Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2009

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1824, the Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2009. I thank Majority Leader Hoyer for introducing this important legislation which authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to, or enter into agreements with, ``Best Buddies'' to promote the expansion of its programs. I urge my colleagues to approve this resolution so this vital nonprofit organization can provide further aid to people with disabilities and help them fit into mainstream society.

H.R. 1824 is needed because it will allow Best Buddies to increase participation in and public awareness about Best Buddies programs so that the organization can help more people in need. This public awareness campaign, and the successful participants in their program, will help dispel negative stereotypes about individuals with disabilities. Moreover, the public awareness campaign will promote the extraordinary contributions of people with disabilities.

This Bill is important because of the importance of the Best Buddies programs. According to the Best Buddies website the program has over 1,300 chapters and will help 400,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities just this year alone through its six program groups. Those groups include Best Buddies Citizens, Colleges, E-Buddies, High Schools, Jobs, and Middle Schools.

While the organization has expanded greatly, there are still many areas of the country that lack the resources to help individuals with intellectual disabilities become a part of mainstream society. Best Buddies is able to help this broad range of individuals by providing one-on-one friendships and integrated employment.

The vision statement of the Best Buddies organization sums up their important goals best, ``Best Buddies envisions a world where people with intellectual disabilities are so successfully integrated into our schools, our workplaces and our general communities that our current efforts and services will be unnecessary''.

This vision is still necessary because people with intellectual disabilities are often excluded from society due to their differences. Best Buddies is determined to end the social isolation of people with intellectual disabilities by establishing meaningful, lasting one-to- one friendships with their peers without intellectual disabilities. The friendships Best Buddies create help increase self-esteem, confidence and the abilities of people with and without intellectual disabilities.

Since 1989, Best Buddies has worked towards this vision an operates the first national social and recreational program in the United States for people with intellectual disabilities.

Persons with intellectual disabilities need this crucial assistance to help them gain adaptive life skills. Such skills include communication, self-care, home living, social skills, leisure, health and safety, self-direction, functional academics like reading, writing and basic math as well as community participation and employment.

The effects of intellectual disabilities vary considerably among people. About 87 percent are mildly affected and will be only slightly less proficient than average in learning new information and skills. With the assistance of programs like Best Buddies, a significant portion of our population can become self-reliant and an integral part of society.

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an estimated 2.5 million people, approximately 1% of the national population, have an intellectual disability. Estimates also indicate that only 31% of individuals with intellectual disabilities are employed, although many more want to work. Persons with intellectual disabilities successfully perform a wide range of jobs, and can be dependable workers. They just need help to make it happen.

As the Representative of the 18th District of Texas, and a tireless advocate for equal rights for all persons, I strongly support this Resolution. Currently, the Best Buddies Texas headquarters is in Houston and has programs in high schools and colleges within my district. I want to see that more states can get the help from Best Buddies that Texas has been so lucky to receive and ensure that Best Buddies can continue to grow and help even more individuals with intellectual disabilities in Texas and my district. I urge my colleagues to pass this Bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1824) to provide assistance to Best Buddies to support the expansion and development of mentoring programs, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H.R. 1824 into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1824. The bill will expand the important work of Best Buddies to empower people with disabilities and put an end to their social isolation.

Best Buddies International is the only national organization focused on improving the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities through a one-to-one friendship with peers.

People with intellectual disabilities are often excluded from society because of their differences. Sadly, the social isolation of children with disabilities is well-documented by researchers. However, over the last 20 years, Best Buddies has proven something that most of us take for granted, that lasting, meaningful friendships are the key to a better life.

But friendships for people with intellectual disabilities do not always come easily. Over the past 50 years, while this population has gained many civil rights, attitudinal barriers and stereotypes persist. This is something Best Buddies is changing. Since 1989, Best Buddies has worked with 1,300 middle school, high school, and college campuses. Best Buddies volunteers annually contribute services to the community that equate to more than $17 million. Federal assistance is critical to help Best Buddies expand their efforts to all of our 50 States.

Bullying continues to be a problem in our schools for many children. A 2005 study found that a Best Buddy relationship is associated with lower frequencies of peer victimization, better adaptive behavior, and fewer psychological problems for youth. Clearly, a friend is a powerful thing.

Through one-to-one matches with peers without disabilities, as well as support of e-mail friendships, citizen programs for adults, and a jobs program that promotes integration into the workplace, Best Buddies expects to impact over 500,000 people by the year 2010.

H.R. 1824 will allow Best Buddies to continue this important work through increased participation and public awareness. It simply authorizes the Secretary of Education to support Best Buddies to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other aspects of community life.

Best Buddies envisions a world where people with intellectual disabilities are so successfully integrated into our schools, our workplaces, and our general communities that their current efforts and services will grow unnecessary. I share that vision.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I express my full support for H.R. 1824, and I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland, Majority Leader Hoyer of the House, whose long-standing commitment to people with disabilities is well- documented. And I have to also make mention that when it comes to a buddy system for incoming freshmen, helping us to navigate on behalf of our constituents, there is a real friend in Majority Leader Hoyer.

Mr. Speaker, we have no other Representatives from the majority that choose to speak on the measure, so I would ask if the gentleman from Michigan has others to speak.

Mr. Speaker, the House resolution concerning Best Buddies is an outstanding opportunity for us to reinforce the efforts made by Best Buddies as they move towards the mission of integrating individuals with intellectual disabilities into society, into community in the most successful measure. And so for those reasons I would strongly urge support for this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1824, the Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act. This bill would authorize funding for Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization that provides mentors and friends for individuals with intellectual disabilities in order to increase their social relationships and other aspects of community life.

I appreciate Mr. Tonko's comments about bullying. I have introduced a bill dealing with bullying. And I got a letter--not from one of my constituents, but some other constituents--outlining a terrible situation where a young man was bullied so severely he decided he couldn't take it anymore and committed suicide at a very young age. That is the sort of tragedy we have to stop, and Best Buddies is a very important way in which that can be stopped.

Best Buddies was founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver as the first national, social, and recreational program for people with intellectual disabilities. Since that time, this has grown from one chapter to more than 1,400 middle school, high school and college campuses all around the country. It also operates programs on six continents around the world, with additional country programs under development.

Best Buddies offers six programs to students with special needs. Best Buddies Citizens pairs adults with intellectual disabilities with their nondisabled working peers. Best Buddies Jobs is a supported employment program targeting high-paying white collar jobs for people with intellectual disabilities. Best Buddies High Schools pairs special education students in one-on-one friendships with high school volunteers. Best Buddies Middle Schools pairs students with middle school volunteers. And Best Buddies Colleges pairs students with intellectual disabilities with college student volunteers. And the sixth program, e-Buddies, is a cutting-edge online friendship program.

According to independent researchers, an estimated 7 million individuals--2 percent of the population of the United States--have intellectual disabilities which impair their adaptive skills. These skills, such as communication, self-care, home living, social skills, functional academics, community participation, and employment are daily living skills needed to live and work in the local community as productive citizens.

The three major known causes of intellectual disabilities are Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, and Fragile X. With early intervention, effective education, and appropriate support into adulthood, many individuals with intellectual disabilities are able to lead independent lives in their communities.

Best Buddies assists in this effort by building personal relationships between Buddies and individuals with intellectual disabilities. The organization currently operates programs in 20 States, including a Best Buddies College program at Grand Valley State University, which is in my congressional district, as well as five other universities in Michigan.

However, there is a great need to ensure that there are programs operating in all 50 States. This new authorization would assist the organization in getting dedicated funding through the U.S. Department of Education in support of its expansion to all 50 States.

I want to thank my good friend, Mr. Blunt, for his strong support for initiatives that assist students with intellectual disabilities and for introducing this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield to the sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), for as much time as he wishes.

Mr. Speaker, we have no other speakers on this side.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank Mr. Ehlers for yielding.

I certainly was pleased to join my colleague from Maryland, the majority leader, as an original sponsor of this Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act.

This isn't the first time that Mr. Hoyer and I have joined with our colleagues to come together in a meaningful way in this important area. In fact, we are both proud of the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act in 2004 that became law during the 108th Congress.

The success stories of healthy athletes, the program that emerged out of that effort, is really the great result of what we did. The reports we get from Special Olympics have been heartening every year as those athletes come together.

It's estimated that between 7 and 8 million Americans live with intellectual disabilities, impacting nearly one in every 10 families. For these individuals, life is not always welcoming. Very rarely is it easy. People with intellectual disabilities are often excluded from society, whether that's a school, in the workplace or in their communities, simply because they are different.

So I have been glad to support a program that we have talked about today, Best Buddies. It's been mentioned that it was organized 20 years ago by Anthony Shriver, and it really was designed to help integrate people with intellectual disabilities into the mainstream of society to end their isolation, to help them embark on productive, fulfilling lives by finding a buddy that didn't have the disabilities that they have.

The Best Buddies program works with volunteers to establish meaningful friendships with their nondisabled peers in order to help increase the self-esteem and confidence of people with and without intellectual disabilities. This is a program that's enhanced the lives of individuals by providing real and safe opportunities for one-on-one friendships and new options for employment.

These can often be life-changing events for individuals and often are life-changing events for those individuals with intellectual disabilities. This is often the first time in their lives that they have had someone to call their friend, someone to be their friend who didn't have disabilities, and introduced them to the world without disabilities.

This bill helps accomplish that goal in a number of significant ways. It authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants or contracts with Best Buddies to conduct and expand its activities.

It has an eye on increasing the participation of individuals with intellectual disabilities, as well as to promote outreach programs. This bill will go a long way toward dispelling negative hurtful stereotypes and make clear the extraordinary gifts that people with intellectual disabilities nonetheless possess and, with just a little encouragement, are able to utilize.

More important, it will help move people from intellectual disabilities from the margins of society to the mainstream of society.

I know Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. Tonko and I hope to see this bill enacted into law, knowing that it will help raise the hope and dignity of people with intellectual disabilities and further empower their full participation in our communities.

I hope my colleagues pass this bill today. We intend to work for its enactment into law and look forward to the difference that this bill, Mr. Speaker, can make in the lives of people.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his kind comments. The gentleman from New York is very generous.

I want to thank my friend from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) with whom I served on the House Administration Committee for many years; and also, of course, my dear friend, one of the Republican leaders in this House, Mr. Blunt, who has cosponsored this legislation with me. It so happens my name is first, but Mr. Blunt and I have worked on this effort together, because we both believe it's a very important one for our country and for all of those who are advantaged by this program.

I am proud, therefore, to speak in favor of this bill supporting Best Buddies, an organization, as Mr. Ehlers has pointed out, dedicated to the social integration of children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

It was founded some 20 years ago by Anthony Kennedy Shriver. Best Buddies is the first social and recreational program of its kind in the United States. It has already reached hundreds of thousands of Americans, both with and without disabilities, a total that is set to reach a half a million by 2010.

Best Buddies, Mr. Speaker, fosters and supports friendships and mentorships between participants from kindergartners to adult professionals, sponsoring more than 1,000 volunteer-led chapters at schools and workplaces.

Not only do volunteers learn leadership training, they learn firsthand about the important contributions made by their fellow citizens with intellectual disabilities. Participants with disabilities learn that they are valuable members of our communities, capable of forming a wide range of real and lasting friendships.

This legislation authorizes a total of $10 million for grants, contracts or cooperative agreements to be distributed

to Best Buddies by the Department of Education in fiscal year 2010, along with such sums as may be necessary for each of the four succeeding fiscal years.

These funds will enable this important organization to reach hundreds of thousands more potential volunteers and participants, promoting the crucial values of shared participation and community and social equality.

All of us will be advantaged by this program, not those immediate participants alone, but all of those whose communities will be better places for the participation of those directly involved in Best Buddies.

I want to thank Congressman Blunt for cosponsoring this bill. He and I worked together for many years on this effort, and I urge my colleagues to support it.