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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%"><b>Aloha NABS members and leaders</b>:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%">The House Education and Labor Committee will hold a full committee hearing on the Transformation to Competitive Employment Act, H.R. 873, on Tuesday, May 21<sup>st</sup>. We need to build more
cosponsor support for this bill before that date. Chairman Bobby Scott is the bill champion along with Cathy McMorris-Rogers. Currently, there are thirty-seven co-sponsors on TCE. Please contact your member of congress and urge them to cosponsor H.R. 873,
the Transformation to Competitive Employment Act.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%">You can contact your representative by calling the Capitol Switchboard and asking for the office in question. The number is (202) 224-3121. If you email your representative, please copy Kimie
Eacobacci at <a href="mailto:keacobacci@nfb.org"><span style="color:windowtext">keacobacci@nfb.org</span></a> .<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%">It is critical that we move on this quickly, so please strive to make your calls and send your emails as soon as possible.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%">I have also included a short sample ask for you:
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%">“My name is [name] and I am a constituent of Representative [name]. I am calling to encourage the Representative to cosponsor the Transformation to Competitive Employment Act (H.R. 873). The
Transformation to Competitive Employment Act provides a thoughtful approach to phasing out Section 14(c) subminimum wage certificates over a six-year period while providing the funding, supports and training necessary to change the infrastructure of outdated
business models. This “capacity-building” component of the bill is what distinguishes it from other bills that have attempted 14(c) phase-outs and is a responsible approach to ending the discriminatory payment of subminimum wage while helping businesses transform
to competitive integrated employment settings. This bill aligns with the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), which prioritizes competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities and significantly limits the use of subminimum wages, and
with the recommendations of the WIOA Advisory Committee, which recommended a thoughtful phase-out of 14(c) together with a systematic approach to expand capacity for competitive integrated employment, particularly for people transitioning out of sheltered
workshops. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%">Thank you for your support of blind Americans.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%">[Your Name]”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">If you want to see if your Congresswoman or Congressman is already signed on, check out this list. Current House co-sponsors for H.R 873 are:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Rodgers, Cathy McMorris [R-WA-5]* 01/30/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-11] 02/07/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] 02/11/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] 02/14/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25] 02/14/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9] 02/14/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4] 02/14/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14] 02/22/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large] 02/22/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1] 02/22/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2] 02/27/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] 03/06/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2] 03/06/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] 03/12/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26] 03/14/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-10] 03/14/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray, Jr. [D-CA-39] 03/14/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY-18] 03/21/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] 03/27/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13] 03/27/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7] 04/03/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] 04/12/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Cooper, Jim [D-TN-5] 04/29/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5] 05/01/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Langevin, James R. [D-RI-2] 05/03/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3] 05/03/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] 05/03/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-1] 05/10/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Garcia, Jesus G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4] 05/14/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Levin, Andy [D-MI-9] 05/14/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Davis, Susan A. [D-CA-53] 05/14/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Stewart, Chris [R-UT-2] 05/14/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-13] 05/14/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] 05/15/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17] 05/15/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Trone, David J. [D-MD-6] 05/15/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] 05/15/2019</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Current Senate co-sponsors for S. 260 are:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Sen. Robert Casey [D-PA] </span>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]* 01/29/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Sen. Harris, Kamala D. [D-CA] 03/12/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] 03/26/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] 04/01/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] 04/04/2019
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] 04/30/2019</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Please let me know how I can help! Additionally, you can always reach out to:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Kimie Eacobacci<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Government Affairs Specialist<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(410) 659-9314, extension 2441 | <a href="mailto:keacobacci@nfb.org">
keacobacci@nfb.org</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mahalo (Thank you),<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Justin<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Justin M. Hideaki Salisbury<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">he/him/his<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Board Member | National Association of Blind Students<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(808) 797-8606<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">president@alumni.ecu.edu | <a href="http://www.nabslink.org/">
<span style="color:blue">www.nabslink.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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