Protesters from the Service Employees International Union and the disability rights group ADAPT turned out en masse this week to protest President Obama’s perceived lack of support for the Community Choice Act. The measure would give home- and community-based services the same consideration under Medicaid that nursing homes receive.
Some disabled protesters chained themselves to the White House gates Monday, chanting “Shame on you! Obama is a liar!” according to news reports. More than 400 people, most of whom were wheelchair bound, showed up at the rally. Washington D.C. police arrested 91 of the protestors, saying they didn’t have the proper permits to hold a protest of that size, according to a local ABC affiliate. Protesters were responding to an action alert from the Center for Disability Rights, which decried both Obama and newly appointed White House healthcare czar Nancy-Ann DeParle for failing to include the act in upcoming healthcare reforms.
In release, ADAPT and SEIU again called on lawmakers to pass the CCA, arguing that the act will not only provide patients with a choice of services, but will create good personal attendant jobs. Obama, as a senator, was a cosponsor of the legislation.
