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Fellow Federationists:<br>
<br>
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.
<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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! <br>
<br>
Please take the following action items: <br>
<br>
<font face="Wingdings" size=2>§</font>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=1>
</font>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.<br>
<br>
<font face="Wingdings" size=2>§</font>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=1>
</font>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. <br>
<br>
<font face="Wingdings" size=2>§</font>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=1>
</font>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. <br>
<br>
<font face="Wingdings" size=2>§</font>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=1>
</font>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. <br>
<br>
Jesse<br>
<br>
<br>
Jesse Hartle<br>
Government Programs Specialist<br>
Phone: (410) 659-9314, Ext. 2233<br>
Email: <a href="mailto:jhartle@nfb.org">jhartle@nfb.org</a><br>
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