Grassley Recognized for Bipartisan Work to Help Children with Disabilities

POLK COUNTY, IOWA – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has received the Congressional Champion Award from Family Leadership, a coalition of organizations dedicated to improving learning outcomes for children with disabilities.

 

“I’m honored to receive the Congressional Champion Award for my bipartisan work to improve the lives of kids with special needs. I’d like to extend a special thank you to Iowa’s ASK Resource Center Executive Director Karen Thompson for her kind words and leadership. While I’ve succeeded in getting several bipartisan bills signed into law, including the Family Opportunity Act, Family-to-Family Health Information Centers Program reauthorization and ACE Kids Act, there’s more work to do. I’ll continue legislating in a bipartisan manner to help improve outcomes for kids with special needs and their families,” Grassley said.

 

“I appreciate Senator Grassley’s longtime dedication and support for children with disabilities. No matter how big or small the issue, he’s always willing to reach across the aisle and work towards impactful solutions. Together, we’ve successfully worked on policies that will have a positive impact on Iowa families for decades to come. I look forward to continuing our state and federal partnership to help improve the lives of Iowans,” said Karen Thompson, Executive Director of Iowa’s ASK Resource Center.

 

Earlier this month, Grassley marked the official implementation of his 2019 law, the Advancing Care for Exceptional (ACE) Kids Act. Grassley and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) reintroduced the ACE Kids Act in February 2019. Under Grassley’s leadership as then-chairman of the Finance Committee, the bipartisan legislation sailed through Congress and was signed into law just two months later. The ACE Kids Act allows children with medically-complex conditions to choose to enroll in a health home – if a state Medicaid program permits – in an effort to improve care coordination and health outcomes. Learn more about the bipartisan law HERE.

 

In the early 2000s, Grassley worked with Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) to pass the bipartisan Family Opportunity Act. The law encourages parents to work and get ahead without sacrificing health coverage for their children with special needs. It also allows parents to buy Medicaid coverage without impoverishing their families, and it established Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F) that provide first-hand knowledge for families with children who have complex medical conditions. Grassley worked with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to reauthorize the F2F Program in 2019.

 

 

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