[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17274]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 207--RECOGNIZING AND HONORING THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF 
      THE ENACTMENT OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990

  Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Reid, Mrs. 
Clinton, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. McCain, Mr. Chafee, Mr. 
Lautenberg, Mr. Smith, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Levin, 
Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. Boxer, Ms. Collins, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Obama, Mr. 
Akaka, Mr. Salazar, Mr. Dayton, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Pryor, Mr. 
Biden, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Reed, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Nelson of 
Florida, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Burr, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Martinez, Ms. 
Cantwell, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Hagel, and Mr. Coleman) submitted the 
following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 207

       Whereas July 26, 2005, marks the 15th anniversary of the 
     enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990;
       Whereas prior to the passage of the Americans with 
     Disabilities Act, it was commonplace for individuals with 
     disabilities to experience discrimination in all aspects of 
     their everyday lives--in employment, housing, public 
     accommodations, education, transportation, communication, 
     recreation, voting, and access to public services;
       Whereas prior to the passage of the Americans with 
     Disabilities Act, individuals with disabilities often were 
     the subject of stereotypes and prejudices that did not 
     reflect their abilities, talents, and eagerness to fully 
     contribute to our society and economy;
       Whereas the dedicated efforts of disability rights 
     advocates, such as Justin Dart, Jr. and others too numerous 
     to mention, served to awaken Congress and the American people 
     to the discrimination and prejudice faced by individuals with 
     disabilities;
       Whereas Congress worked in a bipartisan manner to craft 
     legislation making such discrimination illegal and opening 
     doors of opportunity to individuals with disabilities;
       Whereas Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act 
     and President George Herbert Walker Bush signed the Act into 
     law on July 26, 1990;
       Whereas the Americans with Disabilities Act pledged to 
     fulfill the Nation's goals of equality of opportunity, 
     economic self-sufficiency, full participation, and 
     independent living for individuals with disabilities;
       Whereas the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibited 
     employers from discriminating against qualified individuals 
     with disabilities, required that State and local governmental 
     entities accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities, 
     encouraged places of public accommodation to take reasonable 
     steps to make their goods and services accessible to 
     individuals with disabilities, and required that new trains 
     and buses be accessible;
       Whereas since 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act has 
     played an historic role in allowing some 54,000,000 Americans 
     with disabilities to participate more fully in our national 
     life by removing barriers in employment, transportation, 
     public services, telecommunications, and public 
     accommodations;
       Whereas accommodations such as curb cuts, ramps, accessible 
     trains and buses, accessible stadiums, accessible 
     telecommunications, and accessible Web sites have become 
     commonplace since passage of the Americans with Disabilities 
     Act, benefitting not only individuals with disabilities but 
     all Americans; and
       Whereas the Americans with Disabilities Act is our Nation's 
     landmark civil rights legislation for people with 
     disabilities: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes and honors the 15th anniversary of the 
     enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990;
       (2) salutes all people whose efforts contributed to the 
     enactment of such Act; and
       (3) encourages all Americans to celebrate the advance of 
     freedom and the opening of opportunity made possible by the 
     enactment of such Act.

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