ADA Amendments Act of 2008

ADA AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - June 25, 2008)

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Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the ADA Amendments Act, and I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to recognize the fact that this act is championed by my good friend and colleague from Maryland, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

This crucial legislation would not have been possible without his leadership and that of Mr. Sensenbrenner and so many of my other colleagues, and I thank all of them for their tireless efforts to ensure the continued inclusion and protection of people with disabilities in our society.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to all of the advocates of disability and business communities who have united behind this important cause and worked diligently with Members of Congress to ensure a fair and strong compromise.

The American Disabilities Act, or ADA, was truly one of the most significant pieces of civil rights legislation of the 20th century. As someone who has lived with the challenges of a disability both before and after the ADA's enactment in 1990, I have experienced firsthand the profound transformation this law has created in our society.

I remember well what it was like before the passage of the ADA and where accommodations were seen as personal courtesies or privileges as opposed to a civil right. I can remember what it was like coming down to Washington as a young intern for Senator Pell from Rhode Island and how challenging it was to find good, reasonable public accommodations. And I remember what it was like in Rhode Island before the ADA was passed in terms of voting, and I was not able to vote independently on my own. I had to have help in the voting machine. And it wasn't until after the ADA was passed and I became Secretary of State and changed our election system that it was truly possible to vote independently on my own.

The ADA has broken down countless barriers and helped millions of Americans to flourish in their personal and professional lives. It has also served as a vital tool against discrimination in the workplace and in public life. Unfortunately, a number of court decisions over the years have diluted the definition of what constitutes a disability, effectively limiting the ADA's coverage and excluding from its protections people with diabetes, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, and various developmental disabilities.

The bill before us today reaffirms the protections of the ADA and renews our promise of equality for every American. The ADA has as its fundamental goal the inclusion of people in all aspects of society, and I am very pleased to say that the ADA Amendments Act brings us one step closer to that goal.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill and send a strong message that discrimination in any form will never be tolerated in this great Nation.

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