    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [June 15, 1999]
    [Pages 942-943]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Proposed Work Incentives Legislation
    June 15, 1999

        That was a speech of a man who
    is not running for reelection. [Laughter] Since I'm not either, I can
    only hope to do as well. [Laughter]
        I would like to point out something, since we are here in the LBJ
    Room, named for President Johnson, a room in which he worked for many
    good causes as Senate majority leader. Thirty-five years ago he said,
    ``I am convinced that it is morally right, that it is socially just,
    that it is economically sensible, that it is administratively feasible
    to open the door of employment opportunity to Americans with
    disabilities.''
        Now, our country has done a lot on that road in the last 35 years,
    especially beginning with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 1997
    we dramatically strengthened the IDEA Act, and I'm very proud to have
    been a part of that with the people who are here. But the full promise
    of the Americans with Disabilities Act will never be realized until we
    pass this legislation.
        I am profoundly indebted to all these Senators who are here,
    Senators Lott and Moynihan and, of course, to Senators Jeffords and Kennedy, but let me--I
    know most of you here understand this, but let me just give you one
    specific example. I think it's important to humanize this.
        I had a town meeting about this issue in New Hampshire on February
    the 18th. And there was a man there who had been very badly injured in a
    skiing accident and was paralyzed, basically, from the chest down. And
    because of the special opportunity he had, he actually was able to keep
    his health care and work. His health insurance--his health care costs
    were $40,000 a year, just to maintain him. But he worked very
    productively and very successfully for about 75 percent of that; that
    was his salary. Now, if he were not working, he'd still get the $40,000
    in health care, but he wouldn't be working. He'd be much less happy,
    much less fulfilled. He wouldn't be paying income taxes to the Federal
    Government. He wouldn't be paying the other revenues through which we
    fund Medicare and Social Security, including, interestingly enough, the
    money from Social Security that goes to the disabled.

    [[Page 943]]

        This is a crazy system that we have allowed to develop, because you
    lose Government health insurance if you go to work and you make a
    certain amount of money. That's what these fine people are trying to do.
    And I thought what Senator Kennedy said was great. I'd like it if it
    passed by Independence Day, but I'd like it, for sure, if we could get
    it up to the White House and have a signing ceremony by the 26th of
    July, which is the ninth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities
    Act.
        But I would like to ask all the members of the press that are here
    to make sure that our fellow Americans understand the practical impact.
    There are thousands of these stories. But with all the requirements of
    the Americans with Disabilities Act, you will never get the tens of
    thousands of people who could come into the work force--maybe hundreds
    of thousands that aren't there--without this bill. This is a profoundly
    important piece of legislation.
        And I would like to make one last economic argument. There's a lot
    of discussion now about how our economy can continue to grow even more
    with unemployment as low as it is without inflation. The only way to do
    that is to find new markets and new workers. And as nearly as I can
    tell, there are only two or three options. You can sell more American
    products overseas, or you can put people to work in high unemployment
    areas in America, in the urban and rural areas, or you can reach the
    unreached population of Americans who are dying to go to work, which are
    the remaining people on welfare who want to work and an even larger
    number--much larger number--the American disability community, fully
    capable of working in thousands and thousands and thousands of jobs--now
    with them closed because of the health care barrier.
        We need to get this story out. The Senate is going to pass this
    bill. The House will have it, and we'll have a great celebration on July
    the Fourth and again on July the 26th.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 4:50 p.m. in the Lyndon Baines Johnson Room
    at the Capitol. In his remarks, he referred to IDEA, the Individuals
    with Disabilities Education Act.