U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., spoke at a White House ceremony on Tuesday to showcase his Achieving a Better Life Experience" (ABLE) Act.
Crenshaw has led the charge for the bill -- which creates tax-free savings accounts for disabled Americans for qualified expenses -- since 2006. The U.S. House overwhelmingly passed the bill back in December which was followed by a U.S. Senate passage later in the month. Floridas two senators -- Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Marco Rubio -- voted to support the bill.
President Barack Obama signed the bill into law in December and Vice President Joe Biden represented the administration on Tuesday. U.S. Sen. Robert Casey, D-Pa., who sponsored the bill in the Senate was also in attendance.
People with disabilities have been overlooked by society and our government for far too long, Crenshaw said in a speech at the event. And that is why all of us here put our support behind the ABLE Act, providing the necessary tools for people with disabilities to achieve whatever is in their hearts and live a richer and fuller life.
Mr. Vice President, down this long, and at times challenging path to passage of the ABLE Act we had our ups and downs, Crenshaw continued. Some people said we could never get the right definition of disabled; we overcame that. Some people said the bill would cost too much; we overcame that. And some people said it couldn't be passed in a polarized Congress, but we overcame that. Because we all knew the ABLE Act would provide stability and security for millions of Americans and for many of our loved ones to live a happier and more fulfilling future, and that was worth fighting for.
The ABLE Act finally levels the playing field for families by allowing them to use tax-free savings accounts to save for future expenses, just like they can for any other child through a 529 college savings account, Crenshaw added. Unfortunately, the need for savings is even greater for a child with disabilities as they will be less likely to earn income, and may require additional spending on medical treatment or adaptive equipment. Everyday lifesaving expenses can at times seem daunting to the normal parent, but unfortunately are reality for far too many American families.
Calling it one of my most proud moments in Congress, Crenshaw said he was glad to see states, including Florida, embracing similar legislation. Crenshaw noted Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and Florida House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, were fighting in Tallahassee to implement the ABLE Act.
It has been just under two months since the president signed the ABLE Act into law, and today multiple states have passed or are moving ABLE implementation legislation through their own state legislature, Crenshaw said. In Florida, I am honored the House speaker and Senate president included implementation of the ABLE Act in their 2015 joint legislative agenda. While we still have a lot of work to do to implement ABLE accounts across the country, we have cleared a major hurdle for millions of families across this countr --, a major victory.
Biden called the ABLE Act the right thing to do and in the economic interest of the country in his remarks on Tuesday. The vice president also called the bill a good example of bipartisan efforts in Washington.
This bill goes to the heart of what the president and Republican and Democrat colleagues want for all Americans: to be given an even chance, Biden said.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
