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DAILY COLLEGIAN DailyCollegian.com
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Deadlock threatens government shutdown Political showdown nears its deadline By AnitA KumAR, WilliAm DouGlAs AnD lesley ClARK McClatchy Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON – A deeply divided Congress remained deadlocked late Monday over the federal budget, setting up a showdown that will likely lead to a partial shutdown of the government for the first time in nearly two decades. The two sides of Congress engaged in a high-stakes political showdown well into the night as the government neared the end of the fiscal year at midnight with no law in place to finance parts of the new fiscal year. Without a deal, a shutdown could delay Social Security payments, passport and visa applications, shutter national parks and museums and furlough hundreds of thousands of federal employees. T h e Republicanc o n t r o l l e d House of Re presentatives voted 228-201 late Monday to fund the government for two months while delaying the new federal health care law’s mandate that Americans be required to have insurance and canceling health care subsidies for members of Congress. The Democratic-led Senate voted 54-46 to reject the proposal, just as it did earlier in the day to a similar measure that would have postponed the entire health care law. As the clock ticked toward deadline, the House readied a new tactic, looking to set up direct negotiations with the Senate by appointing a team of budget negotiators called “conferees” to work with Senate counterparts to hash out a compromise in the coming days. The
last-minute pitch was not expected to stop a shutdown. President Barack Obama said earlier Monday in a televised address to the nation that he held out hope Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill could find a solution, but he insisted again that he would not negotiate over on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare, or on a coming clash over whether Congress should raise the debt ceiling and avoid a first-of-its kind default on its debts. “One faction, of one party, in one house of Congress, in one branch of government doesn’t get to shut down the entire government just to re-fight the results of an election,” Obama said. “You don’t get to extract a ransom for doing your job, for doing what you’re supposed to be
doing anyway, where just because there’s a law there that you don’t like.” Obama on Monday evening placed separate calls to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio; House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid, D-Nev.; and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. He told them anew that he would not negotiate on health care as part of the budget bill. Boehner told the president in a 10-minute call that the health care law is “costing jobs and that American families are being denied basic fairness when big businesses are getting exemptions that they are not,” said Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck. During the contentious floor debate in the House on Monday, Democrats and Republicans stuck firm to their beliefs. Boehner mimicked Obama during his phone call earlier. “I talked to the president earlier tonight - ‘I’m not going to negotiate, I’m not going to negotiate, we’re not going to do this,’ “ Boehner said of his talk with the president. “Well I would say to the president, this is not about me, and it’s not about Republicans in the Congress. It’s about fairness for the American people.” H o u s e Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., grew angry on the floor during the debate. “What a shameful day this is in the House of Representatives,” Hoyer told his colleagues. “Tonight is about the continuing destructive obsession our Republicans friends have.” B o t h chambers have passed legislation that assures military personnel would be paid in the event of a shutdown. Obama signed that bill late Monday. “Albert Einstein defined insanity as, ‘Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,’ “ Reid said on the Senate floor. “Tonight, we have more proof that House Republicans have see
SHUTDOWN on page 3
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Disability Services at 40-year anniversary Celebrations are planned all year By Rose GottlieB Collegian Correspondent Since it was founded at the University of Massachusetts, Disability Services has provided accommodations and support for numerous students, staff and faculty who require extra assistance. This year, it is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Disability Services provides aid to people who have physical, psychological, learning or medical disabilities so that they may fully take advantage of the UMass academic and social experience. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Disability Services will be hosting a number of events throughout the year. The celebration will begin with an open house on Friday, Oct. 4, from 3 to 6 p.m. in rooms 233 and 161 of the Whitmore Administration Building. The event is open to all who wish to attend. According to Aquila McCants, a learning specialist at Disability Services, the open house will include presentations of new technology that can help students with disabilities and presentations on sign language, along with opportunities to ask questions and learn more about Disability Services and the work that they do. The celebration will continue in early November with a Luminaria ceremony. In this ceremony, bags holding candles will be placed around the campus pond at night, lighting up the
Disability Services has expanded to help a wider variety of people, including those with attention deficit disorder, psychological disabilities, brain injuries, learning disabilities and medical disabilities. area. According to McCants this ceremony represents “having the key to open the door so that you see the light.” During the year, a series of films will be shown highlighting some of the issues faced by people with disabilities. McCants said that these films allow audiences to think about aspects of disabilities that most people would not consider, including relationships, friendships and overcoming seemingly hopeless situations. The final event of the 40th anniversary celebration will be on the first Friday in May. A dinner will be hosted in the campus center featuring music groups and interpreters. According to Dr. Madeline Peters, director, the main purpose of Disability Services is to ensure that “all students, staff, and community members [have] access to all programs, services, and activities on campus”. Students who register with Disability Services are provided with a consumer manager who helps sort out their individual needs. This allows everyone who needs the services to receive personalized help so that they can make the most out of their college experience. Peters said that Disability Services became a part of the UMass campus with the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This act ensured that
any institution receiving federal funding provided equal opportunities for persons with disabilities. Peters began working for Disability Services 22 years ago. When she first arrived, there were only three staff members. Services were only provided for people with physical disabilities such as those with blindness, deafness and mobility impairments. Since then, Disability Services has expanded to help a wider variety of people, including those with attention deficit disorder, psychological disabilities, brain injuries, learning disabilities and medical disabilities. Over time, the Office of Learning Disability Support Services and the Office of Psychological Disability Services joined with the Office of Disability Services. And now, there are over 20 staff positions at Disability Services.McCants says that she hopes to see Disability Services grow even larger and help even more people in the years to come. She hopes that those who do not have disabilities develop a greater understanding of those who do. She also said that she hopes that people will, “advocate for themselves, to accept themselves, and … realize that they have the potential do lots of things”. Rose Gottlieb can be reached at rgottlieb@umass.edu.