of the Senate and likely complicate the new Administration’s efforts to quickly confirm President Biden’s cabinet nominees. At this point, pollsters are calling both races a toss-up. If Republicans maintain their majority, Senator Michael Crapo (R-ID) is expected to chair the Finance Committee as current Chairman Charles Grassley takes over the top spot on the Judiciary Committee. If Democrats gain the majority, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) will chair the Finance Committee. Social Security Administration policy falls under Finance jurisdiction, so this is an important committee for NADR. The Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee is another focus for NADR, since it has jurisdiction over funding for SSA’s administrative expenses. It is too early to know whether Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Patty Murray (D-WA) will continue to sit atop this subcommittee for their respective parties. The retirement of Lamar Alexander (RTN) and Tom Udall (D-NM) could result in some shifting of the makeup and leadership of several subcommittees. The full Appropriations Committee will organize early next year to determine subcommittee rosters. On the House side, no significant changes are expected in Ways & Means Committee leadership. Rep. John Larson (D-CT) is expected to continue to chair the Social Security and Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) likely will stay on as Ranking Republican. Chairman Larson is expected to continue to pursue legislative proposals to stabilize the solvency of the Social Security trust funds and to protect and expand Social Security benefits. The House Appropriations Committee will have a new leader next year, as Labor/HHS Subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) takes over as chair of the full Committee from retiring Rep. Nita Lowey. Rep DeLauro is expected to retain her Labor/HHS chairmanship as well. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) likely will remain the Ranking Republican on the subcommittee. Administration Outlook While the incoming Biden Administration is in the process of selecting its own nominees to fill Cabinet positions and other key department and agency roles, the six-year term of the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Social Security is designed to insulate those positions from political changes. The Social Security Act provides that these officials can only be removed before their term expires for neglect of duty or NADR NEWS
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FORTH QUARTER 2020
CONGRESSIONAL OUTLOOK (CONTINUED)
malfeasance in office. Thus, Andrew Saul and David Black likely will remain at the head of SSA unless they choose to resign. However, changes at the top of the Office of Management and Budget likely will lead to greater scrutiny of SSA regulatory actions that have raised significant concern among professional representatives and advocates. While a new Administration would have to initiate a new rulemaking process to change a regulation that has been published as final and taken effect, incoming Presidents often issue a “freeze” on regulations that are still in process or have not yet taken effect in order to allow the new Administration to evaluate those actions to address questions of fact, law and policy they may raise. SSA rules that could be subject to such a process include proposed changes to the continuing disability review process awaiting final approval from OMB and an as-yet unpublished proposed rule on vocational factors in the disability determination process. FY 2021 Appropriations Just before adjourning for the year, Congress approved an omnibus package of FY 2021 spending bills to keep the government running through September 30, 2021. SSA received $12.79 billion for its administrative expenses, which represents a slight increase over FY 2020 levels that is not sufficient to cover increases in fixed costs such as personnel and leases. It is more than what the Senate bill would have provided, but less than what was in the House-passed bill. Deliberations on the FY 2022 budget will begin in February and NADR will be actively advocating for an increase in SSA’s administrative budget sufficient to ensure that it can fulfill its mission. Attached to the spending package was a new round of Coronavirus relief that included $600 Economic Impact Payments for individuals making up to $75,000 per year, including child dependents; $300 per week in federal unemployment benefits through March 14, 2021; extension of forgivable small-business loans with expanded eligibility; additional rental assistance; and aid to healthcare facilities, transportation, schools and agriculture.
NADR NEWS
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FORTH QUARTER 2020
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NADR NEWS
fdc@ssihelp.us www.ssihelp.us
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FORTH QUARTER 2020
FEDERAL COURT PRACTICE
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NADR NEWS
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FORTH QUARTER 2020
NADR NEWS
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NADR NEWS
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FORTH QUARTER 2020
nADr MentorInG GUIDe (For Mento r
s and Ment
ees)
Board of Director s 2014-2015 President Robert McDowell Elizabethtown, KY Vice President Steve Skinner Redding, CA
Mentor Guide Sub-Committee, Earline
Secretary Philip Litteral Ashland, KY
Marchand, and the following folks on her
Treasurer Michael Wener Memphis, TN
Committee for their hard work on the production of the NADR Mentoring Guide.
Directors-at-Large Karen Starr Grand Rapids, MI Greg Cates Memphis, TN
Please consider signing uptio as a Mentor or a NADR Na
Patty Sexton Wauna, WA
Mentee after
Barbara Manna Pittsburgh, PA
nal Office PO Box 96503 #3 0550 Washithrough reading the guidelines. ngton, DC 2009 0-6503
We are hopeful that this will be another
NADR National Offi ce Administrators Eva Sirman 202-822-2155 eva@nadr.org Julie Phelps 202-822-2155 admin@nadr.or g
NADR PO Box 96503 Washington, DC 20090-6503 Phone: (202) 822 -2155 Fax (972) 245-67 01 Web Site: www.n adr.org
NADR NEWS
NADR would like to thank the chair of the
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invaluable NADR member benefit. Mentor Guide Sub-Committee Earline D. Marchand Carol Balderee Sherrell Rodgers Steven Gragg Brandy Bowdry Dedra Wood FORTH QUARTER 2020
a Sirman 2-822-2155 a@nadr.org
lie Phelps 2-822-2155 min@nadr.org
ADR
Box 96503 ashington, DC 20090-6503 one: (202) 822-2155 x (972) 245-6701 eb Site: www.nadr.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2020 - 2021
President C. Greg Cates, EdD., ADR Memphis, TN
Vice President Michael Wener, ADR Memphis, TN
Secretary Clifford Berkley, ADR Fullerton, CA
Treasurer Christopher Mazzulli, ADR Baltimore, MD
Director At Large Kelly Blad, ADR Cook, MN
Director At Large Melissa Smith, ADR St. Louis, MO
Director At Large Meredith Marcus
Director At Large Sherrell Rodgers
Director At Large Carl Groves
NADR News is published by NADR and is the property of the National Association of Disability Representatives. Copyright 2016, NADR. The articles appearing in the NADR News do not necessarily reflect the opinions of NADR. The accuracy and content of each article is the responsibility of the individual writer.
NADR NEWS
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FORTH QUARTER 2020