Empowering Every American

BY REP. DICK GEPHARDT
Monday, December 29, 2003
Council Bluffs, IA

"Thank you for that gracious and generous introduction. I am particularly pleased to deliver a speech on this topic in Iowa because your Senator, Tom Harkin, is one of the nation's leading advocates for people with disabilities and an accomplished leader in the fight to help Americans with disabilities claim their rightful place in the American community.

"In October, another leader in that fight, former Rep. Tony Coehlo gave a speech at New York Law School in which he challenged the presidential candidates to 'dare to take the concerns at the center of the disability community and place them at the center of our campaigns.' He challenged every presidential candidate to adopt a five-point agenda that strengthens Americans' with disabilities right to work. And he challenged us to 'bend the arc of history to justice.'

"I am here today to tell you that I accept this challenge. As president of the United States, I will not rest until every person with a disability is treated with the same honor, dignity, and respect that Americans without disabilities enjoy. It's been said before - the word American ends with the words 'I can.' To me, no two words better sum up the spirit of the disability community. But when I'm president, every person with a disability will be able to say two more words, and those are 'I will.'

"Empowering people with disabilities is both a moral and economic battle. The civil rights and woman's rights movements were historic efforts to sweep aside obstacles to full participation in our society. Of course, we still have some distance to travel in both of these efforts, but great progress has been made.

"In 1989, we continued our national reckoning with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act - the ADA. I was proud to stand in Congress alongside Tony Coelho and Tom Harkin to sweep aside barriers that forced people with disabilities to the margins of our communities.

"Tom Harkin called it the Emancipation Proclamation for people with disabilities. We rejected the politics of paternalism and pity, and we launched a new era of opportunity and respect.

"As president, I am totally committed to realizing the full participation and inclusion of every citizen in our nation's life. My own life has confirmed and reconfirmed to me many times over that we are all bound together. Martin Luther King said it best. He said: 'We're all tied together in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all of us indirectly.'

"If a school district can't afford special education or I.D.E.A., we all pay the bill when children with disabilities grow up to be adults who can't find jobs. If a young adult with a disability chooses welfare over a job because the job doesn't provide health insurance, then we all suffer from her lost contribution to our economy. And if a worker with a disability is forced to leave a job because an employer won't provide an accommodation, then society picks up the costs when that worker is forced to collect unemployment insurance, or welfare, or social security disability benefits.

"None of us can succeed alone. As Dr. King said, 'I can't be what I ought to be unless you can be what you ought to be.' We all have God-given potential. But realizing that potential is a very human effort, and laws that respect all of humanity ensure that everyone can contribute.

"George Bush sees it differently. He believes in the survival of the fittest. If you can't make it on your own, so be it, it doesn't matter anyway.

"That's why he rejects an inclusive America. That's why he rejects affirmative action. And that's why he has been a miserable failure for people with disabilities. It's worse than mere neglect. George Bush is trying to turn back the clock to the days before the ADA.

"Here is one troubling example. There are hundreds of thousands of lawyers in this country. I suspect more than a few of them are Republicans. Yet, from among all of those well-qualified lawyers in his party, George Bush nominated Jeffrey Sutton to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

"Jeffrey Sutton has spent his professional life undermining the ADA and the rights of people with disabilities. He convinced the Supreme Court that state employees with disabilities should not be allowed to sue their employers. He argued for segregation and institutionalization of people with disabilities. He criticized core protections in the ADA.

"Jeffrey Sutton is just one example of one of George Bush's most egregious failures as president. George Bush's appointments to the federal bench reflect the most radical elements of the reactionary right. He uses judicial appointments as a kind of patronage to secure the loyalty of conservatives.

"That's wrong, and that's another reason why George Bush must be defeated. Jeffrey Sutton should not be sitting on the U.S. Court of Appeals. When I am the President of the United States, I will decide who sits on the federal bench and, let me tell you, opponents of the ADA need not apply.

"The ADA is under attack in the Supreme Court, as well. The conservative majority on the Supreme Court has tortured and twisted the language of the ADA to systematically exclude large numbers of people with disabilities from the protections Congress meant them to have.

"And the Supreme Court certainly won't be any more friendly to the ADA if George Bush gets a second term and a chance to nominate one, two, or even three new justices. After all, George Bush thinks Justice Scalia is a model of fairness and worthy of being called Chief Justice.

"Well, there is no worth to intolerance and no justice in discrimination. The next President of the United States must repair the damage the Supreme Court has already done to the ADA. And working with Tony Coelho and Tom Harkin, I will fight to enact an ADA Restoration Act that rights many wrongs and helps people with disabilities get and keep good jobs.

"Creating opportunity for people with disabilities requires more than correcting George Bush's mistakes. The next president must have an agenda and strategy to help people with disabilities fully reach their potential.

"To see my road map, look back to 1993. In that year, as House Democratic leader, I led the fight to pass the Clinton-Gore economic plan to get the economy back on the right track. We had faced years of deficits and jobless recoveries. Our plan was invest in education, cut taxes for working families, and ask the wealthy among us to pay their fair share. It was the right thing to do.

"Not one Republican voted for that plan. They said it would be a job killer. Instead, our plan led to the single largest economic expansion in American history. Our plan resulted in the highest home ownership ever, the lowest inflation in a generation, and, perhaps most important, our plan led to the creation of twenty-two million new jobs. That's what investing in the American people can produce. We didn't rely on irresponsible tax breaks for the wealthy; we lifted everyone up and left no one behind.

"Today, America is a far different place than it was under President Clinton. George Bush has lost more jobs than the last eleven presidents combined. 43 million Americans have no health insurance. And seventy percent of people with disabilities do not have jobs. This national recession has hit every American family, but it has hit Americans with disabilities harder than most.

"As president, I will put the full weight of the federal government behind an aggressive strategy to put people with disabilities to work and broaden the safety net for all. It's time to move beyond incremental programs and small steps when the journey before us stretches for miles. Now is the time for big and bold ideas grounded in Democratic principles, and we haven't another four-year term to waste.

"First and foremost, we must solve the health care crisis gripping our country. The fear of losing health insurance forces many people with disabilities to remain on government disability rolls rather than finding their place on an employer's payroll.

"This issue is deeply personal for me. Three decades ago, when I was an attorney in St. Louis, our two-year-old son Matt was diagnosed with terminal cancer. They told us the cancer was metastasizing into his lungs and he had only a few weeks left to live. I remember leaving the hospital, holding my wife Jane's hand, and asking out loud, 'Why is God doing this to Matt?' Those were the darkest days of my life.

"In the end, we were more than fortunate. We were blessed. My law firm had a health insurance plan. It was the only way we could afford new and experimental therapies. And that insurance plan, the talented doctors and nurses, and the grace of God saved Matt's life.

"But I also remember the nights we spent in the hospital waiting room talking to the parents of another patient - a child with cancer from a family who couldn't afford health insurance. Those parents didn't know what to do. All they could do was pray. As long as I live, I will never forget the terror in their eyes. In this country, it should never be this way.

"But for millions of Americans with disabilities, the same terror reigns. For people with disabilities, quality health insurance means more than the difference between expensive care and affordable care. It can mean the difference between life and death.

"This is why universal health coverage is my highest priority. The first bill I send to Congress as President of the United States will repeal the Bush tax cuts and use that money to pay for health insurance for all.

"My plan requires every employer to provide access to quality health insurance coverage, with employer tax credits covering most of the cost. My health care plan - I call it 'Matt's Plan' - is the only plan that guarantees health insurance for every American within the existing system.

"Workers with jobs will get health insurance from their employers. Part-time employees, retirees, and the self-employed will also benefit. We'll subsidize two-thirds of COBRA health insurance for the unemployed and 100 percent of premiums for low-wage workers below or near the poverty line who can't afford coverage.

"With these guarantees in place, people with disabilities won't be faced with the decision of whether to accept a job that doesn't provide adequate health insurance. Their health insurance will be guaranteed.

"Matt's Plan won't just help people with jobs. It will create conditions that will allow people with disabilities to accept jobs and keep them. And that is a large step toward a life of productivity and independence. And everyone deserves that right.

"Matt's Plan will give states $172 billion in assistance in the first three years by helping them pay for their employee health care costs. This new money will help states pay for essential services like Medicaid which is, of course, a lifeline for millions of Americans, including six million Americans with disabilities.

"George Bush is doing all he can to starve Medicaid. I will defend and improve Medicaid. I was the lead Democratic sponsor of the Medicaid Community Attendant Services Act. 'MiCASA,' as we call it, would provide Medicaid coverage to support independent living for people with disabilities. Some will choose institutional care in a nursing home, and that option should be available. But others seek to live at home and work in their communities. Medicaid should give people with disabilities the choice to live independently, but George Bush and the Congressional Republicans refuse to act.

"As president, I will also defend Medicare and the nearly eight million people with disabilities who receive their health insurance through this vitally important program. George Bush wants to turn Medicare over to private insurance companies. We already knew that his phony prescription drug benefit was the first step in the Republican scheme to privatize Medicare. Last month, we also learned that the Republicans want to means-test Medicare and, once again, 'slow the rate of growth' of Medicare. Well, we all know what that means. When health care costs are skyrocketing, 'slowing the growth rate' means cutting Medicare, plain and simple.

"We've heard all of this before. When President Johnson and the Democratic Congress created Medicare in 1965, the Republicans opposed it and advocated a privatized program instead. They were wrong then, and George Bush is wrong today.

"Unfortunately, not every Democrat has been steadfast in defending Medicare and Medicaid. We all know that in 1995, on the eve of the vote in Congress on the Republican plan to cut Medicare by $270 billion, Howard Dean gave a speech endorsing their efforts.

"But as Governor of Vermont, his actions were even more telling than his words. On August 9th of 1993, four days after we passed President Clinton's economic plan and one day before he signed it into law, Howard Dean announced a series of mid-year budget cuts that shocked the state of Vermont.
"State revenues had come in a little below expectations, so he decided that cuts had to be made. He cut health care services for 2,500 low-income adults with disabilities. He dropped dental coverage for over 12,000 Medicaid recipients. Monthly welfare benefits were cut. And for those nursing home patients who were forced to go the hospital, Medicaid would no longer pay to hold their bed for them back at the nursing home.

"In all, Howard Dean cut $1.2 million in Medicaid funding, which also meant eliminating another $1.8 million in federal matching funds. In the end, Howard Dean was forced to back down by state legislators and by Vermont Legal Aid, which sued him for making cuts without the proper authority.

"But this was only one year. When you look further, and focus on his willingness to cut key programs for those in Vermont with disabilities, the story only gets worse.

"In 1995, Howard Dean tried to cut nearly a million dollars from the Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled Program. He did it in the middle of the fiscal year without the approval of the Vermont state legislature.

"The people of Vermont had to fight their own Governor to stop the cuts, which affected 13,000 of the most vulnerable in Vermont, including 10,000 in the disability community.

"Vermont Legal Aid took Howard Dean to the Vermont Superior Court. Only then was Governor Dean stopped.

"As his home-state newspaper editorialized at the time, quote 'it shouldn't have taken a court to tell Dean it was bad policy and bad law for him to deny a small cost-of-living raise to Vermont's blind and disabled.'

"Howard Dean travels the country preaching the religion of balanced budgets in Vermont and how he had a reputation for fiscal innovation. But Howard Dean doesn't tell anyone that his first instinct to cut benefits and inflict harm on people with disabilities was over-turned by the courts. That's not a reputation. That's repudiation.

"Even in 1996, when our economic recovery was well under way, Howard Dean tried to cut over $26 million from Medicaid. And four times as Governor, he tried to eliminate or cut prescription drug assistance for seniors.

"I can't tell you how dismayed I am that a Democrat would wear these kinds of budget cuts as a badge of honor. This is not what we stand for in the Democratic Party.

"Our Democratic nominee must offer a clear alternative to George Bush. But on the issues of Medicare, Medicaid, and support for people with disabilities, there is very little difference between George Bush and Howard Dean. They both support cutting Medicare and Medicaid, they both support turning Medicare into managed care, they both think recipients should pay more for services, and they both have no answer to the question, 'how will we guarantee health insurance for people with disabilities who want to work.'

"My answers on these questions are clear - 'Matt's Plan' will guarantee health insurance that can't be taken away for every working American. I will fight to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid to cover people with disabilities who are unable to work. And I will never give ground on the critical question of which political party has a history of supporting those who face challenges in life, and which political party couldn't care less.

"My vision for Americans' with disabilities does not end with guaranteed health insurance, a restored Americans with Disabilities Act, and judges who understand the importance of a person with disabilities right to work. Those are but the first three steps in my plan for expanding job opportunities for people with disabilities.

"The next president must take four more critical steps to increase the employment of people with disabilities and ensure fairness for all.

"First, children with disabilities must get a first-rate education if they are going to succeed in the workplace. Lack of skills can be the largest obstacle to success in our economy. I have supported the renewal of I.D.E.A. - the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. But passing a bill doesn't educate children. Education costs money, and George Bush has refused to fully fund either I.D.E.A. or special education in general.

"Instead of leaving no child behind, George Bush seems content to at least leave every child with a disability behind. It's another reason why we have to leave George Bush behind. When I am President of the United States, I will provide full funding for I.D.E.A. and special education. The promise of equal education must be a reality for every child, whether or not they have a disability.

"Second, we must reform the Social Security Disability system to encourage work while guaranteeing assistance to those who need it. I was proud to support President Clinton's Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act in 1999. This law allows people with disabilities to leave the SSDI rolls and take a job without losing their Medicare health insurance. The Ticket to Work was a beginning, but the Social Security Disability system needs even more fundamental reform.

"At a minimum, the federal government should not make it harder for people with disabilities to accept a job. Instead, we must provide incentives to further ease the path to work. Because we all have talents, but for some of us there are too many obstacles and not enough help to allow us to put our talents to their best use.

"Third, the federal government must use its massive purchasing power to influence private-sector employers to hire people with disabilities. During my first year in office, I will sign an executive order that requires federal contractors to undertake affirmative action to increase the number of people with disabilities they employ. The United States Government is the world's largest consumer of goods and services. One out of four American workers is employed by a company doing business with the federal government.

"The president has the authority to influence how federal contractors hire their workers. President Lyndon Johnson used his authority to expand job opportunities for people of color and women, and we have all benefited from the results - diverse workplaces and an expanded pool of skilled and experienced workers in our economy. I will use my authority as President of the United States to expand job opportunities for people with disabilities, and the result will be a stronger economy for everyone.

"I will also put an end to George Bush's strategy of paying off campaign contributors and political friends with no-bid federal contracts. Instead, when I am president, business-owners with disabilities will have a strengthened opportunity to secure federal contracts. The Small Business Administration's Section 8(a) program will be expanded to include companies owned by entrepreneurs with disabilities. The simple reason is that entrepreneurs with disabilities are far more likely to turn to the disability community for workers.

"Eventually, however, I intend for every employer to know the benefits of hiring a determined, hard-working employee with a disability. It seems those who must brace themselves for overcoming society's obstacles every day are often the most likely to embrace the coming day. And for them, a hard day's work is something to be cherished. What employer wouldn't want more of that from their workforce?

"Finally, the federal government must lead by example and employ a larger number of people with disabilities. President Clinton issued an Executive Order in 2000 requiring the federal government to hire 100,000 people with disabilities. George Bush has abandoned that goal, even while the federal workforce has grown to a size we haven't seen since the first President Bush left office.

"I'm determined to achieve President Clinton's goal. If Franklin Delano Roosevelt was able to lift this nation up from a wheelchair in the highest office in the land, then there is no excuse for not employing people with disabilities at any level in the federal government. U.S. also spells 'us.' And only by reflecting all of us can our government represent all of us.

"In the end, the citizens of our party have an important choice to make in the next few months. I believe we have a supreme responsibility to nominate a Democrat who can represent the best traditions, values, and wisdom of the Democratic Party.

"We must nominate someone who presents a clear contrast with George Bush on issues that can win this election for us. But even more than that, our imperative is to give voice to the fear and uncertainty of citizens who have no health care, who have no job, and who, whether they have a disability or not, would have no hope without Medicare or Medicaid.

"To me, there is no greater comfort than the reassurance that we're never alone. We are all bound together. And by sharing our strength, while some may have a disability, none will ever be disconnected.

"Thank you and may God bless all of you."