Some of the most prominent voices in Congress for home and community-based services, Supplemental Security Income reform, competitive integrated employment and other disability issues are heading for the exits.

Multiple federal lawmakers who have prioritized issues important to this population will leave at the end of the year, some by choice and others who were voted out.

Notably, Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, both lost their bids for reelection last month.

Casey, a three-term senator, has long championed disability issues. He was one of the leaders on the ABLE Act, a 2014 law that established tax-advantaged savings accounts for people with disabilities, and has spearheaded legislation to address guardianships, improve Medicaid home and community-based services and phase out subminimum wage, among other issues.

In addition, Casey used his position as the chair of the Senate Aging Committee to elevate disability issues, advocates said.

“We see the loss of Senator Casey as pretty huge,” said Kim Musheno, vice president of public policy at the Autism Society of America. “While we have a number or disability champions in the Senate, Casey carved out a big portion of his portfolio for disability issues with dedicated staff.”

Brown, meanwhile, has been pushing to raise SSI asset limits for the first time in decades.

On the House side, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who has a son with Down syndrome, opted not to seek reelection this year. The 10-term Republican from Washington state yielded significant influence during her time as chair of the House Republican Conference and more recently as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She was a leader on the ABLE Act and has pushed for funding for Down syndrome research. McMorris Rodgers has also been a major proponent of the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act, which would phase out subminimum wage and expand competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities.

Now, advocates say they are looking to forge relationships with incoming lawmakers and develop new allies.

“This is a lot of turnover among the people who have been working on disability issues so far, but we are confident that we can build relationships with new legislators,” said Zoe Gross, director of advocacy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. “Disability is a non-partisan issue that affects everyone in our society, and we will continue to advocate for the rights and needs of disabled people in the new Congress.”

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