WASHINGTON D.C.?Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) today introduced the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Restoration Act, which would update the program to meet the needs of vulnerable seniors and people with severe disabilities by raising the asset limit, updating earned and unearned income disregard rules, and modernizing certain financial eligibility rules.

“There are zero legitimate excuses for Republicans to put people with disabilities in their crossfire,” Rep. Grijalva said. “The idea of the richest nation on earth throwing people with disabilities out in the cold is unconscionable, yet that’s exactly what Republicans are endorsing. For President Trump and Congressional Republicans, “budgeting” means punishing families with multiple disabilities and pushing them further into poverty. They are wrong. It does not show leadership to punish the vulnerable – it shows cowardice.

“Instead, legislators should be supporting policies that provide families that live in these difficult circumstances, which often include caring for children with cancer, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, autism or blindness, with a decent living standard. That’s why I am re-introducing the Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act. This bill will modernize and improve SSI by streamlining and simplifying the claim process, expanding the resources and income limits, and eliminating punitive reductions in benefits. SSI is truly a program of last resort that provides the very basics for the sickest and poorest among us; unfortunately, the program is woefully out of date. Rather than taking away the little it provides to those in need, we must restore the original intent of the program to protect seniors and people with disabilities from the harms of poverty.”

For additional details on the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Restoration Act click here and here.

The bill is endorsed by a strong coalition of Members and nearly 100 national organizations.