[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17395]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            VOTE EXPLANATION

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                         ADA'S 15TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I was not able to make the roll call 
vote on this resolution commemorating the 15th anniversary of the 
Americans with Disabilities Act. I had a family commitment that I had 
to keep, and I knew that this resolution would pass overwhelmingly, and 
I needed to be with my family.
  I did want to take time to hail this special occasion and I want to 
reaffirm my strong support for the Americans with Disability Act. This 
historic legislation has helped to ensure that people with disabilities 
can have access to a wide range of programs and policies to help them 
fully participate in public life and culture. Over the years, I am 
proud of the progress our country has made in including people with 
disabilities in public places and events. This sweeping legislation is 
perhaps one of the most significant pieces of legislation since the 
1964 Civil Rights Act. Under this bold law, people with disabilities 
were ensured nondiscrimination in employment and public accommodations, 
including transportation and telecommunications. Implementation has not 
been easy, and it is still ongoing. While meaningful progress has been 
made, there is still a great deal of work to do to achieve the bold 
goal of the Americans with Disability Act.
  We must continue to push hard to end discrimination and fully embrace 
inclusion, but today we should also celebrate the strides made since 
1990 on behalf of people with disabilities.

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