On Wednesday, the House passed the ABLE Act, bipartisan legislation that would allow individuals with disabilities to open tax-free savings accounts for important expenses. In this week’s Republican address, three of the measure’s champions, Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) talk about what the ABLE Act means to them and how it will empower millions of Americans with disabilities to lead better, more independent lives.
The Hill: “GOP lawmakers: Give Americans with disabilities a better life”
“A trio of senior GOP lawmakers talked up legislation the House passed this week to help people with disabilities, saying the measure was just one way Republicans were working to improve the life of working people. … The legislation is intensely personal for both McMorris Rodgers and Sessions, who both have sons with Down syndrome. ‘I can’t thank all of the people enough, all the families out there who have helped us get the ABLE Act to this point,’ said Sessions, the House Rules chairman, whose son Alex turns 21 next month. … McMorris Rodgers, the No. 4 Republican in the House, said the current set-up only encourages people like her seven-year old son Cole ‘to resign themselves to a life of dependence.’ ‘This is why we’re here: to advance solutions that make people’s lives better,’ added McMorris Rodgers.”
CBS News: “In the weekly Republican address, several lawmakers touted a proposal known as the 'ABLE Act,' which would allow Americans with disabilities to set up tax-free savings accounts to pay for health care, retirement, job training, and other expenses. ... McMorris Rodgers and Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said their push for the new law has been informed by their own experience raising children with disabilities.”
Newsmax: “ABLE Act Personal for McMorris Rodgers, Sessions”
“‘Right now, people with disabilities aren't given the chance to save much of what they earn,’ said McMorris Rodgers, of Washington. ‘It's an outdated law that only encourages them to resign themselves to a life of dependence. The ABLE Act will change that.’ … ‘We’re not just talking about dollars and cents here,’ said Sessions. ‘Every one of these accounts will be a new ladder of opportunity, and a new source of the one thing every parent loves: peace of mind.’ … Listening to McMorris Rodgers and Sessions, Crenshaw said, makes it ‘easy to see why the ABLE Act will open the door to a brighter future for millions of Americans.’”
ABC News Radio: “In this week’s GOP address, Reps. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Pete Sessions (R-TX) talk about the ABLE Act, or the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, which passed in the House this week. … Crenshaw adds, ‘This allows individuals with disabilities a better chance to help themselves, to be less dependent on government and more independent in their daily lives. It allows them to achieve their full potential and to realize their hopes and their dreams.’”