Tom Harkin

The Iowa Democrat, whose brother was deaf, was the lead Senate sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and delivered part of its introduction in sign language. He built a coalition with Bob Dole and the Bush White House, accepting limits such as undue hardship exemptions for small businesses and staggered compliance dates. He also worked with Republicans on the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 restoring protections the courts had narrowed. It is a model of a cross-party coalition sustained over two decades.