Rick Lazio: “I strongly support grants to States to provide family support programs. It is much more cost effective. As the gentleman…”

“I strongly support grants to States to provide family support programs. It is much more cost effective. As the gentleman knows, it is better on the whole to an individual with developmental disability to reside in their own home. And while the bill does not provide for such grants, I would say it is unfortunate, but not a core issue to the bill. And I want to commit to this House and to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) that I will fight diligently for such programs in the ensuing conference committee. But, again, it was the only way for us to be able to address this bill at this time, and I physically expect to have this included by the time we get a conference report back from the House. The second thing I would note, during negotiations on this bill, we have heard from the voice of the retarded. They are concerned that this bill will in some way lead to the profoundly retarded being denied their choice of residential facility.”