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News Release

STATEMENT BY TOMMY G. THOMPSON
Secretary of Health and Human Services Regarding The Second Anniversary of the New Freedom Initiative

Two years ago this week, President Bush launched the New Freedom Initiative, one of his first major acts in office. This initiative is aimed at eliminating the many barriers that unnecessarily hinder Americans with disabilities as they seek to participate fully in the life of their communities. The President's goal is to increase opportunity and to embrace the abilities and talents of these Americans in every way we can.

In the past two years, we have made significant progress. The President requested a thorough inventory of federal rules and policies that impact on those with disabilities, with recommendations for change. Last year, I was honored to be able to give the President the most comprehensive survey ever made of federal policies and programs as they affect those with disabilities. In the course of developing this report, we met and heard from representatives across the nation. Our report included more than 400 recommendations for improvement.

Today, as we enter the third year of this initiative, we are gaining momentum. We have created an Office of Disability in the HHS Secretary's office to coordinate activities throughout HHS that impact on those with disabilities. I look to this office to be my eyes and ears for the well-being of these Americans. Through our Office for Civil Rights, we are working to help bring about fulfillment of the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision in a productive and responsible manner. Under Olmstead, state programs must move effectively toward serving those with disabilities in home and community-based settings wherever possible, instead of requiring those with disabilities to be confined to nursing homes or other institutions in order to receive assistance.

Most important, to hasten this movement away from unnecessary institutional care, we are supporting states in their efforts to change their programs and offer needed assistance in the home and community for people with disabilities. We have already provided funds to states for planning this shift, and the President's budget for fiscal year 2004 proposes dramatic new programs to support this effort, totaling $2.1 billion over five years.

It is also very significant that an important feature of the President's new proposal to improve Medicaid includes more flexibility to provide home and community-based care for those with disabilities.

It will take time and persistence to change the decades-old policies that have created unnecessary barriers to opportunity for Americans with disabilities. But we are determined to bring about these changes, and we have committed to this effort. As we enter year three of the New Freedom Initiative, I am proud of our accomplishments, but I recognize that our efforts so far are only a good beginning. We owe our citizens with disabilities the same opportunities that we offer to other Americans, and we will deliver.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: February 7, 2003