Howard Metzenbaum: “I rise today to address the issue of unfunded mandates. This has become a hot topic these days. I have heard many…”

“I rise today to address the issue of unfunded mandates. This has become a hot topic these days. I have heard many reports about State and local governments complaining about Federal statutes such as the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Air Act. Local officials complain that they do not have the funds in their budgets to comply with the requirements of these laws. I can understand their frustration. Stretching tight dollars for necessary programs has become the standard operating procedure around here. But, I am also particularly troubled by the comments and complaints about one statute; the Americans With Disabilities Act. When this legislation was passed 4 years ago, it was hailed as a landmark civil rights bill. It secured fundamental and basic civil rights for the estimated 43 million Americans with physical or mental disabilities. Under the Americans With Disabilities Act [ADA], employer discrimination against persons with disabilities would become a thing of the past. A person in a wheelchair would have the same access to a public building as any other citizen. A disabled person would no longer face exclusion and segregation; inclusion in mainstream society would no longer remain an elusive dream, but would be an attainable goal. And yet, the Americans who have struggled with disabilities, discrimination, and often the callous disregard of society, now hear the chorus of those on the unfunded mandate bandwagon that the ADA is an unfair burden.”