Many of us know the joys and responsibilities of being a parent. We spend years ensuring our children have the skills and education to reach their full potential as they grow and enter adulthood. Many of these everyday responsibilities parents face can and often do increase tremendously when they have a child with a disability. Today, we have an opportunity to ease some of those challenges.
The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, commonly known as the ABLE Act, will allow those with disabilities and their caregivers to have the stability and security of knowing that they can save and provide for education, housing, and medical expenses in the future.
In short, the ABLE Act lets those with disabilities set up tax-free savings accounts to help them manage the costs of medical care, housing, transportation, and continued education. This will allow those who are on Medicaid and SSI to work, earn, and save more while still receiving those important benefits. It is important to note that these savings accounts will be available to all individuals with disabilities and their caretakers, not just those on Medicaid or SSI.
This is a commonsense bill that will aid those with disabilities and their caretakers so they can live more fulfilling, happy lives and have the ability to provide for a better future.
At the same time, this will not burden taxpayers, since the cost of the ABLE Act is fully offset by the savings provisions in this bill. These offsets are a balanced and fair mix of savings provisions that all Members should be able to support.
This bill is supported by more than 70 leading organizations and healthcare professionals, including the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Autism Society of America, Autism Speaks, the Brain Injury Association of America, Easter Seals, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, the National Disability Institute, the National Down Syndrome Society, the National Federation of the Blind, and The ARC.
They support this bill because they know it will help more disabled individuals help themselves. That’s all anyone can ask for, and it is something I am pleased this legislation provides.
This is why the ABLE Act has 380 cosponsors in the House and 74 cosponsors in the Senate. I want to particularly thank the sponsor of this legislation, my friend Representative Ander Crenshaw, as well as Representatives Sessions, McMorris Rogers, and Van Hollen for their diligence in helping us bring this legislation to the floor today.
It’s not every day we have the chance to clear major hurdles in front of people who simply need a hand up. That’s what this bill does, and I encourage all Members to support it.
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COMMITTEE on WAYS and MEANS