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    "ocrText": "FOIA Number:\n2006-1733-F\nFOIA\nMARKER\nThis is not a textual record. This is used as an\nadministrative marker by the William J. Clinton\nPresidential Library Staff.\nCollection/Record Group:\nClinton Presidential Records\nSubgroup/Office of Origin:\nFirst Lady's Office\nSeries/Staff Member:\nSpeechwriting\nSubseries:\nLaura Schiller: HRC Speeches 1/98 - 5/98\nOA/ID Number:\n24623\nFolderID:\nFolder Title:\nHRC Weekly Column: [Disabled 7/27/99]\nStack:\nRow:\nSection:\nShelf:\nPosition:\nS\n61\n2\n2\n1\nJuly 27th 1999\nCreator's Syndicate\n(310) 337-7625\n7/27/99\n8:47 PM\n1/3\nDATE: Tuesday, July 27, 1999\nMEMO\nTO:\nNoa Myer, Office of the First Lady\nFAX:\n202 456-6244\nFROM: Creator's Syndicate\nPAGES: 3\nCreator's Syndicate\n(310) 337-7625\n7/27/99\n8:48 PM\n2/3\nTALKING IT OVER\nBY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON\nRELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1999, AND THEREAFTER\nNo one should be forced to choose between health care and a job, but that is\nexactly what happens to millions of people with disabilities in this country every day.\nJoann Elliot worked as a food-service worker at St. Elizabeth's Hospital here in\nWashington for 20 years. She loved her job, but in 1991, a massive stroke left her\nparalyzed on her left side. Now, she needs a wheelchair to get around and help with\nbathing, dressing and completing other day-to-day activities.\nBecause she had to give up her job, Joann receives Social Security Disability\nInsurance, Medicare and Medicaid to cover her personal-care assistant, prescriptions,\nspecial equipment, therapy and some transportation. But she wants to go back to work. \"I\ndon't like staying at home,\" she explains. \"I want to get out and be productive.\"\nHere's the problem: If Joann finds a job -- even a low-paying one she'll lose her\nMedicaid benefits the very health care coverage that she needs to be able to go to\nwork.\nKaren Moore, who is also confined to a wheelchair, was thrilled when she found a\njob as a dispatcher for the River Cities, S.D., Transit System. When she began working\nfull-time, Karen found that she needed less medical care, made new friends and was\nable to reduce her SSDI benefits.\nBut like Joann, she also found herself in a Catch-22. She depends on an\nattendant to get ready for work every day, but lost coverage for that care once she went to\nwork. \"I believe in contributing for these services,\" she says, \"but the current arrangement\nmakes it impossible for me to continue working.\"\nAfter David Robar sustained a spinal-cord injury in 1990, he learned the same\nunfortunate lesson. Determined to return to work, he managed to finish his degree in\nbusiness administration, but when he began looking for a job, he found that he would\nhave to give up his health care benefits. \"If I were to pay for my personal attendant\nservices out of pocket,\" he says, \"it would cost me more than I would make working full-\ntime.\"\nToday, millions of Americans live with disabilities and can bring enormous energy\nand creativity to our workforce. Studies show that the vast majority wants to work, yet 75\npercent of them are unemployed. Too often, they find themselves in the same boat as\nDavid, Karen and Joann: If they find a job, they stand to lose the very benefits that allow\nthem to go to work in the first place.\nCreator's Syndicate\n(310) 337-7625\n17/27/99\n8:48 PM\n3/3\nTALKING IT OVER 7/28/99\nPage 2\nNine years ago this week, the Americans with Disabilities Act became law,\nopening doors in the same way that the Civil Rights Act did three decades ago. Whereas,\nat one time, we presumed that a disability meant a lifetime of dependence, now, we know\nthat those with disabilities want to and can lead independent lives and contribute to\nour nation's prosperity.\nI am proud of the steps this Administration has taken to integrate people with\ndisabilities into the workplace. Last year, my husband created a National Task Force on\nEmployment of Adults with Disabilities. He has implemented new regulations that\nincrease the amount of income that those with disabilities can earn while still receiving\ncritical benefits; taken steps to remove federal hiring barriers for people with mental\nillness; and ordered the development of a plan for the federal government to hire more\npeople with disabilities.\nBut while these actions have been a source of hope to Americans with disabilities,\na major obstacle to employment remains: Most Medicare and Medicaid benefits are\nlimited to those too disabled to work. That is why, this week, as we celebrate the\nanniversary of the ADA, my husband has urged Congress to pass legislation that would\nprovide new health care options and employment assistance so that people with\ndisabilities can work.\nLast year, when we celebrated the anniversary of the ADA, the President promised\nto work with Senators Jeffords and Kennedy to achieve this goal. In his State of the\nUnion Address in January, he urged Congress to make this legislation a top priority, and\nhe included full funding for it in the budget he sent to Congress. In June, by an\noverwhelming bipartisan vote of 99-0, the Senate passed a bill. But the full House has\nyet to act.\nIn many ways, work helps build our self-respect as well as our nation's economy.\nBut although our nation is enjoying its lowest unemployment in a generation, too many\nAmericans with disabilities cannot participate because of the barriers that still stand.\nIgnoring the potential of these citizens is not only a missed opportunity for them, it\nis a missed opportunity for the entire country. Let's celebrate the anniversary of the ADA\nby opening the doors of opportunity for millions of Americans even wider, so that no\nAmerican has to choose between going to work and paying medical bills ever again.\nTo find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton and read her past columns, visit the\nCreators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.\nCOPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED\n4\nMonday, August 2, 1999 WHITE HOUSE WEEKLY\nTALKING IT OVER\nDisabled And Willing To Work\n0 one should be forced to\nN\nDisabilities Act became law, open-\nchoose between health care\ning doors in the same way that the\nand a job, but that is exactly\nCivil Rights Act did three decades\nwhat happens to millions of people\nago. Whereas, at one time, we\nwith disabilities in this country every\npresumed that a disability meant a\nday.\nlifetime of dependence, now, we\nJoann Elliot worked as a food-\nknow that those with disabilities\nservice worker at St. Elizabeth's\nwant to-and can-lead indepen-\nHospital here in Washington for 20\ndent lives and contribute to our\nyears. She loved her job, but in 1991,\nnation's prosperity.\na massive stroke left her paralyzed on\nI am proud of the steps this\nher left side. Now, she needs a\nadministration has taken to integrate\nwheelchair to get around and help\npeople with disabilities into the\nwith bathing, dressing and complet-\nworkplace. Last year, my husband\ning other day-to-day activities.\ncreated a National Task Force on\nBecause she had to give up her\nEmployment of Adults with Dis-\njob, Joann receives Social Security\nabilities. He has implemented new\nDisability Insurance, Medicare and\nBY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON\nregulations that increase the amount\nMedicaid to cover her personal-care\nof income that those with disabilities\nassistant, prescriptions, special\ncan earn while still receiving critical\nequipment, therapy and some transportation. But she\nbenefits; taken steps to remove federal hiring barriers\nwants to go back to work. \"I don't like staying at\nfor people with mental illness; and ordered the\nhome,\" she explains. \"I want to get out and be\ndevelopment of a plan for the federal government to\nproductive.\" Here's the problem: If Joann finds a\nhire more people with disabilities.\nob-even a low-paying one-she'll lose her Medicaid\nBut while these actions have been a source of hope\nbenefits-the very health care coverage that she needs\nto Americans with disabilities, a major obstacle to\nto be able to go to work.\nemployment remains: Most Medicare and Medicaid\nKaren Moore, who is also confined to a wheel-\nbenefits are limited to those too disabled to work.\nchair, was thrilled when she found a job as a dis-\nThat is why, this week, as we celebrate the anniver-\npatcher for the River Cities, S.D., Transit System.\nsary of the ADA, my husband has urged Congress to\nWhen she began working full-time, Karen found that\npass legislation that would provide new health care\nshe needed less medical care, made new friends and\noptions and employment assistance so that people\nwas able to reduce her SSDI benefits. But like Joann,\nwith disabilities can work.\nshe also found herself in a Catch-22. She depends on\nLast year, when we celebrated the anniversary of\nan attendant to get ready for work every day, but lost\nthe ADA, the president promised to work with Sens.\ncoverage for that care once she went to work. \"I\nJeffords and Kennedy to achieve this goal. In his\nbelieve in contributing for these services,\" she says,\nState of the Union Address in January, he urged\n\"but the current arrangement makes it impossible for\nCongress to make this legislation a top priority, and\nme to continue working.\"\nhe included full funding for it in the budget he sent to\nAfter David Robar sustained a spinal-cord injury in\nCongress. In June, by an overwhelming bipartisan\n1990, he learned the same unfortunate lesson. Deter-\nvote of 99-0, the Senate passed a bill. But the full\nmined to return to work, he managed to finish his\nHouse has yet to act.\ndegree in business administration, but when he began\nIn many ways, work helps build our self-respect as\nlooking for a job, he found that he would have to give\nwell as our nation's economy. But although our\nup his health care benefits. \"If I were to pay for my\nnation is enjoying its lowest unemployment in a\npersonal attendant services out of pocket,\" he says, \"it\ngeneration, too many Americans with disabilities\nwould cost me more than I would make working full-\ncannot participate because of the barriers that still\ntime.\"\nstand.\nToday, millions of Americans live with disabilities\nIgnoring the potential of these citizens is not only\nand can bring enormous energy and creativity to our\na missed opportunity for them, it is a missed opportu-\nworkforce. Studies show that the vast majority wants\nnity for the entire country. Let's celebrate the anni-\nto work, yet 75 percent of them are unemployed. Too\nversary of the ADA by opening the doors of opportu-\noften, they find themselves in the same boat as David,\nnity for millions of Americans even wider, so that no\nKaren and Joann: If they find a job, they stand to lose\nAmerican has to choose between going to work and\nthe very benefits that allow them to go to work in the\npaying medical bills ever again.\nfirst place.\nFirst lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's column is\nNine years ago this week, the Americans with\ndistributed by Creators Syndicate, Inc."
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