[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13938-13939]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and joy that I rise 
today to acknowledge the history that you are making. By your 
leadership and your inspiration and your education of the Congress, you 
have helped take us to a place that honors the tradition and the goals 
of our founders; to improve liberty and equality for all Americans.
  Today, through technology, under the leadership of the Architect of 
the House, we are able to, in a way that is almost magical, extend to 
you the privilege that you deserved all along, to be able to preside 
over the House.
  I'm pleased that we are joined by our former colleague in the House, 
and now a Senator, Senator Harkin, who was such a champion in passing 
the Americans with Disabilities Act; our former colleague, Tony Coelho, 
also a leader in that regard; our colleagues who have worked so hard on 
that subject, Mr. Markey, Mr. Kennedy; and the champion in our House on 
the Americans with Disabilities Act, Steny Hoyer, our distinguished 
majority leader.
  Mr. Sensenbrenner has made this part of his legacy in the Congress. 
Not so fast with the legacy, I know. More to come. But we thank you for 
being the champion on civil rights that you are.
  And I see now that we have been joined by our distinguished 
Republican leader of the House, Mr. Boehner.
  This is bipartisan effort. It has been all along. It is a cause for 
celebration. It is a source of liberation. And it's important to note 
that there's a reason Mr. Langevin is first. He is first because of his 
courage. He is first because of his inspiration, and he is first 
because when I became Speaker, he said to me, Now that you are 
presiding, I want to preside too.
  So on that day, when we made history of having the first woman 
Speaker of the House, it became clear that we had to make history today 
in having Jim Langevin preside on this historic occasion, which is a 
source of pride to all of us but also a source of challenge as to how 
we go forward addressing the new technologies so that we can continue 
to remove barriers to participation to all Americans. It's better for 
them and it's better for our country.
  Now we can go forward clearly saying that we respect people for what 
they

[[Page 13939]]

can do, not judge them or limit them for what they cannot, and that we 
can more fully honor the Pledge of Allegiance that Mr. Kennedy led us 
in just earlier, one Nation under God, with liberty--and this is about 
liberation--with liberty and justice for all.
  Congratulations, Mr. Langevin.

                          ____________________