Rep. McMorris Rodgers: Championing people with disabilities
April 23rd, 2009
The Weekly Standard profiles Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington State. She’s a rarity: a pro-life female member of the House of Representatives. She’s also a Republican and the mother of son with Down syndrome.
Her son Cole inspired McMorris Rodgers to launch the bipartisan Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus last spring. She’s particularly concerned about the institutional barriers that stand in the way of people with disabilities.
When Cole was born, the Rodgerses were advised not to put any assets in his name in order to increase his odds of qualifying for Medicaid. “I think there’s something wrong with the system that is driving a person into poverty rather than really focusing on, ‘Okay, how do we make this person self-sufficient and able to reach his full potential?” McMorris Rodgers [said].
… Indiana congressman and House Republican Conference chair Mike Pence said McMorris Rodgers has demonstrated “almost a Thatcheresque quality,” combining her pleasant, energetic demeanor with firmly held conservative principles. Pence credits her with bringing members of the Republican conference into the new media age. These qualities, as well as her willingness to work across the aisle, make her an appealing figure in a party seeking to attract young voters and women.
(Photo by Leslie Hernandez Brown)
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April 24th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
We were honored and delighted to have an aide from McMorris Rodgers’ office join us for the All Born “In” inclusion conference in Portland, OR, last weekend. The congresswoman is working hard to educate herself on all aspects of advocacy, and we appreciated the opportunity to spend the weekend with someone from her office.
April 24th, 2009 at 9:30 am
We need more like her.
She’s right about that driving the disabled into poverty. As a parent, I find it depressing.