Congressman Responds to Disabled Woman’s Fight to Pass Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act
We recently told you about Sara Wolff, a remarkable young woman with Down syndrome whose future is in jeopardy due to archaic Federal laws that limit a disabled person’s earnings, and her fight to get the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act (S. 313/H.R. 647) passed through Congress and into law.
Sara Wolff, Down Syndrome Advocate / Lobbyist
The ABLE Act is a bill in Congress that would allow people like Sara to save money for their futures through 529-like accounts that wouldn’t impact the medical care and disability benefits she needs to live her life with a modicum of independence.
To help in her fight, Sara started a petition on Change.org calling on Congress to pass the ABLE Act this year. While the effort to gather support for the petition is going well, it still has a way to go.
As of the morning of Monday, February 24, the petition has received 234,062 signatures. That means it still needs 65,938 more to reach Sara’s goal of 300,000.
Congressman Shows Support of ABLE Act with a Personal Message
Read Congressman Mike Honda’s Message to Supporters of the ABLE Act
(opens in new window)
On February 23, Congressman Mike Honda, a co-sponsor of the ABLE Act, wrote a response to the petition thanking the people that signed the petition for their support of the bill. In his statement, which was posted on Change.org and emailed to supporters by in which he wrote:
“Thank you all for taking the time to express your support for H.R.647, the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. As Sara has shown us, we need to update the laws that are meant to assist Americans with disabilities. Like everyone else, they deserve the opportunity to save and plan for the future. This is why I am proud to be a co-sponsor of the ABLE Act and support its goals…”
Michael (Mike) Honda
US House of Representatives, California 17th District
You can read Congressman Honda’s full statement and join in the conversation by visiting the decision makers response page and leaving a comment about what you think should happen next.
Support the Passage of the ABLE Act (S. 313/H.R. 647)
Other actions you can take to support the passage of the ABLE Act (S. 313/H.R. 647) include:
- Sign Sara Wolff’s petition on Change.org calling on Congress to pass the ABLE Act this year.
- Visit the ABLE Act page on Govtrack.us to track the progress of H.R. 647: ABLE Act of 2013 or call your Congressmen.
- Spread The Word:
- Post a link on Facebook
- Tweet about it
- Pin It
- Email family, friends, and associates
- Write your Congressmen. Click to find your US Representative.
We extend our congratulations to Sara; Congressman Honda’s message is an important step on the road to victory.
But there is still a ways to go. With your support, we can help improve the quality of life for Sara and thousands of other people with disabilities that are trying to live their lives with a measure of dignity and independence.