Advocates to Brown: Aid disabled

About 20 local advocates, including disabled people and their families, crowded the reception area of Senator Scott Brown’s Boston office yesterday morning in an unsuccessful attempt to persuade him to break ranks with fellow Republicans and vote in favor of more federal health care funding.

Without that funding, budget cuts in Massachusetts will probably end many social services that aid the disabled here, they said.

“We’re hopeful he’ll do the right thing for Massachusetts,’’ said Josh Komyerov, legislative director for the Arc of Massachusetts, a nonprofit that organized the sit-in.

However, the latest version of the bill was effectively killed in a vote taken last night when it failed to receive the 60-vote supermajority needed to end debate.

Now, almost $20 million would be cut from state-run services for the disabled, and advocates plan to continue sit-ins at Brown’s office from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. every weekday through Tuesday, they said.

Brown said he opposed the bill because it would increase taxes and add to the deficit.

“I have great compassion for those programs and have kept everybody informed as to where everything stands so they can plan,’’ Brown said in an interview with the Globe. “The issue is it’s going to raise taxes, it’s going to increase the deficit, and there’s no way to pay for it yet.’’

But Susan Nadworny, a participant in the sit-in from Melrose, said she feels strongly that these cuts are wrong, despite the growing deficit.

Her son James, 19, has Down syndrome and requires 24-hour care. Nadworny said she recognizes the difficulty of aiding the disabled when it comes at a great cost to taxpayers but there is no other choice.

“We can’t let these people down,’’ she said.

Sandra Fitzpatrick, a 70-year-old woman with cerebral palsy who also attended the sit-in, said that without the funding, she does not know what she and other disabled people across the state will do.

“I’m concerned about people like me who can’t speak up for themselves and need help,’’ Fitzpatrick said. “What’s going to happen to us?’’