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S. HRG. 113–598 

SAVING FOR AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE: 

HOW THE ABLE ACT CAN HELP PEOPLE 

WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON TAXATION AND IRS OVERSIGHT 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON FINANCE 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

JULY 23, 2014 

( 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Finance 

COMMITTEE ON FINANCE 

RON WYDEN, Oregon, Chairman 

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia 

CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York 

DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan 

MARIA CANTWELL, Washington 

BILL NELSON, Florida 

ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware 

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland 

SHERROD BROWN, Ohio 

MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado 

ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., Pennsylvania 

MARK R. WARNER, Virginia 

ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah 

CHUCK GRASSLEY, Iowa 

MIKE CRAPO, Idaho 

PAT ROBERTS, Kansas 

MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 

JOHN CORNYN, Texas 

JOHN THUNE, South Dakota 

RICHARD BURR, North Carolina 

JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia 

ROB PORTMAN, Ohio 

PATRICK J. TOOMEY, Pennsylvania 

JOSHUA SHEINKMAN, Staff Director 

CHRIS CAMPBELL, Republican Staff Director 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON TAXATION AND IRS OVERSIGHT

ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., Pennsylvania, Chairman 

RON WYDEN, Oregon 

CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York 

ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware 

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland 

MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado 

MARK R. WARNER, Virginia 

MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 

ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah 

MIKE CRAPO, Idaho 

PAT ROBERTS, Kansas 

JOHN CORNYN, Texas 

JOHN THUNE, South Dakota 

PATRICK J. TOOMEY, Pennsylvania 

(II) 

C O N T E N T S 

OPENING STATEMENTS 

Page 

Casey, Hon. Robert P., Jr., a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, chairman, 

Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight, Committee on Finance ......... 1 

Enzi, Hon. Michael B., a U.S. Senator from Wyoming ......................................... 3 

Burr, Hon. Richard, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina ................................... 5 

CONGRESSIONAL WITNESS 

McMorris Rodgers, Hon. Cathy, Member, U.S. House of Representatives, Spokane, WA .............................................................................................................. 9 

WITNESSES 

Wolff, Sara C., self-advocate and board member, National Down Syndrome 

Society, Moscow, PA ............................................................................................. 7 

D’Amelio, Robert, volunteer advocate, Autism Speaks, Charlotte, NC ............... 11 

Phillips, Chase Alston, financial advisor, Alexandria, VA ................................... 12 

ALPHABETICAL LISTING AND APPENDIX MATERIAL 

Burr, Hon. Richard: 

Opening statement ........................................................................................... 5 

Casey, Hon. Robert P., Jr.: 

Opening statement ........................................................................................... 1 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 21 

D’Amelio, Robert: 

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 11 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 23 

Enzi, Hon. Michael B.: 

Opening statement ........................................................................................... 3 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 25 

McMorris Rodgers, Hon. Cathy: 

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 9 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 28 

Phillips, Chase Alston: 

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 12 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 30 

Warner, Hon. Mark R.: 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 32 

Wolff, Sara C.: 

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 7 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 33 

COMMUNICATION

Developmental Pathways ........................................................................................ 35 

(III) 

(1) 

SAVING FOR AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE: 

HOW THE ABLE ACT CAN HELP PEOPLE 

WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2014 

U.S. SENATE, 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON TAXATION AND IRS OVERSIGHT, 

COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, 

Washington, DC. 

The hearing was convened, pursuant to notice, at 10:08 a.m., in 

room SD–215, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Robert P. 

Casey, Jr. (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. 

Present: Senators Enzi, Thune, and Burr. 

Also present: Democratic Staff: Kara Getz, Senior Tax Counsel; 

Jocelyn Moore, Deputy Staff Director; and Tiffany Smith, Senior 

Tax Counsel. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., A U.S. 

SENATOR FROM PENNSYLVANIA, CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON TAXATION AND IRS OVERSIGHT, COMMITTEE ON FINANCE 

Senator CASEY. This hearing will come to order. I am grateful for 

everyone’s presence here. 

This morning we convene the Finance Committee Subcommittee 

on Taxation and IRS Oversight to discuss an important topic: how 

we can help individuals with disabilities and their families save for 

the future. 

I would like to thank Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member 

Hatch for this opportunity to hold the hearing of our subcommittee. 

I want to thank our ranking member on the subcommittee, Senator 

Enzi from Wyoming, for joining me today. He will be here shortly. 

I really want to thank Senator Burr from North Carolina, a tireless, tireless advocate for this legislation, and I want to thank him 

for his efforts to create a more sound future for those living with 

disabilities through the ABLE Act. Senator, I do want to thank you 

for your work. I am grateful that we can work together on this. 

Right now the tax code provides incentives for Americans to save 

for important priorities such as retirement or college through taxadvantaged savings accounts. However, those with disabilities are 

not afforded the same opportunity to save for their future. In fact, 

many adults with disabilities cannot save money to cover costs related to their disability without becoming ineligible for various programs, like Social Security or Disability Insurance or Medicaid— 

whatever it is that provides a necessary lifeline to so many who are 

2 

in need. This dynamic forces individuals with disabilities to rely 

upon their family or community, but this support is often not 

enough to cover their long-term needs. 

Take the experience of one of our witnesses today, Sara Wolff, 

from Lackawanna County, PA. We happen to live in the same 

county. I have known her for quite a while. But Sara is not only 

here to testify, she is also here to tell us about her life, a life where 

she is holding down not one, but two jobs, but she has to plan carefully to ensure that she never amasses more than $2,000 in assets 

or she will lose critical benefits. 

She should not have to make those kinds of plans. She should 

be given the freedom to make other plans for her future and not 

have to worry about making too much money in a particular time 

frame. 

This situation is, in a word, unacceptable in the United States 

of America, and Congress can and should help by doing something 

about it. The ABLE Act gives us that opportunity. Individuals with 

disabilities should be able to save for their future costs on an even 

playing field with other citizens across the country. 

The Act would fix this unfair dynamic by creating tax-free savings accounts for individuals with disabilities. Specifically, it would 

build on the popular section 529 college savings account program 

to allow families who have a loved one with a disability to similarly 

save tax-free for qualified disability expenses. 

Beneficiaries would be able to make tax-free withdrawals from 

their ABLE accounts to cover basic needs like education, housing, 

transportation, and health care. Benefits provided through private 

insurance, the Medicaid program, the beneficiary’s employer, or 

other sources would be supplemented, not supplanted by the legislation. 

The ABLE Act is an affirmation that people with disabilities 

have great ability, great ability to live a life full of opportunity and 

lead a life full of achievement and success. Today’s hearing will address the need for ABLE accounts from the perspective of individuals living with disabilities, advocates who are here with us today, 

lawmakers, and, as well, financial planners. And I left out families, 

and we certainly include them in that. 

Through the testimony of our witnesses, we will be able to highlight the challenges individuals and families face planning for the 

future and the benefits and drawbacks of current savings tools that 

are available, and, finally, how ABLE accounts can provide an additional tool for those who are in need. 

It is my hope that the record we build today will pave the way 

to passage of the ABLE Act, which enjoys wide bipartisan support 

in both houses of Congress. In the Senate, it has 75 cosponsors, 

and in the House 366, and we are still counting both numbers. No 

other bill in Congress has this level of bipartisan and bicameral 

support. This level of support is a testament to the hard work of 

families and other disability advocates, many of whom are here 

with us today. If they are not here, we thank them from afar. 

This bipartisan support also reflects the importance of what the 

ABLE Act does for individuals with disabilities, as well as their 

families. We want all 535 members of Congress behind this imporVerDate Mar 15 2010 17:26 Mar 26, 2015 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 R:\DOCS\93772.000 TIMD
3 

tant legislation. We need to build on our momentum in order to get 

the bill passed when we return from the August recess. 

So I want to thank everyone for being here. 

[The prepared statement of Senator Casey appears in the appendix.] 

Senator CASEY. I now turn to our ranking member, Senator Enzi. 

STATEMENT OF HON. MICHAEL B. ENZI, 

A U.S. SENATOR FROM WYOMING 

Senator ENZI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for holding 

this hearing on Achieving a Better Life Experience, ABLE. We do 

these acronyms all the time, but this one is a very good one. 

ABLE—Achieving a Better Life Experience. I appreciate having 

this opportunity to take a closer look at how this legislation can 

help individuals with disabilities and their families live a more fulfilling and rewarding life and chart a more certain future. 

I am looking forward to the open discussion about the merits of 

this bill, and I feel very privileged to be sitting between the two 

authors of the bill. You have done a marvelous job on this bill. And 

I know that Senator Burr has probably been involved in more detailed bills than anybody whom I know of in the Senate and has 

an uncanny ability to work them through to completion in both the 

House and the Senate, relying on some of his friendships from his 

House days there. But he is willing to take on some incredibly difficult bills. I do not think this is the most difficult bill you have 

taken on, but it is the most impressive on cosponsors that I have 

seen. To have 74 Senators signed onto a bill, that is more than bipartisan. That is outstanding around here, and it is a credit to both 

of you to have been able to do that. Good teamwork. 

Mr. Chairman, history has taught us that individuals with disabilities can flourish with the help of their families and a supportive community. Disabilities that were once thought to be disqualifying and limiting in terms of an individual’s ability to express 

themselves are now seen as challenges that can be overcome. 

Today, those living with disabilities have shown they can contribute in meaningful ways to our culture, the arts, our business 

community, and society at large. The success and flourishing of individuals within our communities makes our society more inclusive 

and gives everyone an opportunity to thrive and pursue whatever 

path they choose to follow to their ultimate happiness and fulfillment. 

One of the bold statements made by our founding fathers as they 

worked together to create our Nation was their recognition of our 

inherent rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Few 

countries can boast of having been created with an eye toward that 

kind of freedom of expression. The legislation we are discussing 

today takes another step forward in the effort to make the promise 

of the Declaration of Independence ring true for all of us. 

Mr. Chairman, if we walked over to the Capitol Visitors Center, 

we would see several poignant illustrations of this. One of the most 

well-known and best-loved examples of what is possible for those 

living with disabilities to achieve is seen in the life of Helen Keller, 

one of the newer statues over there. She was the famed author and 

political activist of the early 20th century. She was deaf, blind, and 

4 

mute as a result of an early childhood disease. I hope all of you 

will take the time to look at the profile of this great person and 

think about how this bill can affect others in a similar way. 

The ABLE Act would take a small step in helping disabled individuals support themselves, pursue their dreams, and put themselves in a place of greater financial security. It would allow them 

and their families to open tax-exempt accounts so that they can 

plan how best to use their own funds to cover living expenses. 

In our economy, many families are very familiar with the challenge of saving for the future and the needs of their children. A 

family with a disabled individual faces even more unique emotional 

and financial obstacles. The ABLE Act would help these families 

meet these challenges, whether it is paying for specialized care or 

a more individualized education, to maintain their health and their 

independence, or provide for a better quality of life. 

I have long been a supporter of enabling families and communities to meet the needs of the disabled. A few years ago, I introduced legislation to expand and revitalize the two main Federal 

employment and training programs for persons with significant disabilities, paving the way to create more and better jobs and restore 

accountability to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. 

In my own State of Wyoming, Alees Rogers in Uinta County, WY 

has been helped by her community. She has a developmental disability, and, with assistance for housing and other care, she was 

able to take a job after graduating from high school at First Bank, 

where she does a marvelous job. She also lives independently in 

her own apartment. The ABLE Act could help her to accomplish 

even more as she continues to plan for her future. 

Wyoming has also developed an innovative college program 

called the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities, WIND, to help individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, professionals, and University of Wyoming students through education, 

training, community services, and early intervention. These types 

of services, combined with the ABLE Act, strengthen the opportunities for individuals with disabilities to grow, achieve, and succeed. 

I do not think there was ever a more well-known or better 

dreamer than Walt Disney. He knew a thing or two about how to 

make the impossible a reality. He once said, ‘‘If you can dream it, 

you can live it.’’ I thank Senators Casey and Burr for dreaming 

this, and all of the people who will be helped by it for being big 

dreamers. Let us help more of the disabled individuals and their 

families do exactly that. Let us work together with them to take 

their dreams from the drawing board to reality by offering the support they need to make them happen. 

While it is true that the initial discovery of an obstacle or a limitation can often be dispiriting or discouraging, when our families 

and communities circle around those facing such challenges, we can 

help them to rise above them and succeed beyond anything they 

could ever have imagined. The ABLE Act will help to make that 

happen by providing more financial stability so that we can all 

chase after our dreams and fulfill our founding fathers’ promise of 

the pursuit of happiness. That is why this legislation has found 

overwhelming support—74 members of the Senate, 366 members of 

the House. 

5 

I welcome our witnesses today. I appreciate their taking the time 

to join us for this important discussion. I look forward to their testimony. 

Again, I am privileged to sit between the two people who came 

up with this bill. I thank you, Mr. Chairman, and would hope that 

we have time for Senator Burr to make a few comments. 

Senator CASEY. Senator Enzi, thank you very much for your 

opening remarks. I am grateful for your work as well. 

[The prepared statement of Senator Enzi appears in the appendix.] 

Senator CASEY. Senator Burr? 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD BURR, 

A U.S. SENATOR FROM NORTH CAROLINA 

Senator BURR. Chairman Casey and Ranking Member Enzi, 

thank you for scheduling this hearing, and thank you for allowing 

me the opportunity for some time to speak. 

Let me say, Bob, you are a tremendous partner. We have done 

a number of things together, some easier than this, some that went 

a lot faster, but none more important than the legislation we are 

here to receive testimony on today. 

I want to particularly thank both of you, but also Cathy 

McMorris Rodgers, Ander Crenshaw, Chris Van Hollen, and Pete 

Sessions, partners on the other side of the Hill, who have shown 

unbelievable passion at resolving what I think is a common-sense 

legislative approach. 

When Mike Enzi talks about 74 cosponsors, I do not think it has 

ever happened since I have been here. But while we should be jubilant with the support, I sit here thinking, what is wrong with these 

other 26? [Laughter.] Where have we failed? Hopefully, today will 

be the culmination of, Bob, us getting the rest of them. 

I think it has already been said that the ABLE Act enjoys this 

unprecedented bipartisan support, with over three-quarters of Congress now putting their names on the bill as cosponsors, and we 

ought to vote on it today. Unfortunately, we cannot. 

It is hard for me to find a reason why anyone would want to get 

in the way of this bill, because it allows parents of disabled children the opportunity to save their own money for their child’s future and to give that child a shot at financial independence. 

As a father, I know that a piece of the American dream—no, let 

me say, the American dream is a parent’s ability to make sure that 

their children are taken care of, to make sure that they are selfsufficient, not just financially, but through what we teach them. 

I heard what Mike Enzi said about Helen Keller. Helen Keller 

was stopped by a reporter one day and the question was this: ‘‘Can 

you think of anything worse in life than to lose your sight?’’ And 

she paused for a moment, and she said, ‘‘Yes. To have my sight and 

lose my vision.’’ 

Now, we might talk about this being a dream. This is a vision. 

It is a vision of parents of affected children. It is a vision of this 

country that we should empower every family to have the capabilities to take care of the next generation, and Helen Keller is a reminder that we cannot lose what the vision is of what we are trying to accomplish. 

6 

So I hope, Mr. Chairman, that the ABLE Act does not get lost 

in the shuffle. It is unfortunate, but in Washington we spend most 

of our time arguing about issues that divide us. For Heaven’s sake, 

let us pass a bill that we all support, that we all know is sound 

policy, and that we all believe will make a world of difference to 

families who are simply asking for the hope and the dream and the 

vision. 

We have been working together in good faith with all stakeholders, and I look around this room, and a few people have not 

been in the meetings to improve and perfect this bill for 8 years. 

If there is one thing we can be accused of, it is persistence. We 

have not gone away. 

So let us pass the ABLE Act, and let us do it now. 

Also, Mr. Chairman, I want to briefly welcome my fellow North 

Carolinian, Robert D’Amelio, to the hearing today. Robert lives in 

Charlotte, and he and his wife, Christi, are the proud parents of 

three beautiful children: Nicholas, 18; Christopher, 15; and 

Lindsey, 10. He volunteers his time with the Boy Scouts of America 

and is a leader in the autism community in Charlotte, as two of 

his three children are affected by autism. 

Bob, I want to personally thank you and Christi for traveling to 

Washington to testify today about the challenges your family has 

faced and will continue to face as a family affected by autism. I 

know the hopes and fears we have for our children can be profound 

and intensely personal. So I admire your courage and the courage 

of all of our witnesses today in coming here to speak about your 

deepest hopes and fears publicly. 

It will help Congress better understand your unique challenges, 

and I truly believe that public policy in this area will be better because of your testimony, and my vision today is that it will help 

us to get those final 24 Senators signed on. 

I thank all of our witnesses. I thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield 

the floor. 

Senator CASEY. Senator Burr, thank you very much for your testimony and for your great work on this. 

These days, having folks work together across party lines and 

across the geography of this Capitol is all too rare, and I am grateful to have such great support in both places, and I am grateful to 

be working with Senator Burr. 

I will introduce our witnesses in the order that they are to appear, but I know that Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers 

will be here a little bit late, but I will give you kind of a brief biographical sketch of her, and, if she arrives, then we can have her 

testify first. Otherwise, I will turn to Sara Wolff and go in that 

order. 

Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers is the chair of the 

House Republican Conference, making her the fourth highest Republican and the highest-ranking female Republican in the United 

States House of Representatives. 

Cathy grew up on a family farm, worked at a small business, and 

was later elected to the Washington State House of Representatives in 1994, where she later served as the House Minority Leader 

in that chamber. 

7 

She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004. 

And she and her husband have three children, the oldest of whom, 

Cole, was born in April of 2007 with Down syndrome. Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers is a leading disabilities advocate and the 

founder and co-chair of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus. 

So we will be welcoming her shortly. Of course, she has a much 

longer biography that I could read, but we are going to try to get 

to all of our introductions as we have them set forth. 

Next is Sara C. Wolff, someone I know well and, as I mentioned 

before, a fellow Lackawanna County resident. Sara is a selfadvocate and motivational speaker. She works, as I referred to earlier, two jobs, one at the Keystone Community Resources Office of 

Advocacy and the other job as a law clerk in a law firm that I know 

well, led by Attorney Todd O’Malley, someone I have known for 

years. 

Sara serves on the board of directors of the National Down Syndrome Society, the Arc of Northeastern Pennsylvania in Scranton, 

and the State board of Arc in Harrisburg, in our State capital. 

Sara is a leading advocate for the ABLE Act. That is what is 

called an understatement. And she recently authored a Change.org 

petition that got over a quarter of a million signatures. Not many 

of us can say that. 

After Sara, as Senator Burr noted, is his fellow North Carolinian, 

Robert D’Amelio from Charlotte, NC. He is serving as the director 

of data center operations for Fidelity Information Services, the 

largest financial services company in the United States. 

Bob is a father of three children and has been an advocate for 

people with autism for over 10 years, serving as the advocacy chair 

of Autism Speaks in North Carolina, co-chair for the Autism 

Speaks North Carolina Walk, and a board member of the Autism 

Speaks-Carolinas Chapter. 

Bob, we are grateful you are with us today to share your own 

story and grateful for your advocacy. 

Lastly, we have Chase Alston Phillips, a financial advisor from 

Arlington, VA, who has worked for Merrill Lynch since 2008. Mr. 

Phillips specializes in the development and implementation of financial strategies for individuals and families living with disabilities and special needs, including multigenerational wealth management and family-related trusts. 

In addition to his work as a financial advisor, Mr. Phillips volunteers with Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, a nonprofit disability advocacy organization. 

Chase, we are grateful you are here with us today. 

So, we want to thank you for being with us, all of our witnesses 

and the audience. Your full testimony will be entered into the 

record. We appreciate you observing and adhering to the time limit 

of 5 minutes. That will allow us to have ample time for questions. 

So, Sara, why don’t we start with you? 

STATEMENT OF SARA C. WOLFF, SELF-ADVOCATE AND BOARD 

MEMBER, NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY, MOSCOW, PA 

Ms. WOLFF. Good morning. My name is Sara Wolff. I am 31 

years old, from Moscow, PA, and I happen to have Down Syndrome. I am honored to be here today on behalf of the National 

8 

Down Syndrome Society to testify before the subcommittee. I am 

excited to share my story today and discuss how the Achieving a 

Better Life Experience Act, best known as the ABLE Act, will dramatically change my life forever. 

This is not my first time to DC. I have traveled here countless 

times to advocate for the ABLE Act. Last year, I lost my mother 

and number-one fan, Connie, to a sudden, rapid illness. She was 

my strongest supporter and accompanied me all over this great 

country for speaking engagements and conferences. Together we 

have increased awareness and advocacy for people with Down Syndrome and other disabilities by sharing our stories. We traveled all 

over together to inspire others to make a difference. 

While I know my mother continues to watch over me from above, 

it is our memorable moments and life lessons that she taught me 

that inspire me to continue to do all that I can to pass the ABLE 

Act this year. You will hear me say this a lot in my desperate tone 

today—this year. My mom and I had many conversations about the 

ABLE Act. She said, ‘‘Sara, we have to get this bill passed.’’ She 

promised me she would be at the signing of this bill. I want to keep 

this promise alive for her, for me, and for the thousands of people 

with Down Syndrome and other disabilities. 

With my whole life ahead of me, I need an ABLE account to plan 

for my future now, and I am not alone. People with Down Syndrome and other conditions are outliving their parents. My dad, 

Dennis, sister, Jennifer, and brother, Randy, are here with me 

today. My family, like so many others, needs to rest assured that 

they can easily care for their children and adults with disabilities. 

This is the fair and right thing to do. Just because I have Down 

Syndrome, that should not hold me back from achieving my full potential in life. I can work a full-time job, be a productive member 

of society, and pay taxes. But because of these outdated laws, people like me are held back in life. Currently, I cannot have more than $2,000 in assets before my government aid is cut off. These days, $2,000 is not a lot of money, 

and the rising costs of housing, transportation, and medical assistance make it tough for me to save. 

Working two part-time jobs, my employers know I cannot earn 

more than $700 a month to maintain my government benefits. The 

ABLE Act would provide a way for Americans with disabilities to 

save for their futures and hold meaningful jobs. This year, I authored a Change.org petition calling for Congress to pass the ABLE 

Act. To date, it has over 260,000 signatures and counting. 

People beyond the disability community think that the ABLE Act 

is a good idea and a no-brainer. Even the New York Times, in a 

recent editorial, urged Congress to move the ABLE Act. 

We now have 74 cosponsors in the Senate, including Leaders 

Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, and 366 cosponsors in the House 

on the ABLE Act. This is a historic number and shows the need 

and urgency to pass ABLE. That is 83 percent of the entire U.S. 

Congress. I am only 31 years old, but I cannot remember a time 

when that many members of Congress agreed that much. 

I want to reiterate that with the ABLE Act, we are not asking 

Congress to create a new program or give us a handout. We are 

asking for an opportunity to use savings tools that other Americans 

9 

have access to today. Passing this landmark legislation will help 

people with disabilities realize and achieve their hopes, dreams, 

and aspirations. 

I want to thank our champions of this bill for their leadership, 

dedication, and making the ABLE Act a reality for me and others 

with disabilities. 

In closing, I want to thank Ranking Member Enzi for helping to 

call today’s hearing and for his cosponsorship. I want to thank Senator Burr from North Carolina, our ABLE champion, for his commitment and leadership to the ABLE Act. I also want to thank 

Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers, a fellow panelist here today, 

and her colleagues, Congressmen Ander Crenshaw, Pete Sessions, 

and Chris Van Hollen. 

A big special thanks to my hometown Senator Casey and dear 

friend for calling today’s hearing and all he has done for me and 

all people with disabilities. You made the ABLE Act happen, and 

I am so excited and look forward to joining both Senator Casey and 

Senator Burr with President Obama at the White House when he 

signs this bill into law this year. 

Thank you. 

Senator CASEY. Sara, thank you very much. We are grateful for 

that statement. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Wolff appears in the appendix.] 

Senator CASEY. We are joined by Congresswoman Cathy 

McMorris Rodgers. 

Sara, just as you were starting, she walked in the door. So that 

is good timing. 

Representative MCMORRIS RODGERS. I got to hear it all. Excellent. Excellent. 

Senator CASEY. But we are grateful that the Congresswoman is 

here, with such a busy schedule as both a Representative and also 

in leadership. Most of us around here only have one set of responsibilities. She has two major responsibilities while she is here and, 

of course, as a wife and mother. 

So we are grateful you are with us, and you get at least as much 

time as Sara did. 

STATEMENT OF HON. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS, 

MEMBER, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SPOKANE, WA 

Representative MCMORRIS RODGERS. Well, just a big, big thank 

you, Senator Casey, for the invitation to be here, for your leadership, for holding this hearing. And thank you to Ranking Member 

Enzi and all the Senators and my fellow panelists, a packed-out 

room. Millions of people all across this country are grateful for you 

holding this hearing today, drawing the attention on the ABLE Act. 

It certainly is very important legislation to ensure that those who 

have disabilities have the opportunity for a better life that can 

come to them through basically a 529 account that would be set 

aside. We call it ABLE—Achieving a Better Life Experience. 

We have, as Sara mentioned, 74 Senators now who have cosponsored the legislation—tremendous bipartisan support—and 366 

House sponsors. We rarely see this kind of overwhelming bipartisan support for an issue, and this is the year—I want to join in 

10 

saying—this is the year we are going to get it on the President’s 

desk. 

But this legislation is not about Senators and Representatives 

achieving legislative success. It is about people like Sara, it is 

about people like my son Cole—who was also born with an extra 

21st chromosome—people who need financial security and peace of 

mind, people who deserve an opportunity for greater independence 

that sometimes our current laws limit. 

Right now, individuals with disabilities and their families spend 

countless hours worrying about their financial security. How are 

we going to pay for medical care that is not covered by the health 

care plan? How do we make it work to get much-needed job skills, 

training, and still pay the bills at the end of the month? Questions 

like these generate unnecessary worry and concern, because, too 

often, individuals and families have to pick and choose what care 

and services they can afford. 

Our outdated laws encourage men and women with disabilities 

to resign themselves to a life of dependency by spending down their 

assets rather than saving them for future expenses. Unless families 

have the resources to hire an attorney to create a special trust or 

some other complicated savings vehicle, there is no other option to 

establish financial security without risking access to critical government programs for individuals with disabilities. I just do not 

think that is right. 

As Americans, we believe in empowering all people regardless of 

where you come from or who you are. Policies like the ABLE Act 

will bring this very important empowerment to millions of Americans, transforming them from a state of dependence into one of 

independence. 

For me, the ABLE Act is much more than just a piece of legislation that will help so many. It is also personal. When my son Cole 

was born, my husband and I were presented with many of the 

similar joys and fears that all families experience, and I want nothing more for him than for him to be able to reach his full potential, 

live his life to the fullest, and I am concerned that I see Federal 

policies that potentially place limits on his opportunities. 

The ABLE Act will change that. It will help make sure that Sara 

and Cole and millions like them who have special needs will be 

able to save for their futures and reach their full potential. With 

overwhelming support from the House, the Senate, and the American public, it is time now to get the ABLE Act across the finish 

line, and I am proud to stand with all of you to advance this critical legislation. 

Thank you again for your time, your commitment, and your leadership on this important issue. 

Senator CASEY. Congresswoman, thank you very much for your 

presence here today, your testimony, and your personal witness on 

this issue. 

We know that you have a busy schedule, so you are welcome to 

stay as long as you want, and we will have testimony from two 

more witnesses and then questions. But we are grateful for your 

leadership on this for such a long time, and we are obviously grateful you are with us this morning. 

11 

[The prepared statement of Representative McMorris Rodgers 

appears in the appendix.] 

Representative MCMORRIS RODGERS. Thank you very much. 

Thanks for having me. 

Senator CASEY. Thank you. 

Bob, do you want to go next? Thank you very much for being 

here. 

STATEMENT OF ROBERT D’AMELIO, 

VOLUNTEER ADVOCATE, AUTISM SPEAKS, CHARLOTTE, NC 

Mr. D’AMELIO. Chairman Casey, Ranking Member Enzi, Senator 

Burr, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to speak to you on behalf of Autism Speaks, the world’s largest science and advocacy organization, and for the ABLE Act. My 

name is Bob D’Amelio, and I am a father of three children: Nicholas, Christopher, and Lindsey. My wife Christi is here with me 

today. 

My story is about a small, middle-class family in Charlotte, from 

the great State of North Carolina. I am a data center manager for 

FIS, and my wife, Christi, is a realtor. We have lived in North 

Carolina now for 17 years, and we have had some of our happiest 

and saddest moments in that State. Like many families across the 

country, our family is an autism family. Both of my sons are affected. Christopher is more severely affected than his brother Nicholas. 

I have been advocating for better autism services since 2001. I 

am a volunteer vice-chair of the Autism Speaks chapter in Charlotte and have chaired the Walk Now for Autism Speaks in Charlotte six times. This year’s walk will be held at the zMAX Dragway 

on Saturday, September 27th, and we expect 8,000 people to be 

present. That number of people should not be a surprise to anyone, 

that turnout. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 

North Carolina, one in 58 children has autism, and one in 35 boys 

in North Carolina has autism spectrum disorder. 

These numbers are higher than the national average. Children 

like Nicholas and Christopher live in Charlotte, elsewhere in North 

Carolina, and in towns and cities and States across the country. 

These children need access to proven behavioral therapies and good 

school programs. Many need medications to manage their disabling 

symptoms. 

None of this comes cheap. According to the research funded by 

Autism Speaks, the lifetime cost of care for an individual with autism averages $2.4 million when the autism involves intellectual 

disabilities and $1.4 million when it does not. 

Families who have children on the spectrum need to be able to 

save for their future. This is where the ABLE Act would help. The 

ABLE account would enable families like mine to save for housing, 

job support, education, and other services, without fear of losing 

Social Security or Medicaid benefits. The current 529 plans fall 

short for many individuals with autism and other disabilities who 

cannot choose to go to college. 

As much as anything else, the ABLE Act is about fairness. If 

Christi and I can use a college savings account to provide for our 

daughter Lindsey’s future, why can we not use something similar 

12 

to take care of Nicholas and Christopher? I would love to sleep at 

night knowing that I am doing everything I could to secure the future for my children. 

My son Christopher is a very smart young man, but he will need 

a job coach and, at some point, a residential program. Saddling my 

daughter Lindsey with a big financial burden is not fair when 

Christi and I can provide for Christopher. Lindsey is already mature beyond her 10 years. She knows she will be looking after 

Christopher and keeping tabs on her brother Nicholas for the rest 

of her life. 

Autism teaches you to be strong, to persevere when others tell 

you to give up, to celebrate the small steps in life, and to appreciate what you have. Autism demands your time and energy and 

changes you as you live with the family. 

Parents like Christi and I want to do everything we can for our 

kids, for all our kids, disabled or not. The ABLE Act would allow 

families to make the future more secure for children with disabilities, taking the burden off siblings, other family members, and the 

government. 

Please take this simple step of passing the ABLE bill. We will 

all sleep better for it. 

Thank you. 

Senator CASEY. Thank you so much for your testimony, especially 

for bringing both your own witness as well as your own advocacy 

to this issue. We are grateful. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. D’Amelio appears in the appendix.] 

Senator CASEY. I have been using first names, so, Chase, I will 

just ask you to testify next. Sara, Bob, and Chase. 

STATEMENT OF CHASE ALSTON PHILLIPS, 

FINANCIAL ADVISOR, ALEXANDRIA, VA 

Mr. PHILLIPS. Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here today 

and to testify before the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Taxation 

and IRS Oversight. I am testifying today on behalf of the National 

Down Syndrome Society in this effort to pass the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, better known as the ABLE Act. 

This piece of legislation will afford millions of individuals with 

disabilities the opportunity to experience the American dream and 

to achieve the highest reaches of success that this country has to 

offer, opportunities that should be rightly available to all of its citizens. 

My name is Chase Phillips, and I have lived with a neurological 

birth defect, Spina Bifida, for all 29 years of my life. As a disabled 

individual, I have been fortunate to partake in many of the same 

life events as my able-bodied peers. 

My determination to thrive has led me to excel in many areas 

of my life despite my limitations. I was a coxswain on the United 

States National Rowing Team because I had the competitive hunger to represent my country and compete at the highest level that 

my sport had to offer. 

I earned a bachelor of arts degree and graduated from the University of Wisconsin. Being able to go away to school enabled me 

13 

to learn the life lessons that are unique to living on one’s own 

while attending college. 

I chose a profession in finance that is very competitive and extremely challenging because I wanted to build a successful business 

and help people along the way. 

I married a wonderful woman because I wanted to experience the 

joy of connecting with a lifelong partner and starting a family. 

I volunteer with many disability nonprofits around the area because I have the desire to connect with individuals who are not 

much different from me—all of this while living with a disability 

that has had its challenges. 

My story is not unlike that of many other disabled Americans. 

However, stories of success are the exception, not the norm. There 

are many people living with disabilities who struggle to live independently, who desire to hold well-paying jobs so they can support 

themselves. Under the current system, these individuals will survive, but few are able to truly thrive. 

I am in a unique position because my personal experience living 

with a disability has intersected with my professional expertise as 

a special needs financial advisor. I currently run a practice at Merrill Lynch that specializes in developing and implementing financial strategies focused on improving the financial well-being of individuals living with special needs. 

In total, the four advisors within our practice have over 8 decades of combined experience dealing with persons with disabilities. 

Three of our team members have disabilities themselves or have a 

family member living with a disability. We are fighting on the front 

lines of this battle both personally and professionally. 

On a daily basis, we see the challenges that families and individuals face as they strive to provide for themselves and their loved 

ones. Many of our clients are currently enrolled in Supplemental 

Security Income and Medicaid programs and thus must live within 

the program’s $2,000 asset ceiling in order to remain programeligible. 

These are people who seek to learn independent living skills so 

that they can hold a job and contribute to society. But because of 

these asset restrictions, many individuals will never live on their 

own. 

For example, with these program restrictions, many people would 

not be able to save enough money for the first and last month’s 

rent on a new apartment. This rule also limits the abilities for individuals to save for the down payment required to purchase a home. 

As a financial advisor, we recommend that our clients keep 3 to 6 

months’ worth of expenses in cash reserves in preparation for life’s 

unexpected turns. This kind of planning becomes impossible with 

a $2,000 asset ceiling. 

Asset restrictions chain individuals to levels of poverty and provide no real incentive for them to hold higher-paying jobs. Currently, over 70 percent of adults living with disabilities are living 

at home with their parents or caretakers. Four in 10 individuals 

aged 21 to 64 with a disability are currently employed. That is a 

41.1-percent employment rate as compared to 8 in 10 adults living 

without disabilities who are employed. 

14 

There are tools currently available to help those with disabilities 

preserve their benefits while keeping assets held in trust for their 

benefit. By using a properly drafted and administered special needs 

trust, the disabled individual will continue to qualify for meanstested programs such as SSI and Medicaid. However, the special 

needs trust may not distribute money to pay for basic items such 

as food and shelter or other goods and services that the Social Security Administration categorizes as support and maintenance. 

As such, the beneficiary’s SSI benefits may be reduced or eliminated if the trust pays for those basic needs. The theory is that, 

since SSI benefits are specifically intended to pay for a person’s 

food and shelter, the more those goods and services can be funded 

by another source, the less SSI benefits are needed. To magnify 

this issue, disabled individuals are not permitted to save in other 

tax-advantaged saving vehicles such as 529 accounts and Roth 

IRAs because these assets are counted as part of the $2,000 asset 

ceiling as per SSI guidelines. In essence, Warren Buffett can gift $14,000 per year into a 529 

college savings account and receive the benefits of those assets 

growing free of taxes, assuming they are used for qualified education expenses. Yet, a disabled American receiving SSI is not afforded this right and thus is not only denied the right to utilize 

such a tax vehicle, but is essentially unable to save for their own 

retirement and education. If this is not considered discrimination, 

I do not know what is. It is not only unfair, it makes no sense. 

The ABLE Act will allow individuals with disabilities to save 

money in a tax-sheltered savings account in order to pay for qualified expenses such as education, housing, transportation, employment support, and assistive technology. These assets would not be 

counted against the disabled individual for purposes of qualifying 

for SSI, Medicaid, and other means-tested programs. This account 

will serve as a self-sufficient booster for disabled individuals to live 

independently, go to college, get married, and start a family. 

No longer would an individual have to decline a higher-paying 

salary for fear that their assets would eclipse the $2,000 limit. The 

ABLE account is not designed to replace SSI, Medicaid, or the special needs trust, but rather to supplement these current programs, 

thereby enabling individuals with disabilities to reasonably plan for 

the future. 

The ABLE account will be more transactional and also easier to 

administer for day-to-day spending needs. This account serves as 

the perfect complement to a special needs trust because it fills the 

gap between the short-term funding needs covered by SSI and the 

longer-term investments held within a special needs trust. 

This piece of legislation is 8 years in the making. Let us make 

it happen this year. 

Thank you. 

Senator CASEY. Thanks very much, Chase. Thanks for bringing 

your professional expertise to this as well. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Phillips appears in the appendix.] 

Senator CASEY. I just have one question for Sara, because we are 

running close to the time we have a vote. I want to let my colleagues ask at least one question, if not more. 

15 

Sara, I wanted to ask you about this: you have two jobs you are 

working and this, I guess I would call it imperative, because of the 

way the rules work now, that you can only set aside a certain number of dollars, can you talk about that and how your life would 

change if ABLE passes and you do not have to have that kind of 

special arrangement about how much you can save at one time? 

Ms. WOLFF. Well, I work 3 days a week at O’Malley and Langan 

and 1 day a week at Keystone, but I work with my employers to 

ensure that I do not earn more than $700 a month to avoid losing 

critical benefits. 

Senator CASEY. That arrangement does not make a lot of sense 

when you could be doing a lot more than that. You could be setting 

aside a lot more money for your future, and that is one of the basic 

reasons why we want to pass the Act. 

I think, for the record, it is important for me to say that your 

petition now has more than 250,000 signatures. You are at 

260,000. I should have known that it would be higher than any 

number I pointed to. 

Senator Enzi? 

Senator ENZI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will just ask one 

question as well and then submit some in writing for them to answer, because this is some great opportunity for us to get additional information. 

I would ask a question of Mr. Phillips, because you obviously 

work with financial advising. One of the concerns that we hear 

from people who might qualify is that, if they do this ABLE account, they might not qualify for the Supplemental Security Income, the SSI, and for Medicaid. 

Are there boundaries that parents should be aware of with these 

accounts? What would disqualify a disabled individual with these 

accounts? Are there any restrictions? 

Mr. PHILLIPS. The ABLE account would not disqualify families 

from becoming eligible for SSI and Medicaid. It is intended to put 

money away so that those assets will not be held against them for 

purposes of qualifying for those benefits. 

Regarding limitations that families should know about, a big one is, with the ABLE account, there is a $100,000 cap, but only for 

purposes of qualifying for Supplemental Security Income. So if the 

ABLE account eclipses the $100,000 mark, the Supplemental Security Income would be put in suspension until the account came 

below the $100,000 limit. That $100,000 cap would not influence 

Medicaid. 

The other thing that parents should know about is that, upon the 

death of the beneficiary, any money left over in the ABLE account 

would be subject to a Medicaid payback provision, again, if there 

is money left over. 

So those are two major caveats that families should be wellaware of, but I am hoping that this account will be a great first 

step for families, and this has just been a big part of why families 

do not plan and why they are overwhelmed. 

This ABLE account can be set up relatively easily. That is what 

is so exciting to me as a financial advisor, that families can finally 

start to take action. 

Senator ENZI. Thank you. Thank all of you for your testimony. 

16 

The question that I hope you will give some thought to, to provide some written answers to me is, how are we going to notify people that this has happened once it has happened? 

So I will need some help on that. I will yield the balance of my 

time to Senator Burr, who has had a magnificent hand in doing 

this. 

Senator CASEY. Thank you, Senator Enzi. 

Senator Burr? 

Senator BURR. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chase, let me just say I think you must have become a financial 

planner at about age 10, looking at you. [Laughter.] You know it 

well, and thank you for the expertise you bring to the families that 

are touched by your advice. 

Bob, let me just turn to you. What worries you and your wife the 

most about your boys’ future? 

Mr. D’AMELIO. There are lots of things that worry me. The biggest thing that keeps me up at night and thinking about it is planning for, especially, my son Christopher’s future, him having to be 

a burden on my daughter Lindsey. Already at 10 years old, she is 

mature beyond her time. I mean, at 10 years old, here is this young 

girl saying she does not want children because she is afraid of autism. 

So things like the ABLE Act can allow Christi and I to help lessen that burden later on, because, at some point, someone is going 

to have to look over him in the future, when Christi and I are no 

longer around, and it is probably going to be my daughter Lindsey. 

In an ABLE account, we can put money away to help her ease 

that burden. That is what keeps me awake at night and thinking, 

where will he be when I am 60, 70, 80, 90, or gone, what will he 

be doing? My goal for him is to be a taxpayer in this economy and 

have money in an ABLE account to help with job support or job 

coaching or training. I mean, I know it sounds simple, but my goal 

is for him to be a taxpayer. 

Senator BURR. I guess it would be appropriate to say women can 

handle a lot more than men can, and I am confident your daughter 

is going to be able to fill in wherever needed. 

Let me just ask you: if ABLE did not happen, what are you doing 

to plan, and what is the typical family trying to do? 

Mr. D’AMELIO. Today we are putting money away in a 529 account for Lindsey, talking to family members right now who may 

want to leave money for Christopher, telling them the rules and 

understanding that, and looking at the legal costs of sitting down 

with an attorney and forming a special needs trust to do that. But 

in a lot of families with autism, there is not a lot of disposable income out there to go and spend those attorney fees to get a special 

needs trust and all the care and feeding that trust will require. 

So it is very difficult for families, especially in the autism spectrum, in order to have the vehicle to save in. 

Senator BURR. If you do not mind, can I ask you to address a little more the financial challenges that your family and other families face? 

Mr. D’AMELIO. With two boys on the spectrum, over the years we 

have racked up medical bills that I would hate to even count right 

now, Senator. We got to a point about 9 years ago, 8 years ago, 

17 

where my family felt we had to declare personal bankruptcy. I 

mean, the hardship on families of the cost of autism is tremendous. Therapies, like behavioral analysis—you are talking $60,000 a 

year for a 2-year-old child. We do not pay that for college at some 

colleges. So the costs are overwhelming, and there are many families, whether it is across North Carolina, Senator, or across this 

country, who are just drowning in it trying to take care of their 

children. 

Senator BURR. I know we have a vote that is going to happen 

any minute. Let me just say, if I can, Mr. Chairman, this is the 

norm, it is not the exception, and, if I had any wish, it would be 

that there was not a limit, that families could take care of the future of their children and their grandchildren in a fashion that relieved any fear that, when they leave this earth, they are financially going to be taken care of. 

Unfortunately, we all deal with the Congressional Budget Office, 

and it dictates, to some degree, what we are able to do, how we are 

able to do it, when we are able to do it, and—I can only say this 

as one member of the Senate—I hope in the near future we will 

look at how we transition that institution, as it has become, to 

change and to reflect reality a little more. 

I have said that the most difficult thing for a member of Congress is to see the human face behind every issue that we deal 

with. Sometimes it is easier than others. 

Let me commend all of you who are here and those who have 

fought this fight and are not here. What you have been able to do 

is, you have been able to show members of Congress the human 

face behind this issue. That is why there are 74 co-sponsors in the 

Senate, that is why there are 366 co-sponsors in the House, that 

is why this bill will pass overwhelmingly, because every member 

can associate with it a face, a family that is affected. And I think 

from what Bob and I have done we believe, Chase, this will have 

a positive impact on those lives, and I think that is why we are 

here. 

Thank you very much for your testimony. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator CASEY. Senator, thank you very much. 

I reiterate or incorporate by reference what Senator Burr said 

about what all of you have taught us about what stands behind 

bills and policy like this. So we are grateful for the families and 

grateful for the advocates who have made our momentum possible. 

I wanted to get a little bit into the detail of how this bill will help 

families, because we do have a vote, but we moved our questioning 

a little faster than I thought we would have, thank goodness. So 

we have a little extra time. 

As many of you know, in terms of what is covered by the bill— 

I am just reading from a list here, not a complete list, but here is 

what the funds in an ABLE account would cover. 

The following is not an exhaustive list, but allowable expenses 

include: education, housing, transportation, employment support, 

health prevention and wellness, and it goes on and on, because, 

when I say that this effort is an affirmation that people with a disability or people with disabilities, plural, have a lot of ability—they 

can go to work, they want to work, they want to maybe have an 

18 

apartment or get on the bus or travel in some way to their work, 

they want to contribute and be part of the fabric of this country— 

there is no reason why we should be holding them back because 

we have not gotten around to making a slight change in the tax 

code. 

So it really is that simple. But, Mr. Phillips, I wanted to ask 

you—this is technical, but it is helpful to have some additional 

guidance on this. Some people might say, well, this sounds like a 

good idea, but there are other vehicles out there, and I can find a 

good tax lawyer, a consultant, advisor, accountant, pick your expert, and they can design something very similar to this, and it 

does pretty much everything that ABLE accounts would do. 

Can you walk us through why that does not work? That is not 

to say that there are not some options, but why does that not work 

for folks who may not have access to those experts, number one, 

necessarily, but why does it not work and what is the mechanical 

or structural reason why we need to have ABLE accounts? 

I know it is by way of reiteration, but it is important. 

Mr. PHILLIPS. Yes. So there are special needs trusts that are 

available—first-party special needs trusts, third-party special needs 

trusts, pool special needs trusts—and they are excellent vehicles, 

and they all have their place to supplement the ABLE account. 

But what the ABLE account offers is tax efficiency, to be able to 

make a contribution into the 529 ABLE Act and to make some 

earnings on it and withdraw them tax-free to pay for the things, 

the everyday things, that individuals with disabilities need. That 

tax status does not currently exist within the special needs trust 

accounts that we have. 

Secondly, there are a lot of misconceptions about trusts. I think 

that individuals think that maybe they are only for the wealthy, 

which could not be further from the truth, but it prevents some 

families from taking action. They are worried about the costs; they 

are worried about the complexities. They look at this planning and 

see the equivalent of trying to eat an elephant in one sitting. 

Families are overwhelmed with what they have going on—PT, 

OT, IEP meetings, a day-to-day routine—and the longer-term planning piece takes a back seat because they see it as a very, very 

complex challenge. 

What I think would happen with the ABLE account is, because 

these accounts can be set up relatively easily, you are going to see 

a lot more families take action and take action now so that their 

child, down the road, or their loved one, down the road, is not at 

risk of losing their government benefits. Perhaps their son or 

daughter is going to be able to work and live and really contribute 

to society and make their own money, and now they will have that 

account that they can save into without worrying about eclipsing 

SSI limits. 

Senator CASEY. Well, I am grateful for that. I know we will have 

to wrap up. 

Senator Enzi, do you have anything else to say? 

Senator ENZI. I would just make a final comment, and that is 

that we are on the verge of passing the autism reauthorization bill 

too. So I would appreciate any support you could give on that. I 

19 

think we can get it done very shortly, and that will help in some 

way, hopefully, to find a solution. 

So I thank you for this hearing and particularly this testimony 

and the answers that we will get in the future. 

Senator CASEY. Senator, thank you so much for your work. 

I want to thank each of our witnesses. 

The vote has started. We have a little bit of time, but we wanted 

to wrap up so that folks would not have to wait for an adjournment, and we can come back. 

But it is a good time to adjourn. We know why we need to do 

this. Now we just have to complete the race. I am not going to get 

into football analogies, red zone, but it is something like that. We 

are getting close. 

Just for the record, Senator Warner will submit a statement for 

the record. I want to make sure that that statement is incorporated 

into the record by consent. 

[The prepared statement of Senator Warner appears in the appendix.] 

Senator CASEY. Once again, in addition to thanking the witnesses, the families, the advocates who are here, I also want to let 

Senators on the committee know that they can submit statements 

and questions for the record to the Senate Finance Committee in 

the next, I guess, 5 days. That is the usual limit for these. 

But we are grateful for the work that has been done. Let us go 

out and pass the ABLE Act. 

Thanks, everyone. We are adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:09 a.m., the hearing was concluded.] 

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