[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13939-13940]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADA

  (Mrs. CAPPS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, the Honorable Mr. Langevin, I rise today to 
recognize the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act 
and offer my strong support for H. Res. 1504.
  Twenty years ago, the ADA declared that the millions of Americans 
living with disabilities had a right to reasonable accommodations in 
the workplace and access to public buildings. In doing so, it 
acknowledged for the first time the civil rights of these Americans who 
live independently to fully participate in all aspects of our society, 
our

[[Page 13940]]

schools, our businesses, our communities.
  Today we extend that participation to the Speaker's chair, and I want 
to acknowledge our colleague, Congressman Langevin. His place today 
managing debate over the people's House is long overdue.
  When President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA in 1990, the late 
Senator Ted Kennedy said, ``Equal justice under the law is not a 
privilege but a fundamental birthright in America.'' I couldn't agree 
more. We must protect the rights of men and women regardless of 
ability, mental capacity, or physicality. By removing barriers for 
people with disabilities, we allow America to be a society where equal 
justice prevails.
  I urge support for H. Res. 1504.

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