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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Done.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Debbie Malone via Massachusetts-NFB<br><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, November 24, 2024 6:35 PM<br><b>To:</b> NFB of Massachusetts E-mail List <massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> Debbie Malone <dmalone510@gmail.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Massachusetts-NFB] Urgent Legislative Action Item!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p>Done<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Sun, Nov 24, 2024, 5:44<span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span>PM Kyra Sweeney via Massachusetts-NFB <<a href="mailto:massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org">massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Dear NFBMA family,</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>It is time for us to ramp up our advocacy on one of our most important federal legislative priorities: the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (TCIEA), which would end the practice of paying subminimum wages to workers with disabilities. Together, we need to try to </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>ensure</span><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> that the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act is included in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) reauthorization bill that is currently being considered.</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Right now is a crucial time for this initiative because Congress wants to pass the WIOA reauthorization when they return after Thanksgiving. We all need to flood the email inboxes and telephone lines and voicemail boxes of four key committee staff members in the next few days before Thanksgiving in order to make sure TCIEA gets included in the final bill:</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Amy Jones</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Majority Staff Director, House Committee on Education and the Workforce</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><a href="mailto:Amy.jones@mail.house.gov" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>Amy.jones@mail.house.gov</span></a></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>202-225-4527</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Véronique Pluviose-Fenton</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Minority Staff Director, House Committee on Education and the Workforce</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><a href="mailto:veronique.pluviose@mail.house.gov" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>veronique.pluviose@mail.house.gov</span></a></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>202-225-3725</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Warren Gunnels</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Majority Staff Director, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><a href="mailto:Warren_Gunnels@help.senate.gov" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>Warren_Gunnels@help.senate.gov</span></a></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>202-224-0767</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Amanda Lincoln</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Minority Staff Director, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><a href="mailto:Amanda_lincoln@help.senate.gov" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>Amanda_lincoln@help.senate.gov</span></a></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>202-224-5375</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>When you call or email, you might say something like:</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>“Dear [NAME]:</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>I am urging the [HOUSE EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE COMMITTEE/SENATE HELP COMMITTEE] to please include the TCIEA in the WIOA reauthorization bill. The TCIEA will eliminate the payment of subminimum wages for people with disabilities and eliminate the need for a government program to monitor special wage certificate holders. Thank you.”</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>If you send an email, please use the subject line “Please Include the TCIEA in the WIOA Reauthorization” and copy me at <a href="mailto:kyra.sweeney94@gmail.com" target="_blank">kyra.sweeney94@gmail.com</a> and Justin Young at <a href="mailto:jyoung@nfb.org" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>jyoung@nfb.org</span></a></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Congress is working diligently to move the WIOA reauthorization bill as soon as they get back after the Thanksgiving break, so time is of the essence for us to make our voices heard!!! If you have any questions, please contact me.</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Thank you for all that you do,</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:106%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:106%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%'>Kyra Sweeney<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:106%'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%'>Legislative Director, National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>_______________________________________________<br>Massachusetts-NFB mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Massachusetts-NFB@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">Massachusetts-NFB@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/massachusetts-nfb_nfbnet.org" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/massachusetts-nfb_nfbnet.org</a><br>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Massachusetts-NFB:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/massachusetts-nfb_nfbnet.org/dmalone510%40gmail.com" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/massachusetts-nfb_nfbnet.org/dmalone510%40gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote></div></div></body></html>