[Nfb-or] Legislative Alert-Urgent Action Needed for the Blind

[Renee Squier]

----- Original Message -----
From: Othman, Ronza
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 2:35 PM
Subject: Legislative Alert-Urgent Action Needed for the Blind Persons Return to Work Act

Fellow Federationists:

            Thank you for your hard work over the past few months in building congressional support for our three legislative priorities.  Congress has
adjourned for the two-week spring recess, and will not return to Washington until April 12.  We encourage you to schedule visits with your members in their
district offices and attend town hall meetings to discuss and urge cosponsorship of our legislative priorities.

            Thanks to your efforts, we now have 230 cosponsors on H.R. 734, the House version of the "Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act" originally introduced
by Congressman Towns.

            We need to continue building momentum on all of our bills.  Currently:

            -- The Senate companion to the "Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act" (S. 841, originally introduced by Senator Kerry) has 28 cosponsors;

            -- The "Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind" (H.R. 4533, introduced by Congresswoman Schakowsky) has 27 cosponsors; and

            -- The "Blind Persons Return to Work Act" (H.R. 886, introduced by Congressman John Lewis) has 56 cosponsors, while its Senate companion (S.
2962, introduced by Senators Dodd and McCain) has five cosponsors.

            As you can see, we have a great deal of work yet to go on each of these bills.

            Because Congress has taken a particular interest in job creation, expansion, and increased employment, we have an unparalleled opportunity to
ensure that the Blind Persons Return to Work Act becomes law during this congressional session.  If we increase our House sponsorship to 100 and our Senate
sponsorship to 25, we believe we can incorporate this legislation into a larger Jobs Bill.  Please make an extra effort to persuade your members to cosponsor
H.R. 886 and S. 2962.

            Many of the congressional representatives who were ranked as being likely to cosponsor this legislation at the 2010 Washington Seminar have
yet to cosponsor these bills.  In addition, we need to get as many cosponsors from representatives who serve on the Committee on House Ways and Means and
the Senate Committee on Finance.

            Finally, several congressional representatives who've cosponsored changes to the Social Security Disability Insurance Earnings structure for
the blind in previous congressional sessions have not yet cosponsored the bill this session.  Listed below are congressional representatives who received
rankings of 4 or 5, serve on the House Committee on Ways Means or the Senate Committee on Finance, have cosponsored previous forms of this legislation-and
have not yet cosponsored H.R. 886 and S. 2962.

            I know that you will, as always, work hard over the upcoming two-week spring district period to increase commitments from your representatives
on this important legislation.

            Thank you for your continuing efforts on behalf of our National Federation of the Blind.

Yours,

Ronza M. Othman, Esq.

Government Programs Specialist

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

Phone: (410) 659-9314, extention 2374

E-mail:
rothman at nfb.org

RO/wmb

Members Ranked at 4 or 5

Sen. Robert Bennett, UT

Sen. Sam Brownback, KS

Sen. Susan Collins, ME (previously cosponsored in the 110th Congress)

Sen. Jim DeMint, SC

Sen. Dick Durbin, IL

Sen. Judd Gregg, NH

Sen. Mike Johanns, NE

Sen. John Kerry, MA (Senate Committee on Finance)

Sen. George LaMieux, FL

Sen. Mary Landrieu, LA

Sen. Ben Nelson, NE

Sen. Harry Reid, NV

Rep. Gary Ackerman, NY

Rep. Marion Berry, AR

Rep. Brian Bilbray, CA

Rep. John Boozman, AR (previously cosponsored in the 110th Congress)

Rep. Charles Boustany, LA

Rep. Bruce Braley, IA

Rep. Michael Capuano, MA

Rep. John Carter, TX

Rep. Kathy Castor, FL

Rep. Ben Chandler, KY (previously cosponsored in the 110th Congress)

Rep. Yvette Clark, NY

Rep. Joe Crowley, NY (House Committee on Ways and Means)

Rep. John Culberson, TX

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, NE

Rep. Barney Frank, MA

Rep. Ralph Hall, TX

Rep. Alcee Hastings, FL

Rep. Dean Heller, NV

Rep. Jim Himes, CT

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, TX

Rep. Jim Jordan, OH

Rep. James Langevin, RI

Rep. Steven LaTourette, OH

Rep. John Linder, GA

Rep. Elizabeth Markey, CO

Rep. Jim Matheson, UT

Rep. Kendrick Meek, FL (House Committee on Ways and Means)

Rep. John Olver, MA

Rep. Donald Payne, NJ

Rep. Peter Roskam, IL

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, NH

Rep. Adrian Smith, NE

Rep. Zack Space, OH

Rep. Patrick Tiberi, OH

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, GA

Rep. Charlie Wilson, OH

Rep. John Yarmuth, KY (House Committee on Ways and Means)

Previous Cosponsors

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, NM (Senate Committee on Finance)

Sen. Susan Collins, ME (received a ranking of 4 or 5)

Sen. James Inhofe, OK

Sen. Bernard Sanders, VT

Sen. David Vitter, LA

Rep. Neil Abercrombie, HI

Rep. Robert Andrews, NJ

Rep. Tammy Baldwin, WI

Rep. Shelley Berkley, NV

Rep. John Boozman, AR (received a ranking of 4 or 5)

Rep. Ben Chandler, KY (received a ranking of 4 or 5)

Rep. Steve Cohen, TN

Rep. Lincoln Davis, TN

Rep. Keith Ellison, MN

Rep. Mary Fallin, OK

Rep. Bob Filner, CA

Rep. Charles Gonzalez, TX

Rep. Thomas Latham, IA

Rep. Ed Pastor, AZ

Rep. Todd Platts, PA

Rep. Mike Ross, AR

Rep. Bobby Scott, VA

Rep. Betty Sutton, OH

Rep. Peter Visclosky, IN

Rep. Peter Welch, VT

Senate Committee on Finance Members

Majority - Democrats

Sen. Max Baucus, MT (Chairman)

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, NM (previously cosponsored in the 110th Congress)

Sen. Maria Cantwell, WA

Sen. Thomas Carper, DE

Sen. Kent Conrad, ND

Sen. John Kerry, MA (received a ranking of 4 or 5)

Sen. Blanche Lincoln, AR

Sen. Robert Menendez, NJ

Sen. Bill Nelson, FL

Sen. John Rockefeller, WV

Sen. Charles Schumer, NY

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, MI

Sen. Ron Wyden, OR

Minority - Republicans

Sen. Jim Bunning, KY

Sen. John Cornyn, TX

Sen. John Ensign, NV

Sen. Mike Enzi, WY

Sen. Chuck Grassley, IA (Ranking Member)

Sen. Orrin Hatch, UT

Sen. John Kyl, AZ

Sen. Pat Roberts, KS

House Committee on Ways and Means

Majority - Democrats

Rep. Xavier Becerra, CA

Rep. Shelley Berkley, NV

Rep. Joe Crowley, NY (received a ranking of 4 or 5)

Rep. Artur Davis, AL

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, TX

Rep. Bob Etheridge, NC

Rep. Brian Higgins, NY

Rep. Ron Kind, WI

Rep. John Larson, CT

Rep. Sander Levin, MI

Rep. Kendrick Meek, FL (received a ranking of 4 or 5)

Rep. Richard Neal, MA

Rep. Earl Pomeroy, ND

Rep. Charles Rangel, NY

Rep. John Tanner, TN

Rep. Mike Thompson, CA

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, MD

Rep. John Yarmuth, KY (received a ranking of 4 or 5)

Minority - Republicans

Rep. Charles Boustany, LA

Rep. Kevin Brady, TX

Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, FL

Rep. Dave Camp, MI (Ranking Member)

Rep. Eric Cantor, VA

Rep. Geoff Davis, KY

Rep. Dean Heller, NV

Rep. Wally Herger, CA

Rep. Sam Johnson, TX

Rep. John Linder, GA

Rep. Devin Nunes, CA

Rep. Dave Reichert, WA

Rep. Peter Roskam, IL

Rep. Patrick Tiberi, OH

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