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HONORING KYLA CLAUSSEN AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK
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HON. CYNTHIA AXNE
of iowa
in the house of representatives
Monday, February 7, 2022
Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Kyla Claussen, disability rights advocate and caregiver, as Iowan of the Week.
Kyla is a tireless advocate and clear voice not just for herself, but for the thousands of Iowans who find themselves waiting for assistance through a Medicaid HCBS waiver. Although Kyla lives with an unknown progressive neuromuscular disease that has impacted her lung capacity, mobility, and speech, that has not sapped an ounce of her compassion and dedication.
Kyla is one of over 17,000 Iowans waiting for a waiver to receive home and community-based care through Medicaid. She brings a unique perspective to an all-too-common problem for Iowans living with a disability. Before requiring assistance herself, Kyla had in fact been a caregiver for over a decade. While Kyla is no longer able to work as a caregiver, I know this hasn't taken away her compassion and drive to make sure everyone--no matter who--can live in their home, their community, and achieve their fullest. Her unending commitment to others and service to her community, whether as a caregiver or fighter for disability rights, embody the values that make me proud to be an Iowan.
You can find evidence of Kyla's commitment wherever you look. If you ask her friends and fellow advocates at Iowa Upgrade Medicaid, she's been called ``the researcher'' for her ability to dig into and digest disability laws in Iowa and around the Midwest. And just this past fall, Kyla was able to use her story to call attention to the need for better home and community-based services as part of a roundtable discussion with the White House. I am incredibly proud to see Iowa so well-represented in Kyla, and I am glad that more folks had a chance to hear her story.
But Kyla's story doesn't stop there. Kyla lives in Avoca, Iowa with the kittens she's fostering--she has four right now, but it's been more in the past--and her service dog in training, Ed. Whenever Ed notices that Kyla's breathing has flagged, he's trained to start barking. Then, according to Kyla, her mission becomes getting him to stop. That's a good boy.
I know that our laws have failed in protecting and providing for our disability community. I have heard so many personal stories of how our existing programs are woefully inadequate, unable to address the most basic needs for those who are not able-bodied. Gaps in our local, state, and federal system have mired the disability community with red tape and bureaucracy to receive the most basic level of assistance. The issues facing our friends, family, and neighbors with a disability are profound, and the current systems are antiquated. I am proud to have supported legislation to address these problems, however much of this legislation remains stalled. I will not stop supporting and advocating to ensure we treat those with a disability with respect, humanity, and kindness.
I am humbled by Kyla's ability to use her diagnosis as a springboard for change and her genuine concern for her friends, community, and fellow Iowans always shines through. I am grateful to be able to share her story here in Washington, and I am privileged to be able to celebrate her as Iowan of the Week.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 24
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