Likely Winners and Losers in Trump Budget Proposal

You can read a detailed budget analysis in many places, including this one from Ronald Brownstein in The Atlantic (one of my favorite sources for news and commentary). But I know you're busy, so here's a quick take on likely winners and losers.

WINNERS
Military
Defense contractors
Older white Americans (4/5 of seniors today are white)

LOSERS
Younger generations and minorities (47 percent of Americans under 30 are minorities)
Poor people
People with disabilities
National debt -- more spending and lower taxes = more debt
The environment
Diplomacy

The president's budget proposal protects Social Security and Medicare but slashes other domestic programs that represent important investments in our future, like education, training, and scientific research. As Brownstein points out, "In the long run, the older white population needs more of the younger non-white population to obtain the skills to reach the middle class -- and pay the payroll taxes that support the federal retirement programs on which those graying whites depend." Or in other words, "There is no financial security for the gray without economic opportunity for the brown." (A point Brownstein makes in his excellent article "Why Trump Has It Backwards on Minority Groups.")

For more budget details, read "Trump's Budget Proposal Threatens Democratic and Republican Ambitions."

The Trump Era: What It Means for People with Disabilities, and What You Can Do

If you or someone you know has a disability and are looking for encouraging words about the election of Donald Trump, you won't find it here. But it's important to evaluate the potential impact of a Trump presidency, understand how you can be involved, and how to move forward.

Where We Are Today

I started this blog in 2008 to advocate for people with disabilities during a presidential campaign that I knew would have a major impact. Looking back, there's no doubt that our choice of President Obama led to eight years of progress. Here are just a few examples:

• Health care reform that provided coverage for millions of people, prevented insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, and removed lifetime caps on coverage.
• Advocated for rights. The Obama Administration strongly advocated for the rights of all citizens. The Department of Justice and Department of Education issued a letter to schools telling them not to tolerate bullying -- including bullying against the 6.5 million students with disabilities.
• Signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, pushing the Department of Labor, Department of Education, and other agencies to advance employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
• Launched the "Curb Cuts to the Middle Class" initiative focused on hiring people with disabilities to prepare to qualify for jobs with federal contractors and giving those employers tools to recruit and promote them.
• Signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the first new human rights treaty of the 21st century.

Many of my friends and/or Facebook friends have children with disabilities but don't appreciate the advances that have been made under President Obama. People complain about the health system, and there's certainly room for improvement, but if you have a child with a disability or chronic condition, you should cherish and fight to protect the Affordable Care Act. One way or another, changes will be made (and need to be made), but the fundamental principles -- 1) the right to health care, 2) the right to coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, and 3) the ban on lifetime caps -- must be preserved.

The Impact of a Trump Presidency

There is much fear and speculation about what Trump will do as president, but the first place to look is his stated priorities:

• Repeal the Affordable Care Act. (Something the Republican-led Congress also wants to do.)
• Reverse the expansion of Medicaid. About 10 million people on Medicaid have disabilities, representing 15 percent, and it covers not just health care, but home health aides and other critical services. If Trump repeals the ACA and turns Medicaid into a block grant program, as many as 30 million people could lose their insurance.

There is also concern that Trump will soften enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, by shifting the priorities of the Department of Justice's civil rights division and other agencies. See "Disability Rights Advocates are Terrified of a Donald Trump White House" from the Huffington Post.

I don't have a crystal ball, but several patterns are emerging:

• President-elect Trump, the "outsider," is filling his transition team with "insiders." Many of them come from the Heritage Foundation, which advocate for traditional conservative positions like cutting taxes on wealthy people and corporations, repealing the Affordable Care Act, and reforming Social Security and Medicaid in ways that would negatively affect families. If you wonder how much the Heritage Foundation cares about families like yours, consider that they strongly advocated AGAINST signing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• The people he is putting on his transition team gives you a good idea of the kind of people who he will appoint to his Cabinet. Remember, many experienced, admired Republican policy experts and government officials have distanced themselves from Trump, so he will have a hard time finding qualified people for many positions. Most will argue for less government "interference," which families like ours may call "protection" for those who most need it. For example, Ben Carson, who's been mentioned as a potential secretary of education or HHS, has said that disability issues can be better managed by "businesses, industry, Wall Street, churches, and community groups." I don't know about you, but I'm not counting on Wall Street to ensure my child's education rights and health care.
• Trump's statements and behavior on the campaign trail have created more division than unity. Now that he's been elected, he's paying lip service to bringing America together, but everything he's said and done so far has had the opposite effect. His campaign has empowered bigots, racists, anti-Semites, and misogynists -- which is even more apparent now that he's been elected. Discrimination is likely to increase, and we can only hope that Trump will enforce existing laws and not weaken them. Let's just say that people with disabilities are not and will not be a high priority among his various constituencies.

What You Can Do

1. Advocate for People with Disabilities

Here are just a few organizations that will busy fighting for your rights, services, and programs in the next four years. Don't just visit these websites. Sign up for their newsletters, register for advocacy alerts, follow them on Facebook and Twitter. When issues come up, be ready to learn about them and take action.

• Here are Autism Speaks' legislative priorities. Join Autism Votes to get involved in your state.
• See Easter Seals' priorities and sign up for their Legislative Action Network.
• Follow The Arc's Action Center to keep up with issues that affect you. Sign up for alerts.
• Post a comment or email me to suggest other resources, and I'll add them here.

2. Focus on Your Family and Loved Ones

The night Donald Trump was elected president, I was in the hospital with my daughter, during an almost two-week stay. I was disappointed -- devastated -- by the results, but it wasn't the most important thing to me at the time. Do what you can do for the people closest to you. Being a good parent, spouse, and caregiver is one of the most important things you can do, no matter what else is going on in the world. Love and support the people who need you, and take care of yourself.

3. Be Nice

This may seem trite, but as much as we complain about Trump's behavior, comments, and actions, all we can control is how we act ourselves. Set an example for your children, neighbors, and colleagues by treating people with respect, tolerating different views, and trying to understand where people are coming from. We are not as divided as much as a 50-50 election may suggest. Let's focus on what we have in common, what we can do for others, and fight for what we believe in.

Four Threats to Medicare if Trump is Elected

Read "The 4 Ways Congress Could Weaken Medicare if Trump Becomes President" by Diane Archer, founder of JustCareUSA.org, in the Huffington Post.

1. Republicans in Congress want to privatize Medicare and turn it into a defined contribution program. This will force people to pay more for health care, because private insurers would have few limits on what they can charge for premiums, deductibles, and copayments.

2.  Republicans want to eliminate traditional Medicare. Traditional Medicare is the preferred option for 70 percent of people, because of the choice it offers for doctors and hospitals. This would restrict the government's ability to improve the program, which will mean fewer choices and higher costs.

3.  Republicans want to means-test Medicare even more, which would increase costs for middle-class and wealthier Americans.

4. Republicans want to raise the age of Medicare eligibility. People eligible for Medicare based on age can enroll when they are 65, but Republican leaders in Congress want to increase that to 67.

Read more.

Disability Policy and the Election: A Wrap-Up

Still trying to decide who to vote for? Want to easily share a summary of the top issues to people with disabilities? Review this blog's most popular posts this election season:

Easter Seals on Campaign Issues: Exclusive Interview. The head government relations official at Easter Seals on the record of the Obama Administration, health care reform, special education, and key differences between the candidates' positions.

Thank You, Ann Coulter! A response to Coulter's offensive use of the "r-word."

Ayn Rand and Disabilities: Part 1 and Part 2. Why author Ayn Rand is relevant to this year's election, and her shocking disdain for people with disabilities.

Advocates Agree: Health Care Law is Good for People With Disabilities

Will Romney Cut Funds for Autism Program He Supported in Massachusetts?

Ryan Budget: "Dangerous to People with Disabilities"

Romney's Voucher Plan: "Disaster for Special Education Students" and Vouchers: What Would They Mean for Special Education?

Krugman: This Election Is Really About [Which Program?]

Writing in the New York Times, columnist Paul Krugman says that in many ways, this election is all about Medicaid. That's because if Governor Romney wins, his plan will deny health coverage for up to 45 million people who will have coverage if President Obama is reelected, and two-thirds of those people are current Medicaid recipients. 

More than 9 million Americans benefit from both Medicaid and Medicare, most of them elderly or disabled. Krugman outlines the program and its beneficiaries and points out a fact that would surprise many people -- most Medicaid recipients are in working families.

"For those who get coverage through the program," Krugman writes, "Medicaid is a much-needed form of financial aid. It is also, quite literally, a lifesaver. Mr. Romney has said that a lack of health insurance doesn’t kill people in America; oh yes, it does, and states that expand Medicaid coverage show striking drops in mortality."

Another perception that Krugman corrects is that Medicaid is poorly managed, with skyrocketing costs. Actually, Medicaid controls costs better than the rest of our health care system -- the average cost of care for adult Medicaid recipients is about 20 percent less than it would be under private insurance, and the difference for children is even larger.

Krugman concludes: "By any reasonable standard, this is a program that should be expanded, not slashed — and a major expansion of Medicaid is part of the Affordable Care Act. Why, then, are Republicans so determined to do the reverse, and kill this success story? You know the answers. Partly it’s their general hostility to anything that helps the 47 percent — those Americans whom they consider moochers who need to be taught self-reliance. Partly it’s the fact that Medicaid’s success is a reproach to their antigovernment ideology.

"The question — and it’s a question the American people will answer very soon — is whether they’ll get to indulge these prejudices at the expense of tens of millions of their fellow citizens."

Read "Medicaid on the Ballot."

Truth-O-Meter Agrees with Biden: Not One Democrat Supports Romney-Ryan "Bipartisan" Plan for Medicare

If you watched the vice presidential debate, you may remember this exchange:

Ryan: "This is a [Medicare] plan that's bipartisan. It's a plan I put together with a prominent Democrat senator from Oregon."

Biden: "There's not one Democrat who endorses it."

Ryan: "Our partner is a Democrat from Oregon."

Biden: "And he said he does no longer support [it]."

They can't both be right. And politifact.com's Truth-O-Meter says Biden was exactly correct. Here's the explanation. That's not exactly an example of reaching across the aisle and building bipartisan consensus, as Ryan tried to suggest.

What Romney's Not Telling You About His Economic Plan

No politician wants to run a campaign on a message of "I want to cut programs that a lot of people depend on, and tough times are ahead for children and people who are poor, disabled, veterans, students, uninsured, etc." But as President Clinton said at the Democratic Convention, Governor Romney's numbers don't add up. "It's simple arithmetic," he said.

If you want to take a close look at what the reality of Romney's plan is -- what he's not telling you -- read this report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Romney says:
1. He wants to cap total federal spending at 20 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
2. He wants to increase defense spending to 4 percent of GDP.
3. He wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act and exempt Social Security from cuts.
4. He wants to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and all other entitlement and discretionary programs by the same percentage.

To do those four things, he would have to cut non-defense programs other than Social Security by 22 percent in 2016 and by 34 percent in 2022. "If they exempted Medicare from cuts for this period," the report says, "the cuts in other programs would have to be even more dramatic -- 32 percent in 2016 and 53 percent in 2022."

But wait, there's more. "If they applied these cuts proportionately, the cuts in programs such as veterans’ disability compensation, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for poor elderly and disabled individuals, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps), school lunches and other child nutrition programs, and unemployment compensation would cause the incomes of large numbers of households to fall below the poverty line.  Many who already are poor would become poorer." The cuts for non-defense discretionary programs would hit public services like elementary and secondary education, law enforcement, veterans' health care, environmental protection, and biomedical research."

Read the report and see the numbers for yourself.

Mom: "Medicare Saved My Family"

Special thanks to Monique Ruffin -- a mother, author, life coach, and advocate for her son, who has Down syndrome -- for today's post. I spotted her emotional post on the Mom.me website, where she and another mother wrote about "What Health Care Policy Means for Moms." Click to read a counter-argument from a mother who does not support the Affordable Care Act. Monique writes:

"When my son was born with Down syndrome, I was shocked by all the new concerns our family faced. Our hearts were happy and heavy at the same time. We were new parents to a beautiful baby boy whose future was uncertain. After spending the first week of his life in the neonatal unit of the hospital, we brought our son home to begin our journey of loving and supporting him as he grows into his greatest potential.

"We quickly learned to take advantage of the support available from various state and federal agencies. Within weeks we were pointed to our local Regional Center, a federally and state funded organization designed to support children and families caring for people with special needs. By the time my son was 4 weeks old, there was someone visiting my home weekly to assist me and teach me how I can support my son’s development. I was directed to an occupational therapist, a speech and communication therapist, a behavioral therapist, and an eating specialist to help me understand and overcome my son’s challenges. The center also offers classes for parents, including how to potty train children with special needs and how to teach special needs kids to read. The information and resources are invaluable and come at no cost to the families of the children.

"My entire life revolves around my ability to receive the services and tools to support my son, who at 5 years old is thriving—largely because of the assistance and guidance of the Regional Center’s staff and services.

"If the Romney/Ryan ticket wins this upcoming election and we suffer more cuts to the services that like those of the Regional Center and Medicare, what will happen to families like mine? The Ryan cuts—between 50 percent and 75 percent—to Medicaid would drastically decrease the federal dollars. These federal cuts would likely force the states to pick up the cost or drop nearly 19 million Medicaid recipients, including the very poor, seniors, and pregnant mothers. Putting millions of families like mine, who are not able to absorb the high cost of medication and treatments, in dire straits. On the other hand, the Obama plan works with health care providers and hospitals to cut their cost. Obama’s plan also creates a health care mandate for all citizens bringing more people into the health care pool.

"It was my family’s need for support and my connection with other families in far more severe conditions—like a single mother with four autistic children—that inspired me to start writing and getting involved in politics like health care reform. Unless you have a child or close family member with special needs, and have faced the onslaught of medical treatments and therapies he or she requires, you don’t understand how these programs help us stay afloat emotionally, mentally, and physically.

"My heart nearly jumps out of my chest when I consider what will likely happen to our babies if the Medicare proposals of the Romney/Ryan ticket are implemented. I am asking myself, 'Are we are nation that wants to stand by as millions of children are denied access to services that not only create possibilities for them, but also actually save their lives?' It is in situations like this that government is needed to assure that all our citizens have access to services that their lives depend on. Such resources would otherwise go only to those with financial means. Is this who we are? I know firsthand of what President Clinton spoke of, but I also know firsthand the progress of a child whose life has an abundance of possibilities, created directly by the love and the care we receive from these life-saving social services."

Follow Monique on Twitter at @moniqueruffin and read her other posts on Mom.me and the Huffington Post.

Putting Kids...Last? Cutbacks and the Fate of the Young

One thing the presidential candidates agree on: Our children and grandchildren will have to pay for our budget deficits. But in an excellent article that Democrats, Republicans, independents, and everyone else should read, Eduardo Porter of the New York Times says the problem goes beyond just budget deficits. Read "Cutbacks and the Fate of the Young."

"Right now," Porter writes, "the next generation is getting shortchanged all around, with children too often treated as an afterthought in policies meant to appeal to their elders." The United States has the highest rate of child poverty in the developed world, but federal spending on children is actually going down. From education to child nutrition to Medicaid, the CBO projects that spending fell 1 percent last year and will fall another 4 percent this year. And that's without the types of cuts that would likely result from the budget proposals that Governor Romney and especially Rep. Ryan have called for. State and local spending for children is also falling.

Porter points out other concerns -- intolerable rates of infant mortality, teen pregnancy, and illiteracy. He writes, "Unsurprisingly, perhaps, half of American children born to low-income parents grow up to be low-income adults. Investing in children is not just a matter of fairness but of economic vitality. Early interventions to help disadvantaged children can have an enormous return. They improve children’s cognitive and social abilities. They promote healthy behavior. They increase productivity and reduce crime. Investing in education is about as good an investment as a society can make."

But these are not the priorities they should be, Porter argues. In fact, "If Mr. Romney becomes the next president and delivers on his promise to cap federal spending at 20 percent of the nation’s economic product while increasing the defense budget, programs for youth are bound to shrink" even more. "According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, if Mr. Romney spared those 55 and over from any changes to Medicare or Social Security, as his campaign has promised, spending on everything else would have to be cut by more than $6 trillion from 2014 to 2022....A repeal of health care reform would drastically reduce health benefits. The budget for Medicaid, which is the biggest federal program serving children, would be cut by almost $2 trillion over 10 years."

But in typical fashion for political candidates, both Obama and Romney are appealing to seniors (who vote) and not children (who do not vote). Rest assured, they tell seniors, Social Security and Medicare are safe for you. But, as Porter points out, "The generation whose taxes will be footing the bill in 2037 doesn’t get the same type of commitment."

The Center on Children and Families at the Brookings Institution is going so far as to suggest that seniors should shoulder more of the burden to invest in children. "The old are living longer and collecting more benefits than before," Porter writes. "Even under new measures of poverty that account for seniors’ high medical spending, poverty rates among children have surpassed deprivation among the old. Seniors, [the center] suggests, could shoulder more costs so that more of the money from working Americans could be devoted to the young."

Porter concludes, "If the next generation is going to be handed the bill for our budget deficits, we might as well make the investments needed to help it bear the burden. So far, we seem on track to bequeath our children a double whammy: a mountain of debt and substantial program cuts that will undermine their ability to shoulder it when their time comes."

I strongly recommend reading the whole article.

The Candidates on Health Care: A Detailed Review

Kaiser Health News analyzes the health records and plans of President Obama, Governor Romney, and Congressman Ryan. Review them for yourself -- these are very detailed documents.

Obama on Health Care

Romney on Health Care

Ryan on Health Care

Easter Seals on Campaign Issues: Exclusive Interview

I'd like to thank Katherine (Katy) Beh Neas, senior vice president for government relations at Easter Seals, for taking the time to talk with me about critical disability issues as we approach the 2012 presidential election. Katy has been focused on these issues since the late 1980s, when she worked in the Senate on legislation including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In her current role, she monitors and analyzes federal legislation and regulations affecting children with disabilities and their families, particularly in the areas of autism, early intervention, early childhood education, special education and budget and appropriations.

We discussed the record of the Obama Administration, health care reform, special education, and key differences between the candidates' positions.

Q: When you consider the issues that are important to people with disabilities, how would you assess the commitment and the actions of the Obama Administration? What has been done well, and what requires more attention?

A: First, what's been done well: Easter Seals launched a major initiative in 2011 – Make the First Five Count – to reduce the number of young children who enter kindergarten with a disability or developmental delay that hasn’t been identified or addressed. Our research shows that approximately 1 million kids fall into this category. An element of the MFFC campaign is advocacy to increase funding for the federal early intervention program, Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. President Obama’s budgets have called for increases in Part C over the past two years. We are very pleased with his leadership in this area. In addition, the President has championed health care for people with disabilities in the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid and Medicare.

What needs more attention? Easter Seals was disappointed that the Administration is not working on implementation of the CLASS Act – the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act – this policy was adopted as part of the Affordable Care Act and would establish a voluntary long-term care assistance policy.

Q: The Easter Seals strongly supported the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the major portions of the Affordable Care Act. How could the ACA be strengthened to meet the needs of people with disabilities. What are the biggest benefits?

A: While there are many benefits within the ACA, some of the insurance market reforms are truly transformational. The elimination of pre-existing condition exclusions for kids and extending coverage to dependent children are huge first steps. Families with kids with disabilities no longer have to worry about whether their child will be dropped from coverage because of a chronic condition or disability. We are also working to shape how the rehabilitation and habilitation benefits are designed so that people with disabilities of all ages can get the appropriate habilitation services that can help a child gain a skill he or she never had or help an adult slow down the regression of a disability. The bulk of the ACA comes online in 2014. Our hope is that the law stands and that states will continue to work to meet this important deadline.

Q: Governor Romney has vowed to repeal the ACA on his first day in office, if he's elected. Would that have any immediate impact on families living with disabilities?

A: Prior to the enactment of the ACA, most people with disabilities were unable to buy health insurance on their own. Pre-existing condition exclusions made it virtually impossible for children or adults with disabilities to get coverage outside of an employer provided plan or outside of a government program like Medicaid. For many, Medicaid eligibility requires the individual to have an extremely low income. The ACA changed all of that, and today, no child with a disability can be dropped from coverage because of a pre-existing condition. For this reason alone, Easter Seals opposes repeal of the ACA.

Q: You've helped lead the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities since its founding. Has health care reform been a contentious issue among the 50 organizations that are part of that consortium? What principles do they agree on, and where has there been debate?

A: I’ve been a member of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities for 21 years, and chair its Education Task Force. My colleagues at Easter Seals have been very involved in the CCD Health, Long Term Services Supports, Employment and Training and other Task Forces. This coalition has a solid track record of working across disparate groups to find areas of agreement. I believe that there was very strong support for health reform among the majority of groups. I have attached a copy of the CCD principles on health reform as well as Easter Seals’ principles.

Q: In all the talk about health care reform and Medicaid, the topic of education seems to be a much lower priority. Yet for students with disabilities, services funded by the Individuals with Disabilities Act are a daily need. What do you think of the Romney-Ryan proposal to privatize special education funding?

A: Funding for special education services is always a hot topic. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a civil rights law that requires states to provide a free, appropriate public education to each child with a disability regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. Congress also provides billions of dollars each year to states to help them meet their obligation. The law currently provides the rights to a child to have his or her special education needs met at no cost to his or her family. Easter Seals believes that funding for quality early education and care services is the best way to decrease special education funding. We know that when kids get their special needs addressed before they enter kindergarten, they need less special education services. Our goal should be to focus on what works – to ensure that every child has a chance to succeed and with that success comes a more productive and independent life.

Q: For my readers who are studying the records and platforms of the presidential candidates, what would you say are the biggest differences between the candidates' philosophies and policies as they affect disability issues?

A: The treatment of Medicaid is among the biggest difference between President Obama and Governor Romney. President Obama is working to protect access to appropriate services to children with disabilities and long term services to adults with disabilities that are currently available under the Medicaid program. Governor Romney’s platform proposes to alter the Medicaid program from one that guarantees specific services to one that is a block grant to states that eliminates any guarantees.

Q: Is there any other information you think families should have as they prepare to vote this year?

A: This election is really important. Elected officials at all levels of government will make decisions that affect the lives of children and adults with disabilities and their families. I would urge all of your readers to educate themselves about the positions of the candidates and then vote. Elected officials need to know how their priorities either support or hinder the quality of life of children and adults with disabilities. It’s up to all of us to educate them.

If you want to learn more about these issues, Katy recommends "Principles for Health Care Reform from a Disability Perspective," prepared for the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, and the Easter Seals' principles for health care reform.

Visit the Easter Seals website, learn about the Make the First Five Count initiative, or read Katy's bio.

Ryan's Medicare Plan: The Threat to Disabled Americans

In an Aug. 21 article in the Los Angeles Times, David Lazarus reports, "The Disabled May Be Hurt Most by Paul Ryan's Medicare Plan." The article points out that Governor Romney's running mate's plan to reform Medicare would have a devastating effect on the 8 million people with disabilities covered by the program.

The article quotes Tricia Neuman of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation: "People with disabilities are among the most vulnerable of the Medicare population. They have chronic conditions that require ongoing care, and, in many cases, they have relatively low incomes."

Lazarus: "The question is: Do we live in the sort of country that turns its back on people in need? Or do we live in the sort of country that rises to the challenge of giving everyone a fair chance at a healthy life?"

Side by Side: A Look at the Issues by The Arc

Founded in 1950, when few programs were available for people with intellectual disabilities, The Arc is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, the Arc is legally prohibited from taking positions in support of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. But the organization has created one of the best analyses of the Democratic and Republican Party platforms on its priority issues.

Download the document here.

I encourage you to review this entire eight-page document for yourself, but here are a few of my observations.

1. Education
President Obama has expressed his support for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and has stated that it would be more effective if fully funded.

The Republican platform supports the IDEA's "goal of minimizing the separation of children with disabilities from their peers," but it does not support the program itself. In addition, I can tell you firsthand that the next sentence reveals a big disconnect from the reality of people with disabilities: "We urge preventive efforts in early childhood, especially assistance in gaining pre-reading skills, to help many students move beyond the need for IDEA’s protections." Yes, families should have access to early intervention (but Romney-Paul aren't offering additional funding for that) -- but even the best programs will not eliminate the needs for long-term support.

The Republican platform says most IDEA money should be provided to families in the form of vouchers. Read my recent post on this topic.

2. Civil Rights
No candidate is going to come out against civil rights. There are really no clear differences between the platforms, except the Republican platform specifically asserts "the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed."

3. Medicaid
The Republican platform encourages an overhaul of the Medicaid program, saying "It is simply too big and too flawed to be managed in its current condition from Washington." It encourages shifting power to the states: "For the aged and disabled under Medicaid, for whom monthly costs can be extremely high, states would have flexibility to improve the quality of care." What's not stated is that they would also have the flexibility to not improve the quality of care, and the option to reduce care.

The Democratic platform: "The President and the Democratic Party will fiercely oppose the harsh cuts in Medicaid that would inevitably lead to no or significantly less health care for millions of Americans with disabilities, workers with disabilities, and families raising children with autism, Down Syndrome, and other serious disabilities."

Read The Arc's position on Medicaid cuts.

4. Medicare
The Republican platform calls for an overhaul of Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid, with a focus on personal responsibility and free market competition.

The Democratic platform: "Nearly 50 million older Americans and Americans with disabilities rely on Medicare each year, and the new health care law makes Medicare stronger by adding new benefits, fighting fraud, and improving care for patients. And, over 10 years, the law will save the average Medicare beneficiary $4,200."