This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In 2015 Sen. Orrin Hatch called the Americans with Disabilities Act one of his most important achievements. A hard fought piece of legislation protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities. Legislation that was crafted and passed with both Republicans and Democrats working through their disagreements for the betterment of everyone in our society. It was signed into law by George H.W. Bush, a Republican.
Sen. Hatch was quoted, "I've always had the motto in my life that I want to help people who can't help themselves but would if they could. I have trouble helping people who could help themselves, but won't. These are people who want to work, who want to contribute, who have the capacity to contribute, if we recognize it."
The Affordable Care Act has its flaws but it protects all individuals from discrimination when obtaining health care. It protects against fraudulent health plans covering little and it provides an avenue for all individuals to be able to "help themselves" to a healthier life.
I wish that our Sen. Hatch would use the same skills that he had in 1990 to work through the problems of the Affordable Care Act and move forward with a solution that doesn't leave many of the individuals with disabilities that he fought so hard for, who are on Medicaid, without a home, assistance or health care.
Katherine Sheehan Symonds, MPH
Midway