internet traffic soared and we never slowed down. schools and businesses went virtual, and we powered a new reality. because of media com, we're built to keep you ahead. >> mediacom supports c-span as a public service, along with these other television providers, giving you a front-row seat to democracy. >> the house committee investigating the january 6 attack on the u.s. capitol holds its first hearing tuesday. officers from the u.s. capitol police and washington metropolitan police department will tell members what they saw and experienced on that day. watch the hearing live tuesday beginning at 9:30 eastern on c-span3, online at c-span.org, or listen with the free c-span radio app. >> president biden and vice president harris marked the 31st anniversary of the americans with disabilities act, which was signed into law on july 26, 1990, by president george h.w.

bush. ♪ vice president harris: good

morning, everyone. please, have a seat. good morning. well, july 26, 1990, was indeed an historic day. on that day, the americans with disabilities act was signed into law. on that day, america became better. because we know and accessible america is a better america. speaker nancy pelosi, leader kevin mccarthy, chairman pat leahy, senator bob casey, thank you, all, for your leadership. steny hoyer, i'm getting to you in a second -- for being here today. looking out i see so many who helped make the a.d.a. real. the activists who gave everything they had to fight for that bill. the advocates who helped to

shape the bill title by title. the policymakers who worked tirelessly to pass it, including, of course, our own president, joe biden. [applause] house majority leader, steny hoyer. and congressman tony quailo. thank you, all. every day, in every community, lives of the american people are better because of the work you all did. when people can ride a bus because it has a lift, when they can enter a building because it has a ramp, when they can watch a movie with closed captions,

when a student with a disability goes to school instead of discrimination gets support, that is the a.d.a. in action. the a.d.a. gives all americans the opportunity to fully participate in our democracy, in our economy, and in our society. the a.d.a. gives all americans the opportunity to determine their own future. self-determination, which i believe the government must facilitate. that is the impact of the a.d.a. and after all, the promise of america. at the same time, truth must be told. the a.d.a. was a very important beginning, but there's still so much work to be done. [applause]

both on enforcement and future legislation. and that is why i am so heartened to see the generations of leaders who are here and remain committed to doing this work. in fact, earlier this month, i met with several leaders of the disability community who are fighting for voting rights and they told me the obstacles that people with visible and invisible face. long lines, rickety ramps, tables that are either too high or too low, complications with voting assistance. the list goes on and on. one of the leaders said in fact to me, vice president, equity cannot be achieved without disability being part of the

equation. this is a fight that is a civil rights fight, a human rights fight. this is about equity. and whether or not we are truly committed to the principles of equity in every way that we as government and as a society can enforce those important principles. and as we all know, that truth is not just about voting, then. it's also about employment. it is about an education starting with pre-k. it's about being able to live in your home and participate in your community, which is also why we must invest in in-home and community-based services. [applause] so folks, here's the bottom line. the president and i will continue to fight with you to make america more accessible for all people. this work is urgent, and the reason we do it is obviously important.

because every person in our country deserves the opportunity to dream with ambition, to have choices, to shape their own future unencumbered by any barrier, free from every obstacles, because this is the very definition of self-determination. and this is the united states of america. so thank you, all, for your courage and for your commitment. and now it is my great honor to introduce a person, a leader who exemplifies all of that, tyree brown is an artist who lives in maryland and she's focused on building a future of her own design. i am grateful to her, for her extraordinary leadership and that she is here with us today. please welcome tyree brown.

[applause] tyree: hello, everyone. it's a pleasure to be here. all right. as said, my name is tyree brown and i am a 26-year-old christian artist living in maryland with faith in jesus christ. i was in a car accident that rendered me quadriplegic. faith has been a prominent part of my life but everything changed after my injury. i could no longer walk or use my dominant right hand. i was sent to a rehabilitation, national rehab hospital, then to a nursing hospital, back to rehab only to go back to the nursing home where i stayed another 10 months. i was away from my home for over a year. while in a nursing home, a program called money follows the person, intervened which the

president supports investing more funding in. the home and community-based waiver program that helps those who choose to be home in their communities by supplying durable medical equipment, home modifications, and home health care services, a program that's made possible by the a.d.a. this program made it possible for my mother -- hi, mom -- to be my full-time aide where i received the best care full of love and grace. i want to thank president biden, vice president harris, and the biden administration for being advocates for the disability community. with the american jobs plan there is a $400 billion in the caregiving economy. ok. [applause] and this will directly positively impact my mother as

she is my aide. moving forward, my goal is to be able to access affordable accessible housing to live on my own more independently. i have been on the waiting list for three years but i hope to move in my own place soon. i am working as a freelance visual artist. i received my associates degree at the college which is actually across the street from here. i exhibited my work at the next exhibition as well as a raw showcase exhibition. i attend highway deliverance church where i volunteer in the reading of the bible for my pastor, pastor hughes. i am also a new volunteer with the disability partnerships, a nonprofit organization that aims to support individuals with disabilities like myself. i'm also a newly board member of independence now, also a nonprofit organization. because of the a.d.a., i was provided with numerous services,

like the money follows the person program. the a.d.a. -- excuse me -- pushed for a more inclusive environment for wheelchair users, like making more public buildings and more public transportation wheelchair accessible. the a.d.a. pushed for wheelchair ramps, curb cutouts in public spaces which allows me to get around my community. i was worried i would not be able to live independently and pursue my dreams of being an artist, but now there are programs that are helping me achieve my goals. it is thanks to the a.d.a., which paved the way for me with the full support of president biden. thank you, president biden and vice president harris, for advocating for the disability community and celebrating the 31st anniversary of the a.d.a. i am honored to be here and especially now to introduce president joe biden. [applause]

president, tyree, you are an inspiration. thank you for sharing your story. 31 years ago today, on the south lawn of the white house, president george h.w. bush signed the americans with disabilities act. he was surrounded by disability advocates and bipartisan members of the united states congress, just as we are today. speaker pelosi -- welcome, by the way, madam speaker. chairman leahy. leader mccarthy. senator casey. congressman scott. congressman -- where is he? there you are, paul. you understand this better than anybody. i want to thank you, congressman, for all your work. and i want to thank you all for being here. by the way, where is mom? is she here?

oh, she's watching. ok. mom was out there. i was going to ask her to stand up. mom, you can't stand up if you're home. but folks, thank you for what you've done. [applause] the second gentleman is here as well, thank you for being with us as well. and some of the same folks who fought so hard for this landmark legislation are with us today. i just got off the phone with one of them, a guy named tom harkin. two days ago, i was on the phone with one who just had his 98th birthday, bob dole. but no one worked harder than to get this done, tony, house majority leader steny hoyer. others weren't able to be here today but were instrumental in bringing this to life, dear friends like tom harkin and bob dole. i also spoke -- as i said, bob is one of the past -- tom said

-- is up on wisconsin said he's working on a.d.a., did not explain exactly what. there are still others here in spirit like ted kennedy, major owen, countless other advocates. i was enormously proud to be a cosponsor of the ada, as pat leahy was as well, if i am not mistaken, as a member of the united states senate. i am proud to be here today as president, alongside so many fearless champions, who represent the ongoing legacy of this law, from the foundations to its future. 31 years ago, after its passage, many americans have never lived in a world without the ada. generations have grown up not knowing a time before it existed. but many of us can still recall an america where a person with disabilities was denied service in restaurants and grocery stores, and could be. where a person using a

wheelchair could not ride in a train or take a bus to work or school. or an employer could refuse to hire you because of a disability. an america that was not built for all americans. then we passed the ada and made a commitment to build a nation for all of us. all of us. we moved america closer to fulfilling that promise of liberty and justice, and maybe, most importantly, dignity and equality for all. and, you know, perhaps most importantly, we did it together. this was a democratic bill signed by republican president, a product of passion and compassion, not partisanship. progress that was not political but personal to millions of families. i will never forget the moment the ada passed. you may remember, pat. standing on the floor of the united states senate, and tom harkin sought recognition. he rose. in the first time in history that i am aware of, the united

states senate -- he stood up and he signed in a speech to his brother. tom was not only sending a message to millions of deaf and hard of hearing folks. he was speaking to his brother, frank. it was personal to him. it was personal to bob dole as well who lost the use of his right arm in a heroic effort during world war ii who laid out in a hospital for almost three years. his injury listed and they also lasted an entire lifetime. but like so many americans, he turned his disability, his apparent limitation into greater purpose and will. he made the rights of americans a lifelong cause. and for more than 60 million americans living with disabilities, the ada is so much more than a law. it's a source of opportunity, participation, independent living, and respect and dignity.

a bulwark against discrimination and a path to independence. for our nation, the ada is more than a law as well. it is testament to our character as a people, our character as americans. it is a triumph of american values. and of course, this law did not bring an end to the work we need to do. today, too many americans still face barriers to freedom and equality. but thanks to this movement that spans all races, beliefs, backgrounds and generations, we're once again making progress together. in my first day in office, i was proud to sign an executive order establishing a governmentwide commitment to advancing equity, including people with disabilities. [applause] and i was proud to appoint the first-ever white house disability policy director, kim knackstedt. where are you? [applause]

[cheers] where's kim? thank you, kim. and i am assuring that the dignity and rights of americans are lifted up and every policy we pursue, from continuing to make sure that this administration looks like america, appointing people with disabilities to positions across the government. in the american rescue plan, we are able to include substantial support for schools to better serve students with disabilities, in expanding access to vaccines for disabled americans. as part of my build back better plan, as already mentioned, we proposed $400 billion to expand access to home and community-based care. helping people with disabilities and older adults to live more independently. i'm glad that congress is able to move on the build back better plan which builds on that

effort. this past year the entire nation saw just how vital our caregivers are and critical home-based care truly is for so many americans. this legislation will ensure caregivers are fully compensated for their work. [applause] in addition, i also called on congress to eliminate the discriminatory subminimum wage provision that, too often, key -- keep people with disabilities from getting good jobs with fair wages. because of additional executive orders i've signed, we are working to remove barriers that hold back disabled americans from exercising their sacred right to vote. and we are ensuring that the federal government is a model employer when it comes to wages, accommodations, and opportunities to advance people with disabilities. that is a firm commitment. and today, finally, i am proud to announce a new effort, the first of its kind to help

americans grappling with long-term effects of covid-19 that doctors call "long covid." many americans who seemingly recover from the virus still face lingering challenges, like breathing problems, brain fog, chronic pain, or fatigue. these conditions can sometimes rise to the level of a disability. so we are bringing agencies together to make sure americans with long covid, who have a disability, have access to the rights and resources that are due under the disability law, which includes accommodations and services in the workplace and school and our health care system. so they can live their lives in dignity and get the support they need as they continue to navigate these challenges. we made important progress, but we still have work to do. we have to keep going to ensure every single american has a chance to contribute their talent and thrive and succeed. and i know that today's fearless

advocates, some of whom are with us today, will accomplish incredible things. people like -- excuse me. people like mr. tuttle. where are you? stand up, man. thank you, thank you, thank you. i want to thank you for your continued efforts to build an america for every everyone. -- for everyone. and as i said, you courageous advocates who led the way 31 years ago, a long time before the foundation for progress was strong enough -- it is part of the moral bedrock of our nation. and something every american should be proud of. now it is my honor to sign the proclamation, on the 31st anniversary of the ada. i want to thank you all. may god bless you, and all of you dealing with disabilities, you are an inspiration to all of us. i really mean it. you are an absolute inspiration.

may god bless you all and may god protect our troops. i'm going to walk over and sign this. i will invite up, though, nancy, come on up. steny, i think we ought to get you up here. you're a big part of it. tony coelho -- am i leaving anybody out? pat, you were there at the time. get your rear end up and come up here. [laughter] the leader's taking his camera. because pat would rather use his camera rather than anything else. come on. tony, you get in the back, here. you were a big, big, gigantic part of this. all right. the anniversary of the americans with disabilities act, 2021.

[applause] madam speaker. i want to make sure i got all of it. thank you, everybody. let's keep it going. [applause] >> mr. president, would it be helpful for employers to mandate vaccines? [indiscernible] president biden: we have to.

>> how? ♪ ["my country, 'tis of thee" playing] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2021] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] ♪

>> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we're funded by these television companies and more, including mediacom. >> the world changed in an instant. but mediacom was ready. internet traffic soared and we never slowed down. schools and businesses went

virtual, and we powered a new reality. because of mediacom, we're built to keep you ahead. >> mediacom supports c-span as a public service, along with these other television providers, giving you a front-row seat to democracy. >> the u.s. house is back at 6:30 eastern for votes. members are working on a number of suspension bills today, including a measure to compensate c.i.a. personnel who suffered brain injuries while serving in havana, cuba. also on the agenda this week, a seven-bill spending package for 2022, which includes funding for labor, h.h.s., education, energy, and transportation. follow live house coverage here on c-span. >> the house committee investigating the january 6 attack on the u.s. capitol holds its first hearing tuesday. officers from the u.s. capitol police and washington metropolitan police department

will tell member what is they saw and experienced on that day. watch the hearing live, tuesday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. eastern, on c-span3, online at c-span.org or listen with the free c-span radio app. >> next the vice chair of the joint chiefs of staff, general john hyten talks about defense technology with newly founded technologies institute. other topics include the covid-19 pandemic, china, and russia, and adapting to new technology. [applause] gen. hyten: good morning. it's great to see so many friendly faces this morning. great to see any faces. when i became vice chair i never expected i would spend almost