[Colorado-Talk] [Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert 7/20/21 - Subminimum Wages Hearing Tomorrow

[Dan Burke]

Good morning -
The Transition to Competitive Employment Act (TCE) has been
reintroduced this year as H.R. 2373. TCE will phase out subminimum
wages under 14 (c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and it has 16
cosponsors so far. None of these are from Colorado.

Anil Lewis, Director of Blindness Initiatives for the National
Federation of the Blind gave powerful and meaningful testimony  this
morning, along with others during this morning's joint hearing before
the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections and the United States
House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services. As john pare's
email yesterday says, it's time for us to start working on cosponsors
in our Colorado House delegation, several of whom have cosponsored
similar bills in the past decade or more.

Colorado is one of the seven states in which subminimum wages for
workers with disabilities is being phased out. Just this year
legislation was passed in the state legislature to assist providers to
successfully transition their workers to jobs that pay at least the
minimum wage. But the other 43 states need our delegation's support to
end this practice.

Here are the 7 Colorado members of the U.S. House of Representatives
and their staffer's names. You can write directly to this staffer if
you whish to email them about cosponsoring H.R. 2373. The DC office
phone number for each Colorado member is also included.

When you call or write, identify yourself and also as a member of the
National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, say you live in the
Representative's district, and that you are asking  that member to
cosponsor H.R. 2373 to bring an end to the practice of paying workers
with disabilities less than minimum wages.  And include the link to
Anil Lewis's written testimony:
https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements/anil-lewiss-written-testimony-joint-hearing-regarding


Perlmutter, Ed  HD7-Dem
Tia Bogeljic
Tia.Bogeljic at mail.house.gov
202-225-2645 @repperlmutter

DeGette, Diana HD1-Dem
Santos, SherieLou
<SherieLou.Santos at mail.house.gov>
202-225-4431
@RepDianaDeGette

Lamborn, Doug  HD5-R
Holland, Peter
<Peter.Holland at mail.house.gov>
202-225-4422
@RepDLamborn

Crow, Jason HD6-Dem
Ddaniel Tsang
Daniel.Tsang at mail.house.gov
(202) 225-7882
@repJasonCrow

Neguse, Joseph HD2-Dem
Abbie Callahan
Abbie.Callahan at mail.house.gov
202-225-2161
@RepJoeNeguse

Buck, Ken HD4-R
Zach Mendelovici
Zach.Mendelovici at mail.house.gov
202-225-4676
@RepKenBuck

Note: Rep. Boebert never rsponded to our earlier requests to meet for
the Washington Seminar. So we don't have a staffer's name or an email.
To send her a message, follow the link below to her House web site and
complete the form.

Boebert, Lauren HD3-R
202-225-4761
@RepBoebert
https://boebertforms.house.gov/contact/


On 7/21/21, Dan Burke <burke.dall at gmail.com> wrote:
> The hearing is just beginning. Here's the link at the top of your
> in-box, just to be helpful!
>
> https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fedlabor.house.gov%2Fhearings%2Fphasing-out-subminimum-wages-supporting-the-transition-to-competitive-integrated-employment-for-workers-with-disabilities&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHOrPJw6VD2STlTjPPbqHFqVqNxEg
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: "Pare, John via NFBNet-Members-List" <nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>
> Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2021 18:34:44 +0000
> Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert 7/20/21 - Subminimum
> Wages Hearing Tomorrow
> To: "nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org" <nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>
>
> Dear Federation Family:
>
> Tomorrow (Wednesday, July 21) the US House Committee on Education and
> Labor will be hosting a joint subcommittee hearing with the
> Subcommittee on Workforce Protections and the Subcommittee on Civil
> Rights and Human Services on the topic of phasing out subminimum
> wages. Our very own Anil Lewis will testify on behalf of the National
> Federation of the Blind. We encourage you to watch Anil's live
> testimony tomorrow at 10:15 a.m., eastern, by visiting
> https://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/phasing-out-subminimum-wages-supporting-the-transition-to-competitive-integrated-employment-for-workers-with-disabilities.
>
> We also encourage you to read Anil's written
> testimony<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements/anil-lewiss-written-testimony-joint-hearing-regarding>
> on the Policy Statements
> page<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements> of
> nfb.org. Once you have read his testimony, please take just a few
> moments to forward it to your Representative in the House and urge
> them to cosponsor H.R. 2373, the Transformation to Competitive
> Integrated Employment Act. This bill will gradually phase out
> subminimum wages over a five-year period and eliminate the issuance of
> new Section 14(c) certificates. It will also establish a grant program
> to help states and entities transition employees with disabilities
> into competitive integrated employment.
>
> When you email your representative you might write something like:
>
> "Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent of
> [REPRESENTATIVE NAME]. I live in [CITY, STATE]. I would like to urge
> [REPRESENTATIVE NAME] to cosponsor the Transformation to Competitive
> Integrated Employment Act, H.R. 2373. This legislation will gradually
> phase out subminimum wages for workers with disabilities and
> facilitate their transition to competitive integrated employment.
>
> Thanks."
>
> Again, we encourage you to include a link to Anil's written testimony
> in your email.
>
> When you email your representative, please copy Stephanie Flynt at
> sflynt at nfb.org<mailto:sflynt at nfb.org>. Your calls and emails do make a
> difference.
>
> It is best to email the relevant staff person in your representative's
> office. Please email Jesa Medders at
> jmedders at nfb.org<mailto:jmedders at nfb.org> and she will find the
> appropriate staff member for you to email.
>
> The bill currently has 16 cosponsors, but we are hoping that this
> hearing in conjunction with your advocacy can help dramatically
> increase the cosponsor count and boost Congressional awareness of this
> legislation. The list of current cosponsors is pasted below.
>
> Thank you for all that you do,
> John
>
> Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5]
> Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]
> Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1]
> Rep. Levin, Andy [D-MI-9]
> Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-11]
> Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
> Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
> Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]
> Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]
> Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
> Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6]
> Rep. Joyce, John [R-PA-13]
> Rep. Axne, Cynthia [D-IA-3]
> Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4]
> Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
> Rep. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ-7]
>
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>
> --
> Dan Burke
>
> National Federation of the Blind of Colorado Legislative Co-chair
>
> President, NFB of Denver
>
> "Blindness is not what holds you back.  You can live the life you want!"
>
> My Cell:  406.546.8546
> Twitter:  @DallDonal
>


-- 
Dan Burke

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado Legislative Co-chair

President, NFB of Denver

"Blindness is not what holds you back.  You can live the life you want!"

My Cell:  406.546.8546
Twitter:  @DallDonal