Disability Community Slams Smith on HEROES Vote

Monmouth County, NJ – Today, the Monmouth County Democratic Disability Caucus Chair, Anita Clavering, issued the following statement on behalf of the caucus criticizing Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-4) for his vote on the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions or “HEROES” Act:

“As members and allies of the disability community, we are once again disappointed, but not surprised by Congressman Smith’s partisan vote on the HEROES Act. While the Congressman often gives lip service to our community, our needs during the current pandemic were apparently not enough to surmount his party loyalty. In fact, this legislation, which his Senate counterparts have already marked as dead on arrival after the party-line vote in the House, would provide significant relief to those living with disabilities.

For the grandparents and siblings taking time off work to care for a disabled family member due to coronavirus closings, this bill provides extended paid leave. For those living with a disability who also need housing support, this bill provides $200 million to support disability housing. For those adults with disabilities who did not receive a stimulus check because they were claimed as dependents, this bill grants $500 cash for the last stimulus and qualifies you to receive $1200 in the next disbursement. For those on Medicaid who need help accessing direct support professionals, this bill includes additional funding for home and community-based care. For those who provide direct support to the disability community, this bill would finally designate you as “essential” providing access to PPE and the other benefits you deserve.

There are 60,000 people living with disabilities in Monmouth County during this pandemic and countless professionals serving our community. These provisions in the HEROES Act would begin to address our concerns, which were left behind in the previous emergency relief bills. They would have a real impact on our lives and the lives of our family and caretakers across the county.

Still, Congressman Smith could not muster the strength to vote against Senator McConnell and President Trump. His failure to support the bill demonstrates once again that he purports to support the disability community but will not even put our taxpayer money where his mouth is.