Rep. Maloney started her career as an ESL *English as a Second Language) teacher in East Harlem. When her program was cut, her colleagues elected her as their advocate to restore funding - and she succeeded, setting an example that has extended throughout her career, first working with the NYC Department of Education and then as a legislative staffer in Albany. After gaining that experience, in 1982 she ran a long-shot challenge to an incumbent City Council Member in a district that spanned East Harlem, South Bronx, Manhattan Valley, and Carnegie Hill - and she won an improbably upset.
Congresswoman Maloney believes that it is our duty as a society to ensure that the nearly 1 in 5 Americans living with a disability have the protections and resources necessary to be self-sufficient, contributing members of their communities. Throughout her career she has worked to secure those rights for Americans with disabilities, from cosponsoring the Achieving Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014 to backing Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security policies that would assist Americans with disabilities.
As a member of the Bipartisan Disability Caucus, Congresswoman Maloney is keenly aware of how legislation disparately affects Americans living with disabilities. Her voting record strongly supports initiatives that advance Americans living with disabilities, including strengthening the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions, and ensuring affordable housing programs.