<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Howdy Fellow Federationists,<br class=""><br class="">I am recirculating the legislative alert that John sent earlier this week. It is critical that our affiliates make calls today; because of the impending storm, many members of congress are planning to leave town by close of business today.<br class=""><br class="">Please urge your affiliate members to:<br class="">• Call chairman Goodlatte and urge him to discharge the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act (S. 2559) and put it on the house suspension calendar for a vote<br class="">• Call their members of Congress and urge them to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 1734 and S. 732) if they haven't done so already<br class=""><br class="">The full text of the alert is below. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let us know. Thanks for all that you do to build the Federation!<br class="">Best,<br class=""><br class="">...Gabe<br class=""><br class="">Gabe Cazares<br class="">(410) 659-9314 x 2206<br class="">National Federation of the Blind<br class=""><br class=""><br class="">-----Original Message-----<br class="">From: NFBNet-Members-List [<a href="mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces@nfbnet.org" class="">mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>] On Behalf Of Pare, John via NFBNet-Members-List<br class="">Sent: Monday, September 10, 2018 2:11 PM<br class="">To: <a href="mailto:nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org" class="">nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org</a><br class="">Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Urgent Legislative Alert 9-10-2018<br class=""><br class="">Dear Fellow Federationists:<br class=""><br class="">We are at a critical point with two of our legislative priorities which need your immediate attention.<br class=""><br class="">First, the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act (S. 2559) is sitting idle in the House Judiciary Committee. We need Chairman Goodlatte to discharge this bill and put it on the House suspension calendar for a vote. The Department of State will not ratify the treaty until the House of Representative passes this bill and the president signs it into law. This legislation is noncontroversial, supported by all relevant stakeholders, and was passed unanimously by the Senate on June 28.<br class=""><br class="">Please call Chairman Goodlatte at 202-225-5431 and urge him to "support blind Americans by putting the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act, S. 2559, on the House suspension calendar." Note that Chairman Goodlatte's email web-form blocks any emails from outside his district, so please contact his office via phone.<br class=""><br class="">Our second topic is the Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 1734). We are up to 84 cosponsors in the House and 12 in the Senate. Special thanks to the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois. Fourteen House members from Illinois and Senator Tammy Duckworth have cosponsored this legislation.<br class=""><br class="">You can contact your member of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard and asking for the office in question. The number is 202-224-3121. If you email your representative, please copy me at <a href="mailto:JPare@nfb.org" class="">JPare@nfb.org</a><<a href="mailto:JPare@nfb.org" class="">mailto:JPare@nfb.org</a>>.<br class=""><br class="">When you call or email, you might say something like the following:<br class=""><br class="">"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a constituent of [your representative]. I live in [city, state]. I am calling to urge [your representative] to cosponsor H.R. 1734, the Access Technology Affordability Act. This bill would increase the availability of Access Technology thereby increasing educational and employment opportunities for all blind Americans. The bill does this by creating a tax credit for the purchase of access technology. The National Federation of the Blind has analyzed the cost impact and the bill is either cost neutral or will save the government money. I urge [representative] to cosponsor the bill. Thanks."<br class=""><br class="">The 84 House cosponsors are listed below in alphabetical order by state. You do not need to contact your representative regarding ATAA if he or she is already on this list.<br class=""><br class="">In summary we are asking you to make two calls. One to Chairman Goodlatte regarding the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act, and a second call to your representative regarding the Access Technology Affordability Act. If you have any questions I can be reached at 410-659-9314, extension 2218.<br class=""><br class="">Thanks,<br class="">John<br class=""><br class="">Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 1734) Cosponsors<br class="">Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]<br class="">Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]<br class="">Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-3]<br class="">Rep. O'Halleran, Tom [D-AZ-1]<br class="">Rep. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ-9]<br class="">Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46]<br class="">Rep. Denham, Jeff [R-CA-10]<br class="">Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]<br class="">Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-19]<br class="">Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-32]<br class="">Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]<br class="">Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28]<br class="">Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-41]<br class="">Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35]<br class="">Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]<br class="">Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]<br class="">Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]<br class="">Rep. Curbelo, Carlos [R-FL-26]<br class="">Rep. Demings, Val Butler [D-FL-10]<br class="">Rep. Gaetz, Matt [R-FL-1]<br class="">Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [D-FL-20]<br class="">Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5]<br class="">Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-18]<br class="">Rep. Posey, Bill [R-FL-8]<br class="">Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-27]<br class="">Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9]<br class="">Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2]<br class="">Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]<br class="">Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]<br class="">Rep. Bustos, Cheri [D-IL-17]<br class="">Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]<br class="">Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL-13]<br class="">Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11]<br class="">Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4]<br class="">Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]<br class="">Rep. LaHood, Darin [R-IL-18]<br class="">Rep. Lipinski, Daniel [D-IL-3]<br class="">Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]<br class="">Rep. Roskam, Peter J. [R-IL-6]<br class="">Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1]<br class="">Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]<br class="">Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10]<br class="">Rep. Brooks, Susan W. [R-IN-5]<br class="">Rep. Messer, Luke [R-IN-6]<br class="">Rep. Visclosky, Peter J. [D-IN-1]<br class="">Rep. Blum, Rod [R-IA-1]<br class="">Rep. Loebsack, David [D-IA-2]<br class="">Rep. Young, David [R-IA-3]<br class="">Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6]<br class="">Rep. Yarmuth, John A. [D-KY-3]<br class="">Rep. Poliquin, Bruce [R-ME-2]<br class="">Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]<br class="">Rep. Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [D-MD-2]<br class="">Rep. Capuano, Michael E. [D-MA-7]<br class="">Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]<br class="">Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]<br class="">Rep. Tsongas, Niki [D-MA-3]<br class="">Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5]<br class="">Rep. Upton, Fred [R-MI-6]<br class="">Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5]<br class="">Rep. Nolan, Richard M. [D-MN-8]<br class="">Rep. Peterson, Collin C. [D-MN-7]<br class="">Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]<br class="">Rep. Kihuen, Ruben J. [D-NV-4]<br class="">Rep. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV-3]<br class="">Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]<br class="">Rep. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM-3]<br class="">Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13]<br class="">Rep. Faso, John J. [R-NY-19]<br class="">Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-2]<br class="">Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]<br class="">Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4]<br class="">Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14]<br class="">Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]<br class="">Rep. Stivers, Steve [R-OH-15]<br class="">Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-2]<br class="">Rep. Meehan, Patrick [R-PA-7]<br class="">Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-16]<br class="">Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-5]<br class="">Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1]<br class="">Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30]<br class="">Rep. O'Rourke, Beto [D-TX-16]<br class="">Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-32]<br class="">Rep. Garrett, Thomas A., Jr. [R-VA-5]<br class="">Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]<br class=""><br class="">John G. Paré Jr.<br class="">Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy<br class="">200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230<br class="">(410) 659-9314, extension 2218 | <a href="mailto:jpare@nfb.org" class="">jpare@nfb.org</a><<a href="mailto:jpare@nfb.org" class="">mailto:jpare@nfb.org</a>><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">[National Federation of the Blind]<<a href="https://nfb.org/" class="">https://nfb.org/</a>><br class=""><br class="">[Facebook] <<a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind" target="_blank" class="">http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind</a>> [Twitter] <<a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice" target="_blank" class="">https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice</a>> [Youtube] <<a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind" target="_blank" class="">https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind</a>><br class=""><br class="">The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. 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