Posted on 12/06/2014 10:00:46 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers gives the Republican Party's Weekly Remarks
Today I’d like to tell you the story of a little boy who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome just three days after he was born. His diagnosis came with a list of future complications: endless doctors’ appointments, heart defects, even early Alzheimer’s. Seven years later, as the mom of that little boy, Cole, nothing has given me greater joy than watching the impact he has had on the world — and dreaming of the difference he will make when he grows up.
This week, the House spoke for Cole and millions of Americans with disabilities by passing H.R. 647, the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act. Known for short as the ABLE Act, this bill will empower individuals with disabilities — through tax-free savings accounts — to save for college, retirement, job training and other future expenses.
Right now, people with disabilities aren’t given the chance to save much of what they earn. It’s an outdated law that only encourages them to resign themselves to a life of dependence.
The ABLE Act will change that.
House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions of Texas:
You know, most of us become who we are because of our parents. But for me, it’s been the other way around.
I’ve got a dynamic Down Syndrome son. Alex Sessions turns 21 next month, and let me tell you, he’s got every wish and desire to succeed just like his big brother does. We don’t know what the future holds, but I’m not going to sit back and allow anything — especially any law — to prevent our children from fulfilling their potential.
~snip~
Because we’re not just talking about dollars and cents here...and a new source of the...thing every parent loves: peace of mind.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...
As a disabled person, I think its the right way to go, to mainstream the most vulnerable people in our society and give them a place in it.
And we have all encountered or met people with disabilities and they deserve a better life.
We all feel confident about his future (physically) and THIS is a way for pappy to help provide for his future
My autistic grandson (severely disabled) turned 18 last year. My daughter had to petition NY State for custody, even though she and his father have had custody of him his whole life. She tore up my birthday and Christmas checks to him because he was not allowed to have more than $2000 in his bank account.
With this approach, we’re empowering individuals and families without creating an expensive new bureaucracy or raising taxes.
We’re often asked by liberals how do we want to help those in need? And our answer is human dignity and self-worth isn’t given to us by government, compassion and love can’t come from a distant bureaucracy, it can only come from human beings.
Laws that prevent people from doing what they can to get ahead are wrong. The sooner we change that way of thinking, the better off every one will be. The solution is not always a new government program.
Exactly what I mean. People who get SSI for example are not allowed to accept money from family and friends in excess of the stipulated limit.
They are punished for wanting to become independent. A society that tells the disabled and poor you’re worth only $2000 is not a humane or a compassionate society. Heck, its not even a fiscally conservative one.
The ABLE Act seeks to change it.
I've related it many times, so I won't do it again, but the line in "Ben Hur" ...
"How do you fight an idea ? ... with another idea .. "(synopsized)
Is ever present in my thought processing.
Well, until the Senate passes this bill and the President signs it, all further checks from will go to his mother.
What do we need to do? Call our senators?
So the government can still limit the saver's control over how they spend their saved money. How is this an improvement?
That’d be the place to start.
I agree its not perfect.
But the enemy of the good is insistence on the perfect.
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