[Home-on-the-range] FW: Grassroots Call to Action on the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization

Mon Jul 29 01:49:41 UTC 2013

Dear NFBK members:

Many of you have probably seen this important call for grassroots action
from Anil Lewis regarding Senate Bill S1356, the draft measure for
reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act. As Mr. Lewis' posting
notes, Section 511 is back like the proverbial bad penny. This section if
enacted would require state vocational rehabilitation programs to place
their clients in work training programs and jobs that pay less than the
Federal minimum wage. Once again, the culprit is Tom Harkin, Chairman of the
Senate Health, education, Labor and pensions (HELP) committee. Apparently he
didn't get our message the first time.

There is some suggested language that Anil has provided, but feel free to
add relevant thoughts or how these changes might affect you personally in
your contacts to Senator Roberts and his staff. 

For your convenience, I have placed Senator Roberts' contact info at the end
of my comments. Please feel free to pass this urgent call for action to your
family and friends in other states, especially if one of their senators  is
a HELP committee member.

Besgt regards,

Rob

Contact Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)

(202) 224-4774

Chief of Staff: Jackie Cottrell jackie_cottrell at roberts.senate.gov

HELP Contact: Jennifer Boyer jennifer_boyer at roberts.senate.gov Additional
Contact: Lauren Stockwell lauren_stockwell at roberts.senate.gov

From: Lewis, Anil [mailto:ALewis at nfb.org] 
Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2013 4:23 PM
To: State President, Iowa; State President, Maryland; State President,
Washington; State President, Vermont; State President, Pennsylvania; State
President, North Carolina; State President, Minnesota; State President,
Colorado; State President, Rhode Island; State President, Wisconsin;
crival at comcast.net; State President, Massachusetts; State President,
Tennessee; State President, Wyoming; State President, North Carolina; State
President, Georgia; State President, Kentucky; State President, Utah; State
President, Kansas; State President, Alaska; State President, Illinois; State
President, South Carolina
Cc: Pare, John
Subject: Grassroots Call to Action on the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
Reauthorization

Federation:

This is a call to action for you to make phone calls, send e-mails, and post
to social media to save rehabilitation services for people with disabilities
on Monday, July 29 and Tuesday, July 30.  Senate Bill S. 1356 has been
introduced to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).  This bill
includes two major policy changes in the language of the Rehabilitation Act
that threaten to send us backwards in our struggle to acquire the proper
education, training, and opportunity to obtain competitive, integrated
employment.  

(1) The bill has proposed language in Section 511 of the Rehabilitation Act
that requires vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to include training
and employment at wages below the federal minimum wage as a VR service.  

(1) The bill proposes to transfer the Rehabilitation Services Administration
(RSA) from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor, severing
the essential link between the provision of quality education and
rehabilitation services for people with disabilities.  

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is
scheduled to discuss and vote on this bill on Wednesday, July 31, and we
need to act to ensure that these two tremendously flawed proposals are
removed.  Our initial action is simple, but it will require all of us to
take action.  We need all of our members, family members, friends,
colleagues, and acquaintances that reside in states where their Senator
serves on the HELP committee to make calls, send e-mails, post tweets, and
Facebook messages to communicate the following two straightforward requests
to their Senator: 

I am a voting constituent in the state and I am respectfully requesting that
the WIA reauthorization be amended to: 

(1) Remove Section 511 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

(2) Remove the language transferring RSA to the Department of Labor. 

We are encouraging that only the actual residents make these requests of
their respective Senators.  Start recruiting as many individuals as possible
now to begin this action on Monday, July 29 and continue it through Tuesday,
July 30.  Use the information below to make calls to your particular
Senator's office and send e-mails to each of the e-mail addresses listed for
your Senator. 

Please contact me with any questions, and keep me posted on your progress.
The only way we will be able to prevent a dismantling of the essential
training and employment services for all people with disabilities is to act
now.  

Remember, once you have made your calls, sent your e-mails, posted your
tweets and Facebook messages, get others to do the same. 

Sincerely,

Mr. Anil Lewis, M.P.A.
Director of Advocacy and Policy 

"Eliminating Subminimum Wages For People With Disabilities" 

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland   21230

(410) 659-9314 ext. 2374 (Voice)

(410) 685-5653 (FAX)
Email:  <mailto:alewis at nfb.org> alewis at nfb.org
Web:  <http://www.nfb.org> www.nfb.org

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) 

(202) 224-3254 

Chief of Staff: Brian Ahlberg brian_ahlberg at harkin.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Andy Imparato andrew_imparato at harkin.senate.gov 

Additional Contact: Lee Perselay lee.perselay at help.senate.gov

Sen. Barbara A Mikulski (D-MD) 

(202) 224-4654 

Chief of Staff: Julia Frifield julia_frifield at mikulski.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Jessica McNiece jessica_mcniece at mikulski.senate.gov 

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) 

(202) 224-2621 

Chief of Staff: Mike Spahn michael_spahn at murray.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Megan Foster  megan_foster at murray.senate.gov 

Additional Contact: Ariel Eevans ariel_evans at murray.senate.gov

Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT) 

(202) 224-5141 

Chief of Staff: Michaeleen Crowell michaeleen_crowell at sanders.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Lori Kearns lori_kearns at sanders.senate.gov 

Sen. Robert P Casey, Jr. (D-PA) 

(202) 224-6324 

Chief of Staff: James Brown james_brown at casey.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Larry Smar larry_smar at casey.senate.gov 

Additional Contact: Michael Waskey michael_waskey at casey.senate.gov

Sen. Kay R Hagan (D-NC) 

(202) 224-6342 

Chief of Staff: Mike Harney mike_harney at hagan.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Ashley Eden & Josh Teitelbaum ashley_eden at hagan.senate.gov
josh_teitelbaum at hagan.senate.gov 

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) 

(202) 224-5641 

Chief of Staff: Casey Aden-Wansbury casey_aden-wansbury at franken.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Momoko "Peach" Soltis peach_soltis at franken.senate.gov 

Additional Contact: Beth Meloy beth_meloy at franken.senate.gov

Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-CO) 

(202) 224-5852 

Chief of Staff: Jonathan Davidson jonathan_davidson at bennet.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Rohini Kosoglu rohini_kosoglu at bennet.senate.gov 

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) 

(202) 224-2921 

Chief of Staff: Sam Goodstein sam_goodstein at whitehouse.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Jen DeAngelis jen_deangelis at whitehouse.senate.gov 

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) 

(202) 224-5653 

Chief of Staff: Bill Murat bill_murat at baldwin.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Nick Dicarlo nick_dicarlo at baldwin.senate.gov 

Additional Contact: Amber Shipley amber_shipley at baldwin.senate.gov

Sen. Christopher S. Murphy (D-CT) 

(202) 224-4041 

Chief of Staff: Francis Creighton francis_creighton at murphy.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Joe Dunn, Mark Ritacco, & Hayne Yoon
joe_dunn at murphy.senate.gov   mark_ritacco at murphy.senate.gov   Additional
Contact: Hayne Yoon hayne_yoon at murphy.senate.gov 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) 

(202) 224-4543 

Chief of Staff: Mindy Myers mindy_myers at warren.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Jeff Cruz jeff_cruz at warren.senate.gov 

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) 

(202) 224-4944 

Chief of Staff: Ryan Loskarn ryan_loskarn at alexander.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Kai Hirabayashi  &  Kyle Forton
kai_hirabayashi at alexander.senate.gov   kyle_forton at alexander.senate.gov 

Additional Contact: Bill Knudsen bill_knudsen at alexander.senate.gov

Sen. Michael B. Enzi (R-WY) 

(202) 224-3424 

Chief of Staff: Flip McConnaughey flip_mcconnaughey at enzi.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Riley Swinehart & Kristin Chapman
riley_swinehart at enzi.senate.gov; kristin_chapman at enzi.senate.gov 

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) 

(202) 224-3154 

Chief of Staff: Chris Joyner chris_joyner at burr.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Steve Perrotta steve_perrotta at burr.senate.gov 

Additional Contact: Anna Abram anna_abram at help.senate.gov

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) 

(202) 224-3643 

Chief of Staff: Chris Carr chris_carr at isakson.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Tommy Nguyen tommy_nguyen at isakson.senate.gov 

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) 

(202) 224-4343 

Chief of Staff: William Henderson william_henderson at paul.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Natalie Burkhalter natalie_burkhalter at paul.senate.gov 

Sen. Orrin G Hatch (R-UT) 

(202) 224-5251 

Chief of Staff: Michael Kennedy michael_kennedy at hatch.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Hayden Rhudy hayden_rhudy at hatch.senate.gov 

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) 

(202) 224-4774 

Chief of Staff: Jackie Cottrell jackie_cottrell at roberts.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Jennifer Boyer jennifer_boyer at roberts.senate.gov 

Additional Contact: Lauren Stockwell lauren_stockwell at roberts.senate.gov

Sen Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) 

(202) 224-6665 

Chief of Staff: Edward Hild edward_hild at murkowski.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Tara Shaw tara_shaw at murkowski.senate.gov 

Additional Contact: Leila Kimbrell leila_kimbrell at murkowski.senate.gov

Sen Mark Kirk (R-IL) 

(202) 224-2854 

Chief of Staff: Kate Dickens kate_dickens at kirk.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Patrick Magnuson patrick_magnuson at kirk.senate.gov 

Additional Contact: Jeannette Windon jeannette_windon at kirk.senate.gov

Sen Tim Scott (R-SC) 

(202) 224-6121 

Chief of Staff: Richard Dunn richard_dunn at scott.senate.gov 

HELP Contact: Kimberly Wallner kimberly_wallner at scott.senate.gov 

Additional Contact: Elizabeth Simmons elizabeth_simmons at scott.senate.gov

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