Weicker Cites Program Cuts : Nancy Reagan’s Party for Disabled Called Hypocrisy

Sen. Lowell P. Weicker Jr. (R-Conn.) on Friday leveled an unusual attack at First Lady Nancy Reagan, declaring that “hypocrisy is not a strong enough word” to describe a White House party Mrs. Reagan gave for handicapped children, given the Administration’s repeated efforts to cut education funds for the disabled.

At a Senate subcommittee hearing, Weicker lashed out also at President Reagan’s attempts to slash the $1.4-billion budget for programs created by the law that guarantees the handicapped a free education. These programs serve an estimated 4.3 million students nationwide.

“Instead of advocating genuine opportunity for the disabled, this Administration pushes nothing but photo opportunities,” Weicker charged. “Despite glamorous displays of partnership with handicapped children, this Administration’s true partnership is with the past, when the disabled were locked in institutions and out of the nation’s schools and workplaces.”

Moreover, he called Mrs. Reagan’s White House party, which took place later on Friday, “nothing but hypocrisy.”

Senator Sent Regrets

After the hearing, Weicker, who was invited to the party but refused to attend, sought to broaden the focus of his remarks to include the Administration as a whole. “This is the President’s party, the President’s budget, the President’s hypocrisy,” he said.

In his budget for fiscal 1987, Reagan has requested $1.3 billion for the programs for the handicapped, a smaller cut than the 28% rollback he sought in fiscal 1982. Reagan has requested cuts in each intervening year as well, but Congress has always countered by voting to increase the funds.

Hours after Weicker made his comments, the First Lady celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act with about 200 parents of disabled children, along with 24 handicapped students and several Administration officials.

In addition to Mrs. Reagan, Education Secretary William J. Bennett spoke at the party. He lauded the 10-year-old education law and the First Lady’s efforts to fight drug abuse. The President did not attend.

Nancy Reagan Silent

After the hearing, a reporter read the part of Weicker’s statement referring to the party to Mrs. Reagan’s press secretary, Elaine Crispen. More than two hours later, Crispen said that Mrs. Reagan had no comment to make on the matter because “she is not aware of the statements.”

Crispen added: “He (Weicker) needs to direct his comments somewhere else, not at Mrs. Reagan for acknowledging the accomplishments of young people with handicaps. I can’t call her a hypocrite for doing that.”

Martha Ziegler and Mildred Hill, mothers of handicapped children, attended both the hearing of Weicker’s Senate Labor and Human Resources subcommittee on the handicapped and the White House affair. They agreed that there was a certain “irony” about the party.

“I’m not sure I’d use the same terminology (as Weicker), but there is a lot of irony in the party,” said Ziegler, whose 22-year-old daughter is autistic. “On the other hand, we as parents welcome the opportunity to talk to these people and tell them our point of view. We never give up trying to help them understand.”

Deplores Budget Requests

But she added: “We deplore his (Reagan’s) budget requests.”

Hill, whose 18-year-old daughter is mentally impaired, concurred and added: “When we’re told there will be budget cuts, they start on programs for the handicapped.”

Witnesses at the hearing cited the results of a Harris Poll, which showed that, although life has improved for the disabled in the last 10 years, they are still poorer, less educated and have a higher unemployment rate than any other minority group in the country.