[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S50]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REMEMBERING ROBERT ``BOBBY'' SILVERSTEIN

  Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and honor the 
life of Robert ``Bobby'' Silverstein, who was a champion for people who 
experience disabilities and who made an incredible impact throughout 
his career.
  During his time working for both the U.S. House of Representatives 
and the U.S. Senate, Bobby held a number of leadership roles where he 
helped develop legislation to improve the lives of individuals with 
disabilities. This includes serving as staff director and chief counsel 
for the Subcommittee on Disability Policy on what is now known as the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. During his tenure, 
Bobby worked to build bipartisan consensus and helped negotiate 
critical pieces of bipartisan legislation, including the Americans with 
Disabilities Act--ADA.
  Bobby made a profound impact on countless families across the 
country, including my own. My son Ben experiences physical disabilities 
and because advocates like Bobby worked to pass critical legislation 
like the ADA, Ben had the opportunity to go to school, to learn, and 
make friends in our community.
  But my family's story is not unique. Across the country, in the more 
than three decades since the ADA was signed into law, people who 
experience disabilities have been more fully included in their 
communities and have received the support that they need to thrive at 
home, in school, at work, and in all aspects of their lives.
  As we mark Bobby's legacy, we also recognize that we have more work 
to do to build on his incredible efforts. And we must follow his 
example of working to build consensus and make a difference for the 
American people.
  While Bobby passed away in November, the impact that he has made in 
the lives of millions of people will live on in our democracy. I am 
profoundly grateful for the work he has done and will continue working 
to honor his legacy and ensure that Americans who experience 
disabilities are fully included in every aspect of our society.

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