Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004

SPECIAL OLYMPICS SPORT AND EMPOWERMENT ACT OF 2004 -- (House of Representatives - October 06, 2004)

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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

First, Mr. Speaker, let me say how pleased I am to have had the opportunity to work with the majority whip on this legislation. I want to say that the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt) is my friend, and he and I have had the opportunity to work on a number of issues together. He was extraordinarily helpful with the Help America Vote Act, and he and I, as some may know, meet on a regular basis and have lunch either in his office or in my office.

The majority whip referenced our working together in a bipartisan way. I think he is absolutely correct, this is an example of how we can work together and how when we do work together we can do very productive and positive things.

At the outset, I want to thank April Ponnuru for the work that she has done, a member of the staff of the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), as well as my own staff member, Jane Sung. Both of them have worked very hard to get this legislation to where it is today.

I am pleased, of course, to support the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act 2004, which the gentleman from Missouri and I, and others, have cosponsored. In 1968, Mr. Speaker, at the launch of the first Special Olympics games, Eunice Kennedy Shriver repeated the words of the ancient Roman gladiators and said, "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." This has since become the Special Olympics athletes' pledge.

Special Olympics has a remarkable history. It began with Eunice Shriver, who believed that people with intellectual disabilities were underestimated and deserved the same opportunities and experiences as the rest of society. In 1962, she began a day camp in her back yard in Maryland, where individuals with intellectual disabilities could participate in physical activities.

It is ironic that I met Eunice and Sarge Shriver in 1962 at the Washingtonian Motel at the Young Democrats convention that year. Sarge Shriver was our speaker. Since that time, I have become and been a very good friend of Sarge Shriver and Eunice Shriver. Her work in the ensuing years led quickly to expanded multiple camps and eventually to the first international Special Olympics in 1968. Today, under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver, the Special Olympics is a worldwide movement with nearly 1.5 million participating athletes in 150 countries around the world; one person with an idea and a vision starting something in her backyard, one person who had been given substantial benefits in life but who knew that she wanted to use those benefits, as so many in her family have done, for the benefit of all.

The bill that we are considering today is about the future of Special Olympics.

This bill will help Special Olympics take the next steps to reach more athletes in more aspects of their lives. For example, Mr. Speaker, this bill will formally authorize the critical "healthy athletes" program, where tens of thousands of athletes receive health care screenings at competition venues.

This bill will also allow Special Olympics to develop educational programs for athletes, including character education and volunteer opportunities. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, this bill will allow Special Olympics to further expand their reach internationally through cultural exchanges and other programs in cooperation with the State Department. How very important this is at a time when tensions are so high in so many areas of the world, and this program can seek to ease those tensions while at the same time giving opportunities to the intellectually disadvantaged.

But what distinguishes this from so many bills that we consider in this body is that, at its core, the biggest success of Special Olympics is not simply how it empowers and improves the lives of the athletes involved. The biggest success is how it affects the attitudes of millions of others. I do not know how many in this body have ever been huggers. That term is not used today, an analogous term is used, but being a hugger was being involved at the Special Olympics and, as those athletes competed, knowing full well that it was in the competition that they succeeded, to congratulate them, to, yes, indeed, physically hug them and say, well done, good job, you're special, what an incredible difference that has made in the lives of so many.

Special Olympics has helped to reverse prejudices and stigmas that are often too unfairly put upon people with intellectual disabilities. With Special Olympics, the world sees for itself that people with intellectual disabilities can be, and are, exceptional athletes and can compete, achieve and, yes, win.

I am pleased that the House of Representatives can play a role in this mission. Mr. Speaker, I had the great honor of being one of the cosponsors of the Americans with Disabilities bill. That was passed in 1990 and signed by President Bush into law. He said at the time of signing, and we have said since, that this bill opened opportunities and focused on what people could do, what their ability was, not what their disability was. This bill takes another step forward in ensuring that one of the finest programs that we have in America and around the world, the Special Olympics, will thrive, expand and serve even millions more.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy), the nephew of Eunice Shriver, a member of the family that has contributed so much to the welfare of this country and to the welfare of our people.

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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.