[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17774]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 17774]]

                              {time}  1900

            IN THE SPIRIT OF THE ADA, WE MUST PASS H.R. 1180

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad) is recognized for 5 
minutes.



  Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, 9 years ago today, President Bush signed 
the Americans with Disabilities Act into law. Since my election to the 
House later that same year and as a Minnesota State Senator from 1981 
to 1990, I have worked hard to help people with disabilities live up to 
their full potential. That is why I, like many Members of this Chamber, 
strongly support the Americans with Disabilities Act, and we celebrate 
its enactment. But, Mr. Speaker, much more work needs to be done.
  In signing the ADA, President Bush noted the law is designed ``to 
ensure that people with disabilities are given the basic guarantees for 
which they have worked so long and so hard: independence, freedom of 
choice, control of their lives, the opportunity to blend fully and 
equally into the rich mosaic of the American mainstream.''
  As we celebrate the anniversary of this historic legislation, we 
reflect on all that has been achieved for people with disabilities. We 
must also, however, address where we have failed to empower people with 
disabilities.
  In 1990, President Bush, in signing that historic act, reminded us 
that many of our fellow citizens with disabilities are unemployed. They 
want to work, and they can work. This is a tremendous pool of people 
who will bring to jobs diversity, loyalty, low turnover rate, and only 
one request: the chance to prove themselves.
  Mr. Speaker, despite the remarkably low unemployment rate in America 
today, people with disabilities are still asking for this chance to 
prove themselves in the workplace. A recent Harris poll found that 
unemployment among people with disabilities is between 70 and 75 
percent. Think of that: 70 to 75 percent, or three-quarters of people 
with disabilities are unemployed in America today. Historically, fewer 
than 1 percent of people with disabilities leave the SSI and SSDI rolls 
following successful rehabilitation. Individuals with disabilities have 
insufficient access to and choice of services they need to become 
employed. Most SSI and SSDI beneficiaries are never even offered 
rehabilitation services.
  Mr. Speaker, we all know the ADA sought to improve this situation. 
But the ADA did not remove all the barriers within the current Federal 
programs that prohibit people with disabilities from working. It is 
time to eliminate work disincentives for people with disabilities. 
Eliminating work disincentives for people with disabilities is not just 
humane public policy, it is sound fiscal policy. It is not just the 
right thing to do, it is also the cost-effective thing to do.
  President Bush knew that discouraging people with disabilities from 
working, from earning a regular paycheck, paying taxes and moving off 
public assistance actually results in reduced Federal revenues. He 
noted, and I am quoting again: ``When you add together the Federal, 
State, local and private funds, it costs almost $200 billion annually 
to support Americans with disabilities. In effect, to keep them 
dependent.'' And that was in 1990, Mr. Speaker. We certainly spend more 
than that today to keep people with disabilities dependent on the 
system.
  Like everyone else, people with disabilities have to make decisions 
based on financial reality. Should they consider returning to work, or 
even making it through vocational rehabilitation, the risk of losing 
vital Federal health benefits often becomes too threatening to future 
financial stability. As a result, Mr. Speaker, they are compelled not 
to work.
  Given the sorry state of present law, that is generally a reasonable 
and a rational decision for people with disabilities. The National 
Council on Disabilities said it best in its report to the 105th 
Congress on removing barriers to work when it wrote: ``Social Security 
programs can be transformed from a lifelong entitlement into an 
investment in employment potential for thousands of individuals.'' 
Transforming these Federal programs to springboards into the work force 
is a goal of legislation that I cosponsored in the House with the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Lazio) and many others on both sides of 
the aisle, the Work Incentives Improvement Act, or H.R. 1180. This 
critical legislation has been passed by the Committee on Commerce and a 
similar bill has been approved by the Senate.
  Mr. Speaker, preventing people from working runs counter to the 
American spirit, one that thrives on individual achievements and the 
larger contributions to society that result. We must not rest until we 
pass the Work Incentives Improvement Act. People with disabilities 
deserve the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. Let us give them the 
chance to prove themselves now.

                          ____________________