Your Help Is Needed to Restore the ADA!

Under the direction of Sen. Harkin, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee heard testimony about a number of Supreme Court decisions that have significantly reduced the protections available to people with disabilities in employment settings.

Witnesses included:

John Kemp, Attorney, Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, P.C., Washington, D.C.

Former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, Counsel, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, Preston, Gates, Ellis, LLP, Washington, D.C.

Steven Orr, Pharmacist, Rapid City, South Dakota

Chai Feldblum, Director, Federal Legislation Clinic and Professor of Law, Georgetown Law Center, Washington, D.C.

Camille Olson, Attorney, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Chicago, IL on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The first four witnesses testified that restoring the ADA to Congress’
original intent would enable people with disabilities to secure and maintain employment without fear of losing their job because of their disability. Congress clearly intended to cover the full spectrum of disabilities, both visible and invisible. Ms. Olson expressed the Chamber’s concern that everyone would be covered under the ADA.

During an interesting question and answer period, Mr. Kemp responded that providing accommodations to employees with disabilities increases productivity and therefore increases profit – a must in business. Professor Feldblum added that everyone should be covered under the ADA to ensure that employees with disabilities and employees who are perceived to have a disability are protected under the ADA’s employment title. Read NCIL’s testimony to the Committee on the NCIL ADA Restoration Action Hub

ACTION NEEDED: Ask Your Senators to Cosponsor S. 1881!

Contact your Senators and urge them to cosponsor the ADA Restoration Act of 2007 S. 1881!

Background:
As you may know, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) introduced the ADA Restoration Act of 2007, S. 1881 and H.R. 3195 on July 26th. Through this legislation, the ADA’s intent, to eliminate discrimination based on disability, will be properly restored and the ADA will rightfully reclaim its place among our nation's civil rights laws.

Your calls and faxes are working! As of November 16th, 235 Representatives signed onto the House bill, H.R. 3195, and the Senate held its first hearing on the bill, S. 1881, on November 15th! While keeping pressure on the House, our sights are set on the Senate. Please urge your Senators to cosponsor and support S.1881. If one of your Senators is among the Republican members of the Senate Help, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)Committee listed below, your help is critical to moving this important bill!

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) is the lead Republican cosponsor of S. 1881. If you are from Pennsylvania, please call and THANK Sen. Specter for his leadership on this civil rights bill! We need to thank legislators when they do the right thing and support our cause!

TARGETED HELP COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Michael B. Enzi (WY), Judd Gregg (NH), Lamar Alexander (TN), Richard Burr (NC), Johnny Isakson (GA), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Orrin G. Hatch (UT), Pat Roberts (KS), Wayne Allard (CO), Tom Coburn, M.D. (OK).

Please take advantage of Congress' Thanksgiving recess to attend town hall meetings and other events held by your Members of Congress while they are back in their Districts (in your area). NCIL members are strongly encouraged to invite Members of Congress and their staff to visit Centers for Independent Living in their district and state.

Once you have contacted your Representative and two Senators, please contact Deb Cotter, Policy Analyst, at deb@ncil.org or (202) 207-0334, ext. 1008, and let her know the response you received. We are keeping track of cosponsors and need to know what Congressional staffers are telling their constituents. ForwardSourceID:NT003077B2