504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for Congress Jerrold Nadler's response)

Candidate Name: Jerrold Nadler

Campaign Manager: Amy Rutkin

Phone: 917-691-4823

Fax: 212-507-9843

Campaign Name: Nadler for Congress

Campaign Address: P. O. Box 40, Village Station, New York, N.Y. 10019

Contact Person: Robert Gottheim

Email: robert@jerrynadler.com

Website: www.jerrynadler.com

Congressional District #: 8

Please describe any experience with disability you have had in your life or career.

N/A
Is your campaign headquarters accessible to persons with disabilities?

Yes, there is an elevator.
1. If you are an incumbent, is your district office accessible to persons with disabilities?
  
  Yes, there is an elevator.
2. How will you incorporate people with disabilities into your campaign?
  
  N/A, no active campaign.
3. Are you willing to hire and use flex-time and job-sharing if necessary?
  
  Yes.
What do you think of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act? What will you do to find a solution to the problem of high rates of unemployment for people with disabilities and the removal of disincentives to joining the workforce?

I support it.
In 2002, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) passed in Congress. What would you do to resolve problem areas preventing smooth transitions to new voting systems by 2006-such as accessible voting machines, ensuring that states receive the needed funds, etc.? What is your position the HAVA's requirement that by 2006 each polling place have at least one accessible voting machine?

As a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, I have used my position to ensure HAVA's proper implementation and will continue to criticize its shortcomings and states' failure to comply.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act turned 29 this past year, yet funding remains below mandated levels in New York State, as in many other states. What will you do to correct this problem, and strengthen the services provided students with disabilities, so that in fact, "no child is left behind?"

I support increased funding.
A bill called the ADA Notification Act has been kicking around both houses of the U.S. Congress for the past few years. It calls for amending Title III of the ADA requiring that prior to filing lawsuits, people with disabilities provide business owners with 90 days advance notice of ADA violations in writing--detailing the location of inaccessible facilities, dates when access was attempted, and facts relating to their attempt to gain access. What are your thoughts on this issue?

I am concerned that this is part of an overall Republican strategy to curb reasonable lawsuits.
Recently, there is uneven availability of Medicaid-funded attendant services in the U.S. There are "good" states (such as New York) which offer decent programs, and "bad" states (such as Florida) which offer little service. The proposed Medicaid Community Attendant Services & Supports Act (MiCASSA) would establish a national program of attendant services and supports. This means that current recipients of services will not unjustly have their hours cut, thus permitting the freedom to move to another state to live, work, and/or study. A companion piece of legislation, Money Follows the Individual, would end the bias toward institutional care by ensuring that funding for services continues when an individual leaves the nursing home and is reintegrated into the community. Do you support the passage of MiCASSA? Do you support the concept of Money Follows the Individual?

Yes.
Most health insurance plans in America treat mental disorders in an unequal fashion when compared to physical disorders. The typical health insurance plan in America authorizes unlimited hospitalization for physical disorders while limiting hospitalization for mental disorders to 30 days per calendar year. The typical insurance plan in America authorizes a broad array of outpatient services for physical insurance, but limits outpatient mental health services to 20 visits each year. What would you do to remedy this problem?

I support full parity.
Do you favor removing the Federal Government's restrictions and substantially increasing funding on stem cell research?

Yes.
Persons with disabilities have historically been under-represented within the Democratic Party leadership. According to the 2000 census, persons with disabilities comprised 20.6% of all residents in New York State and 23.1% of population 18 years and older. Previously, we were told that only those groups included in the Voting Rights Act were included in the goals and timetables for delegate selection. Yet the lesbian and gay communities were included for the first time at the 2000 convention and again at the 2004 convention. Would you support a campaign to set a goal that 10% of the total New York State Delegation to the 2008 Democratic National Convention be comprised of persons with disabilities?

Yes.

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