[nabs-l] FW: Legislative Alert-Surface Transportation Bill

[Hartle, Jesse]

Fellow Federationists:

I am writing to update you on a potential threat to the Randolph-Sheppard program.  Congressman LaTourette and Senator Portman of Ohio are planning to offer amendments to the House and Senate versions of the surface transportation bill.  Their amendments would allow states to commercialize rest areas on federal highways and interstates.  It appears that the Senate is going to take the first action early next week (March 5-9), considering amendments to the Senate surface transportation bill, S. 1813.  Senator Portman's amendment is number 1742.

Currently, many blind vendors operate vending machines at interstate rest areas throughout the country.  If commercialization is allowed, these blind vendors stand a great chance of losing their livelihoods.  We must educate our members of Congress about the impact of commercialization on blind vendors.

I will be updating this issue as information becomes available; however, we are asking you to take immediate action to defeat this threat to the Randolph-Sheppard program.  It is essential that we make as many calls as possible on Monday, March 5, 2012.  Please see the action items listed below, and contact me with any questions.  I have included my contact information at the end of this message.  Thank you all very much in advance for your work on this issue!

Please take the following action items:

?         Call your senators and urge them to oppose amendment number 1742 to the surface transportation bill, S. 1813.  You can be connected to your senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121.

?         Call Senator Portman (202-224-3353), and urge him to withdraw his amendment number 1742 to the Senate transportation bill, S. 1813; we must tell his office that this would negatively impact vendors in the Randolph-Sheppard program.

?         Call Senator Harry Reid (202-224-3542), Senate Majority Leader, and urge him to refuse to allow Senator Portman's amendment number 1742 to be considered during debate on S. 1813 because of the negative impact to blind vendors that would result from this amendment.

?         Call Senator Barbara Boxer (202-224-3553), Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, and urge her to oppose any amendment to S. 1813 that calls for commercialization on federal highways and interstates because of the negative impact to blind vendors.

Jesse


Jesse Hartle
Government Programs Specialist
Phone:  (410) 659-9314, Ext. 2233
Email:  jhartle at nfb.org<mailto:jhartle at nfb.org>