I said to myself, ‘He’s good. A recent survey shows that fully three-quarters of likely voters either have a disability themselves or have a family member or a close friend with disabilities. But even though there weren't any sparks between the two, Melissa hit it off with the other guy: Patrick O’Rourke. And, more broadly as the campaign nears the critical fall season, continue to ease up on the "live-streaming." Washington, D.C. April 22 – Before 2018, most of the country had never heard of former Congressman Robert “Beto” O’Rourke (D) from the 16th District of Texas. “No matter what my day was like, I’m able to talk to Erin, put things in perspective and realize how lucky I am to be her brother.”. In the second quarter, his fundraising plummeted to $3.6 million, well outside the five top-polling candidates. Your email address will not be published. Say you're in: https://t.co/EKLdkVET2u pic.twitter.com/lainXyvG2n. Despite the fact that O'Rourke says she "immediately started crying" when Beto mentioned he might run for congress back in 2010, Amy has since shown nothing but support for her husband's political aspirations. O’Rourke’s 38-year-old younger sister, Erin, has intellectual and developmental disabilities. He charmed liberals everywhere during his furious campaign for the state's senate seat last year, fighting to take the post from tenured Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Many considered the Democrat’s near-win quite an accomplishment since Texas is such a stronghold for the Republican Party. Common reaction after hearing Amy speak: Beto seems like a nice guy, but I sure wish you were running! They saw themselves as binational. Elections with a Focus on Disability Issues. Last October, The New York Times published a story calling Amy's father—Texas real estate magnate William Sanders—a billionaire, which led the Spectator to refer to her as an heiress. They demonstrated how, without these services, Victor would be institutionalized or worse. For too long, we have overlooked people with disabilities. “We must do better for those living with disabilities in America,” O’Rourke tweeted last week. It is only when he makes the occasional social media post on disability, attends disability forums or is asked directly about disability issues that he discusses them. Alfredo Corchado has covered U.S.-Mexico issues for The News since 1993. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“We must fully fund our special education programs. 0:41 Twice as many Texans filed for unemployment since March as did in all of 2019. Here they are with a new friend in Houston at the IBEW hall, with a great group in Crockett and in Coldspring. "But this is his time. BETO O’ROURKE: I am, if it’s a weapon that was designed to kill people on a battlefield. O’Rourke’s presidential announcement speech was given to a large and spirited crowd in El Paso, Texas. It's believed by many to be the birthplace of the margarita. My sister is driving us to Killeen. But if I do well, and make her proud, there is no greater advocate I have in my life than my sister.”. Today, he is a household name due to his nearly successful, entirely grassroots, U.S. Senate campaign during the 2018 midterm elections. During his tenure as Representative, he only sponsored two bills that directly related to disability. He strongly supports integrated classrooms, where students of all and various abilities learn together to cultivate a culture of acceptance. The Democratic House of Representatives passed a pared-down coronavirus spending bill with mostly Democratic support after bipartisan talks failed to produce a compromise deal. The former Texas congressman, who once served as his younger sister’s legal guardian, hops on the phone with Erin at the end of many of her workdays at a residential facility for adults and children three hours from El Paso, N.M., where she lives and works. He regularly meets with disability organizations, activists and individual voters with disabilities and attends public disability forums to answer questions regarding disability issues. His plan is to address flaws in the Affordable Care Act’s requirement ensuring accessibility to Medical Diagnostic Equipment, such as wheelchairs, walkers, and components needed to maintain those tools. His statement was such an incredible and novel campaign promise that it was reported by news publications across the country, including the New York Times and the Washington Post. But like most mothers, she can't help but offer some unsolicited tips as the second round of Democratic primary debates nears: He should "get to the point quicker," "be more concise" on his answers. As his last name suggests, he is of Irish descent.
O’Rourke claimed the current standards “lack mechanisms for enforcement” which could leave people without coverage for things like replacement batteries in electric wheelchairs, something he hopes to change. ", One thing that hasn't changed during his bid for the presidency, his mother said, is the need "to talk to people, to listen carefully and to carry their message. Maybe it was growing up with a sister [Erin] who has disabilities. So when O’Rourke rolled out a portion of his disability proposal last week — a plan to expand health-care coverage for medical equipment inspired by meeting a woman who has struggled to find a way to pay to fix her power wheelchair — it didn’t just grow out of the numerous meetings he’s had with families, caretakers and individuals in the U.S. disability community. She grew up in public special education classrooms in and around El Paso, TX and currently lives in a community for intellectually disabled adults. But if I do well, and make her proud, there is no greater advocate I have in my life than my sister.”.
– The RespectAbility Report, http://therespectabilityreport.org/2019/04/22/beto-orourke-2020-presidential-campaign, With 13 Candidates Celebrating the Anniversary of the ADA, Will They Talk About Disability at the Debates? "He knows there are some things he can improve on from the first and he's been working on that. O’Rourke was the first candidate to specifically mention those with disabilities on the Democratic debate stage last week by recounting the story of meeting a woman named Gina who works four jobs and is raising a disabled daughter named Summer. Since then, we've seen him stand alongside his fellow candidates in what's now been two rounds of debates. Charlotte has been very actively involved in both of her brother’s campaigns, both presidential and for the position of senator of Texas. Both were avid bicyclists, runners, crisscrossing the border. Few of his videos on Facebook and Twitter provide any form of captioning. According to the AP, the two were set-up in 2004. O’Rourke, 47, has always had a close relationship with his sister, even acting as her legal guardian for several years. Definitely not a Democrat.’ I don’t know what the size of that universe is, but anecdotally we’re meeting a lot of people who have described themselves that way.”. Since then, Charlotte has continued to use her social media accounts to support her brother, and has stumped for him at a number of places across the country. I once told him, 'Don't do this to yourself,' because I knew what the life would be like," she said. She's only had a handful of interviews with the media, though she does offer a peek inside her life as a mom and on the road with her husband on her Instagram. The bills legislators vote against are just as important as the ones they introduce or sponsor. She stays off social media, which she feels only underscore how divided and polarized the country is.
More than 80 percent of El Paso is Latinx. The list of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates is extensive to say the least, and along with names like Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, Beto O'Rourke officially entered the race in March. Of course, the Amy he's referring to is his wife of nearly 14 years, Amy Sanders O'Rourke. Why isn't my party speaking out?'". Sixty-one million adults live in the United States with a disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 1 in 3 disabled adults ages 18 to 44 over the past year have experienced an unmet health-care need because of exorbitant costs associated with their condition. He supports fully federally funding the IDEA in our public school systems. “And Erin is not shy and has no filter and will tell you exactly how it is — if I screw something up, she’ll be the first to let me know. "He doesn't cave in. The former congressman says he began to understand the complex and costly maze of public programs for someone like Erin, who requires constant supervision, after his younger sister moved in with him following her graduation. O’Rourke has been struggling to poll above 3% in the crowded field of Democrats. That must change. O’Rourke’s announcement speech, however, failed to mention people with disabilities even once, despite including various other minority groups. O’Rourke narrowly lost the election to Republican Sen. and former presidential candidate Ted Cruz (R-TX).
And he does so in a warm and inviting way that reads as authentic, more than polished. Oh, and they have a dog named Rosie. Congressman from Texas. She and Pat, a former county judge, raised three children: Beto, the oldest, followed by Charlotte and Erin. “And I in no way wanted him to sacrifice that sense of purpose.”. As far as her own personal funds, the Texas Tribune reported that both Amy and Beto have combined assets worth as high as $16 million, including a trust fund in her name that totals as high as $5 million. A post shared by Beto O'Rourke (@betoorourke) on Dec 25, 2018 at 7:59am PST. After graduating from Massachusetts' Williams College—a private liberal arts school—with a major in psychology and minor in Spanish, the El Paso native established an impressive career in education. According to The Dallas News, Charlotte is a hospice care nurse. She accompanied him when he first announced his bid for the senate seat in 2017, and was frequently at his side as he traveled the Lone Star State last year on the campaign trail. Yet as the person who arguably knows O'Rourke the best, she insists it's too early to write him off. I haven’t been there for them, I haven’t helped Amy in raising these amazing kids in any significant, consistent way.”. Over 8.3 million Texans voted in the 2018 midterm election, compared to about 4.6 million in 2014, according to the office of the secretary of state. Yes, Beto is soft-spoken like his mother, and growing up he was bookish and quiet, except for his punk rock phase. “I have figured out a way to fulfill my purpose and be the mom that I want,” she said. "That all comes from Pat," she said.