04/09/19 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – ACTION HAPPENING NOW
For More Information:
Dawn Russell: (303) 884-1471
Mike Oxford: (785) 224-3865
Stephanie Woodward: (585) 269-9184
Who: ADAPT
What: ADAPT asks Congressman Pallone to Keep His Campaign Promise!
Where: Congressman Frank Pallone’s Office 2107 Rayburn House Office Building
When: Tuesday April 9, 2019 at 3pm
The National Disability Rights organization ADAPT is at Congressman Frank Pallone’s Capitol Hill office today asking him to follow through on a promise he made to cosponsor the Disability Integration Act (DIA). Last August in the midst of a re-election campaign, congressman Pallone met with advocates from a Center for Independent Living based in his District and promised to sign on to the bill which ensures disabled people’s right to live in the community.
“The Congressman came to our candidates forum last year and made a commitment to his constituents to support Disabled American’s right to live in freedom by co-sponsoring the DIA.” said Luke Koppisch The Deputy Director of the Alliance Center for Independent Living which serves Pallone’s New Jersey congressional district. “He could have promised to look into the bill, but he didn’t he said he would cosponsor it, and that is a promise we want him to keep.”
Congressman Pallone’s support for the legislation is vital because of the pivotal role he plays as the chair of the House Energy and Commerce committee. “The Congressman’s support may very well be the difference between the bill being marked up and voted out of committee or getting stuck in the muck of the legislative process.” said Dawn Russell an organizer with ADAPT. “He and many other congress members thanked us for our role in fighting to save the ACA and Medicaid. We need him to use his position to fight for disability freedom. The people in his district are counting on it and people across the country are counting on it!”
ADAPT’s urgency in visiting Congressman Pallone comes out of its hopes to have the bill out of committee and ready for a vote on the House floor by July 26 the 29th anniversary of the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA). This would give the Disability Community a year to pass the bill in the Senate in time for the ADA’s 30th anniversary. “We have been working to ensure that Disabled Americans can enjoy the same constitutional rights as nondisabled Americans. We have been told to wait for nearly 29 years and we are tired of waiting. We need congress to prioritize disability freedom now!” said ADAPT organizer Bruce Darling. “Congressman Pallone is in a position to lead us forward, the Disability Community and America need him to do that.”
ADAPT’s history, the issues we are fighting for and our activities can be followed on our web site at www.adapt.org, our ADAPT Facebook page and on Twitter – look for #ADAPTandRESIST .
###
