July 24, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 131 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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COMMEMORATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 131
(House of Representatives - July 24, 2020)
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[Pages H3843-H3844] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] COMMEMORATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 30th anniversary on Sunday of the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed into law by George H.W. Bush, President of the United States. Mr. Speaker, I was proud to be the lead sponsor of that legislation in the House; a task that was assigned to me by our former whip, Tony Cuello of California. The ADA is an example of what we can do together, in a bipartisan way, to protect equal rights and help Americans access opportunities to get ahead, to be included, to be a part of one Nation indivisible. It was a landmark piece of civil rights legislation which passed the House and Senate with strong, bipartisan support, and was signed into law, as I said, by President George H.W. Bush. And when the Supreme Court ruled a narrow interpretation of the law that was overly limiting, Democrats and Republicans came together to pass the ADA Amendments Act in 2008, to restore the original intent and expand on its protections. The ADA hasn't just led to the construction of accessible spaces, it has also helped change America's perception of those with disabilities. And it brought dignity and recognition to millions who previously were excluded and thought to be lesser-than because of their disabilities. I have often said that the bill was misnamed. It should have been called the Americans with Abilities Act. Drop the ``dis.'' Drop dissing people. Understand what they can do, which is what is important. Over the past 30 years, the ADA has made it possible for so many of our fellow citizens to participate in the workforce, in government, and in every area of our society in ways they were previously unable to do without great difficulty. The law, Mr. Speaker, breathed new life into the words of our Declaration, that all are ``created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'' Indeed, the ADA was, in so many ways, a declaration of independence for the millions of Americans living with disabilities, yearning not only to be seen and accepted, but to be treated equally as they pursue happiness and the American Dream. And it set a global standard, with its provisions adopted by literally scores of other countries throughout the world, so that the actions of this body and the United States Senate, and President George H.W. Bush were a signal to the world to include your citizens as well. As we celebrate this anniversary, Mr. Speaker, let us remember that Americans with disabilities still face many hurdles in employment, education, access to healthcare, accessible technology, and the ability to live independently. Mr. Speaker, I hope our country will use this moment, not only to reflect on the enormous differences we have made for people with disabilities, but also to rededicate ourselves to the task of continuing that work. I want to take a moment to thank a number of my colleagues and former colleagues on both sides of the aisle who were instrumental in getting the ADA passed and signed into law. But before I mention them, let me mention the literally unnamed, unknown thousands of people with disabilities who had the courage and the conviction to come to this body and say to us, I have great ability, but I am being shut out. Hear me. See me. Help me. And we responded, as a country, as a Congress. Among them, of course, I have mentioned Tony Cuello, but then there was Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Bob Dole, Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator David Durenberger, Steve Bartlett, as well as Ham Fish, Teddy Kennedy, Major Owens, and Silvio Conte, who are no longer with us. And, of course, the late President George H.W. Bush. I want to thank the many advocates who were instrumental in building grassroots support for the ADA, as well as the Congressional and White House staff. I would mention my own staff, Melissa Shulman, who did such an extraordinary job in shepherding the ADA through multiple committees, through hundreds of hours of discussion and debate as to how to make this a viable document, a workable document for inclusion and honoring the dignity of those with disabilities. We worked late nights and we produced a text and built consensus. I want to mention, in particular, Chai Feldblum, former lead attorney for the ACLU at the time and, later, an Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner, as well as former White House Counsel Boyden Gray, under President Bush. I also, again, want to thank Melissa Shulman, who served on my staff and was critical to getting this law enacted. I want to thank Representatives Jim Langevin and Don Young, who today serve as co-chairs of the Congressional Disability Caucus. Representative Young, of course, was also involved in the passage of the law. There are too many others--including the former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin, Jim Sensenbrenner-- to name here, individuals who gave their time, energy, and talents to making the ADA possible. I want to mention Senator Orrin Hatch, who worked so diligently in the Senate, not only on the passage of the bill, but on the amendments as well, passed years later, after the Supreme Court tried to narrow the protections afforded by the Americans with Disabilities Act. And I am proud to join my friend from Rhode Island, Representative Langevin, in introducing a resolution today to recognize the importance of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a celebration of the advancement of inclusion, and recognize the barriers that still remain for people with disabilities. [[Page H3844]] Mr. Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues will join in supporting that resolution, and in celebrating this anniversary as well, in our shared commitment to further progress in the march for the rights, dignity, and full equality of those with disabilities. Recognizing and Honoring the Service of Michael Collins Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, we will honor next week, as we have honored this week, an extraordinary American, John Robert Lewis. He will lie in state just a few yards from here. He will be honored by thousands who will walk by the Capitol and his casket, and that will be right. In the Gospel of Matthew, Christians read, and others read, the parable of the talents, in which a returning master praises his servants for being good stewards of his house. ``Well done, good and faithful servant,'' he says. Last Friday, I believe that God welcomed John Lewis into His embrace with those very same words: ``Well done, thou good and faithful servant.'' Faithful to his God, faithful to our people, and faithful to his country. For such he was, God's faithful servant on Earth, spending his life in service to all of God's children, to their equal dignity and equal rights, to their safety and success. That is how he approached his service as a Congressman as well. Those of us who served with John in this House and who were his friends know that he did not perform that work alone. And, therefore, I rise to honor, to thank, and to revere another good and faithful servant. His name, Michael Collins. We all know him. He was, arguably, John's closest friend, closest confidant, and greatest supporter. His Chief of Staff deserves great praise for not only all he did for John Lewis, but for all of us. Michael Collins was at John's side for more than two decades as his chief adviser, confidant, and manager of his Washington office. Michael did not just work for John. They were family. Not ``like'' family; they were family. Michael was like a second son to John Lewis, and all of us who are grieving with John Lewis' family this week have been grieving with Michael as well. A void will exist in his life that we should all help fill. Thank him. Michael was an example, Mr. Speaker, of the best of those who work for this institution, the House of Representatives. Those who sit at the desk, those who appear on the floor with us, those who work in our offices, those who work back in our districts, they do it because they love their country. And I know, Mr. Speaker, for myself, I love those who work with me. And my great benefit in life is they love me. We Baptists would call it an agape love; not a physical love, but a love of spirit, a love of soul, a love of vision. Michael Collins and John Robert Lewis were of one mind, of one spirit, and Michael reflected the best that was in John Lewis. Let us all do the same. Michael Collins can be an example for all of us. When I called John for the last time--actually, Michael Collins called me. It was Saturday, before the Friday of John's passing. And he put John on the phone with me. He said, Mr. Hoyer, John would like to talk to you. His was a weak voice, but a strong conviction, evidencing the courage he displayed throughout his life. And, of course, Mr. Speaker, I cried because I knew that it was probably the last time that I would talk to John. And I am so thankful to Michael Collins that he got me on the phone so that I could say goodbye to my dear, dear friend. {time} 0930 It was a dear, dear friend, Michael Collins, who got him on the phone from Atlanta with me. As we mourn John this week, I have heard from countless people, telling me how much Michael made sure John never missed an opportunity to do good, to do right, and to do justice. So on behalf of us all, I want to thank Michael. Michael Collins enriched John's life as John enriched his. He took good care of our friend, and he was at John's side with such loyalty and good counsel for all those years. To him, let us all say: Well done, good and faithful servant. God blessed John Lewis with Michael Collins, and God blessed us all with John Lewis. ____________________
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