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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hi All,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hoping this message finds you well. The following Legislative alert was sent out yesterday afternoon by John Pare, Executive Director of Advocacy & Policy at the NFB. The idea of the below legislative action is for us to urge our U.S. Senators to co-sponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act (S.212). By building up the list of co-sponsors, we will show the Senate there is greater support for the bill. We want to ensure this legislation gets included in the Senate reconciliation package currently under consideration. As indicated in John’s email, the House reconciliation package has included the Access Technology Affordability Act, but the Senate has yet to do so. Senator Gillibrand is a co-sponsor of the bill, but Senate Majority Leader Schumer is not currently a co-sponsor.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Since Schumer is the Majority Leader and more often than not, his staff says because of him being Majority Leader he doesn’t co-sponsor legislation, John has recommended our ask should be modified slightly. Instead of asking him to co-sponsor S.212, we will be requesting he ensure the<span style='color:#1F497D'> provisions of the Access Technology Affordability act are included in the Senate reconciliation package. So John’s suggested script is pasted below with this edit for you to use when emailing or calling the office:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>"Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I live in [CITY, STATE]. I would like Senate Majority Leader Schumer to ensure the provisions of the Access Technology Affordability Act, S. 212 will be included in the Senate reconciliation package. This legislation removes an employment barrier commonly experienced by blind Americans who cannot afford the high cost of access technology by creating a refundable tax credit in the amount of $2,000 to offset the cost of this technology. Thank you (your name)."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>It has been also suggested we contact Senate Majority Leader Schumer’s legislative staffer who deals with taxation legislation and their contact information is below:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D'>Anna Rennie<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D'> <a href="mailto:anna_taylor@schumer.senate.gov">anna_taylor@schumer.senate.gov</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>202-224-6542 </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Dr. Justin T. Young, Ed.D<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Treasurer, National Federation of the Blind of New York State.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Vice President, National Federation of the Blind of New York State, Rochester Chapter.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> NFBNet-Members-List <nfbnet-members-list-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Pare, John via NFBNet-Members-List<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, September 15, 2021 3:42 PM<br><b>To:</b> nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert 9/15/2021<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dear Federation Family:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Congratulations, our hard work has paid off. The provisions of the Access Technology Affordability Act have been included in the reconciliation package currently moving through the House of Representatives. We will keep you apprised of this activity.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In the meantime, we need to move quickly to build cosponsor support for the Access Technology Affordability Act in the Senate. We currently have 24 Senate cosponsors but if we can dramatically increase this number over the next week or two, it would greatly improve our chances of this bill being included in the Senate version of the reconciliation package.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Senator Cardin is the sponsor of the bill. The other 24 Senate cosponsors are listed below. If one or both of your senators has not yet cosponsored the Access Technology Affordability Act (S. 212) then I urge you to call or email them and urge them to please cosponsor this important legislation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>When you call or email, you might say the following:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I live in [CITY, STATE]. I would like to urge [SENATOR NAME] to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act, S. 212. This legislation removes an employment barrier commonly experienced by blind Americans who cannot afford the high cost of access technology by creating a refundable tax credit in the amount of $2,000 to offset the cost of this technology.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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 senators, please copy Jeff Kaloc at <a href="mailto:jkaloc@nfb.org">jkaloc@nfb.org</a>. Your calls and emails do make a difference.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It is best to call or email the relevant staff person in your senator’s office. For your convenience, we have attached a list of relevant staffers in the Senate offices that have not cosponsored the Access Technology Affordability Act (S. 212). If you do not see your member of Congress, please email Jeff and he will do further research. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The list of current cosponsors is pasted below.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thank you for all that you do,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>John<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>S. 212 Cosponsors<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Leahy, Patrick [D-VT] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV] <o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>