‘They told me I would never live on my own,’ says advocate pushing back on disabilities funding cut
Her wheelchair mobility van broke down on the way to the State House, but Tamika Cheek made it to Trenton in time to share her life story – and move the Assembly budget committee chairwoman to tears.
Cheek, 47, grew up “fighting” for independence, she said, after a childhood choking incident cut off her oxygen and left her dependent on a wheelchair. For years, she was rejected by people who dismissed her abilities.
“They told me I would never live on my own,” Cheek told lawmakers at a hearing in Trenton on March 25. Instead, she has learned self-sufficiency at the Progressive Center for Independent Living, a Hamilton-based not-for-profit program for people with disabilities.
This year, the center received $3 million in state funding for some of its programming. For the fiscal year that starts July 1, the figure could drop to zero as a result of Medicaid funding cuts by President Donald Trump.
Together, New Jersey and the federal government spend $24 billion annually on Medicaid, the health insurance program for people with low incomes and disabilities. New Jersey stands to lose as much as $10 billion, according to Governor Phil Murphy.
To maintain services without that cash, Murphy would have to upend his proposed $58.1 billion budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.
“My administration has remained committed to supporting New Jerseyans who depend on Medicaid, and we are calling on all members of our congressional delegation – on both sides of the aisle – to step up and do the same,” Murphy said in a news release.
The Progressive Center for Independent Living offers wellness programs, peer support groups, career coaching and employee rights information, transportation and other services, according to its website. One day in March, it teamed up to bag more than 200 lunches for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.
Cheek’s testimony prompted tears from Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, a Democrat from Newark and chairwoman of the budget committee.
“You should be extremely proud of the woman that you are today,” Pintor Marin said. “My tears are of gratitude because you’re here.”
Afterward, Cheek posted a video of her appearance to her TikTok channel, @TamikaCheek, and updated followers on how it went. Still wearing her State House visitor badge, she recalled the audience’s applause.
“They need to hear it from a person who might lose it all,” Cheek said in the video. “My heart and my soul feel so good because I was speaking for others, not just for me.”
This article was written by Victoria Gladstone courtesy of the NJ State House News Service
