Americans With Disabilities Act Author Tony Coelho Endorses Steve Sweeney for Governor

Today, former U.S. Congressman Tony Coelho — the primary sponsor of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act — is announcing his endorsement of Steve Sweeney to be the next governor of New Jersey. Coelho cites his record of championing the rights of people with disabilities and his commitment to advocacy on behalf of those who are far too often overlooked. 

Steve’s experience raising a daughter with Down Syndrome pushed him to run for office. He worked with the Special Olympics of New Jersey to expand unified sports to every public school in the state, sponsored the law requiring health benefits coverage for therapies for the treatment of autism and other developmental disabilities, and long pushed for more resources and better pay to Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).

“Steve Sweeney knows firsthand about the challenges the disability community faces every day,” said Tony Coelho, author of the ADA and former U.S. House Majority Whip. “At a time when the Secretary of Health and Human Services is publicly demeaning people with disabilities and Washington is proposing massive cuts to the resources they rely on, Sweeney will be a fierce defender for the disability community in New Jersey. I’m proud to endorse him as someone who we can trust to be a voice for the voiceless.”

“I’m truly humbled to have the backing of Tony Coelho,” said Steve Sweeney. “As the father of a daughter with Down Syndrome, I know the opportunities my daughter has today would not be possible without his landmark work to give those with disabilities a seat at the table. As governor, I will continue to fight so that the government serves those most in need. With Donald Trump, Congressional Republicans, and RFK Jr. continuing their assault on the disability community, I will work tirelessly to defend the rights of people, like my daughter, against these senseless attacks.” 

Tony Coelho represented California’s 15th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979 to 1989, and became House Majority Whip in 1987. A member of the Democratic Party and a member of the disability community, he was the primary sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act and is a former chairman of the board of directors of the Epilepsy Foundation.