Political Quotes

“Mr. President, it is nothing short of a tragedy when anyone suffers from ALS. This is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, one that attacks the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord of its victims and eventually affects control of the muscles, even the muscles that are needed to move, to speak, eat, breathe, and otherwise live. Sadly, this is a disease that is always fatal. The average life expectancy is only 2 to 5 years following diagnosis. Not only are the people who suffer from ALS robbed of time but also their ability to work, imposing great hardships on them and on their families. The bill that we had before us today to help these victims by reforming our Social Security Disability Insurance Program is a good cause, and it is one that I think we all support, but I think it goes about the job in the wrong way. It sets bad precedent, and it fails to include other needed reform. We must remember that ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease, is one of many similarly debilitating and deadly diseases that Americans are suffering from today. While not as well known, all of these victims are also deserving of the same kind of special attention and accommodation in Federal policy. Let's review some of the background of the program. The Social Security Disability Insurance Program, or SSDI, was created, in part, to help people who suffer from conditions like ALS, providing monthly cash benefits to those who become disabled and therefore unable to work.…”