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E-MAIL BULLETIN
NOVEMBER 2, 2004
www.DeafRepublicans.com
Independent Minds, Informed Votes
John Kerry is Wrong for Americans with Disabilities
JOHN KERRY'S RECORD
Have you noticed that John Kerry has made many promises to people with disabilities that sound awfully familiar? It is likely because they are promises that are already being carried out by the Bush Administration.
John Kerry’s priorities on disability issues mirror almost exactly the priorities of President Bush.
So what is the difference between John Kerry and President Bush? The difference is, John Kerry will say anything to get elected.
The Olmstead Decision:
John Kerry’s proposals include implementing the Olmstead Supreme Court decision, but President Bush already issued an executive order in June 2001 committing the federal government to swift implementation of the Olmstead decision.
Money Follows the Individual Act:
Kerry's platform also includes his support for the Money Follows the Individual Act, a commitment already made by President Bush to re-balance states' long-term care systems so that there are more cost-effective choices between institutional and community options.
John Kerry continues to make empty promises. John Kerry has said he would “strengthen” the Medicaid system, yet he fails to show up to vote on it.
Kerry’s vote, in fact, could have made a difference in the creation of a Medicaid program for the disabled.
To learn more about this, go to http://www.DeafRepublicans.com/kerry.html
John Kerry claims that he has led the fight for people with disabilities, yet his senate record shows that he has not been able to lead very many accomplishments for disabilities in his twenty-year Senate history.
When John Kerry was asked by a questionnaire given by the American Association of People with Disabilities to name his top three legislative accomplishments, John Kerry comes up with a rather unimpressive response. He names the ADA - which is as much the accomplishment of 62 other Senators that co-sponsored that bill - and two other bills that died in the Senate.
To learn more about this, go to http://www.DeafRepublicans.com
Lets take a closer look at the other legislative accomplishments for which John Kerry claims credit on his website:
- A handicapped parking bill. (99th Congress S. 1936) Sponsored by John Kerry, with 6 co-sponsors. Died in Committee.
- Another handicapped parking bill. (100th Congress, S. 550) Sponsored by John Kerry, with 9 co-sponsors. Died in committee.
- A handicapped parking amendment to a National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Authorization bill (100th Congress, S. Amdt 170). Sponsored by John Kerry with 3 co-sponsors. The amendment passed, but shortly afterward the amended bill died in committee.
- A Parkinson’s disease bill (100th Congress, S. 2094). Sponsored by a REPUBLICAN senator, Thad Cochran (R- Mississippi), co-sponsored by 6 Senators including Kerry. Died in committee.
- A Social Security bill to loosen eligibility standards to permit Supplemental Security Income benefits for parents of disabled children that were disqualified due to their high income (101st Congress, S. 1070). Sponsored by John Kerry, with no co-sponsors. Died in committee.
- A transportation accessibility bill. (102nd Congress, S. 1224). Sponsored by John Kerry, with no co-sponsors. Died in committee.
- A community-based attendant services and support bill (MiCASSA). (108th Congress, S. 971). This bill was originally written in the House by Newt Gingrich, a REPUBLICAN congressman from Georgia (http://www.adapt.org/casa/intro.htm). This current version is sponsored by Senator Harkin (D-IA), with a bi-partisan group of 18 co-sponsors including Kerry. Still in committee.
- A Voting Accessibility bill for the elderly and handicapped. (106th Congress, S. 511). Sponsored by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) a REPUBLICAN, with a bi-partisan group of 5 senators, including John Kerry. Died in committee
One may be tempted to think that these bills all failed because of Republican opposition, but one would be wrong; Many of these bills were proposed when the Democrats held the Majority in Congress.
All of these bills were touted as John Kerry’s “Record on Disabilities”. If this was the best they could find, it is easy to see why his paltry record pales in comparison to President Bush’s bold accomplishments for Americans with disabilities.
This mirrors John Kerry’s overall record in the Senate: John Kerry wrote only five bills that passed the Senate, and unsurprisingly, none of the five bills had anything to do with disabilities.
Unfortunately, the only impressive thing about John Kerry's record on disability issues is the fact that he does not even have one.
To learn more about this, go to http://www.DeafRepublicans.com
John Kerry was asked to name his three top priorities to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities if he were to become President. He said: “I will offer Americans with disabilities freedom, independence, and choices. I will appoint a national bipartisan Community First Commission made up of distinguished Americans, including people with disabilities who will identify short and long term policy reforms that could and should be pursued…”
This is all admirable of course. The problem? This is already being done. Its called the New Freedom Initiative, which was established by President Bush. The New Freedom Initiative is an ambitious and comprehensive program that involves a long list of federal agencies working together to accomplish the exact same things John Kerry mentions in his answer.
What John Kerry is proposing is to create a new “committee” that will “include” some people with disabilities to solve the very problems the New Freedom Initiative is actively addressing.
In short, John Kerry’s plan is to create a new bureaucracy of “advisors”, not all of whom would be disabled, simply to accomplish more of the same.
We here at Deaf Republicans feel that President Bush’s plan has worked, and will continue to achieve much success in the next four years. Compared to John Kerry’s minimal record of success on disability issues, we feel the wiser choice is vote for the candidate with a proven record on disabilities:
President George W. Bush.
To learn more about this, go to http://www.DeafRepublicans.com
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