[Nfbv-announce] Action needed this week to support Marrakesh Treaty
Tracy Soforenko
tracy.soforenko at gmail.com
Wed May 9 02:53:21 UTC 2018
Hi Virginia Federationists,
Our hard work is paying off but we need your help to move our legislation forward.
We are at a critical time for the Marrakesh Treaty and we are making good progress with the Access Technology Affordability Act. I am requesting the following:
A. Call or email Senator Warner who is on the critically important Senate Foreign relations Committee
Senator Mark Warner has not come out with a position on the Marrakesh Treaty. Given this is a treaty, we need very strong support in the Senate and we need you to ideally call Senator Warner’s office on Wednesday or Thursday or shortly thereafter) to request his support of the Marrakesh Implementation Act, S. 2559. Additionally, please ask him to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act S 732. If you absolutely can’t make the short phone call, you can email his office using the template text below customizing the message from John Pare. Phone calls get far more weight in the Congressional offices.
Phone: 202-224-2023
B. Call Senator Kaine to thank him for supporting the Marrakesh Implementation Act, S. 2559 and ask him to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act S. 732
Senator Kaine has agreed to support the Marrakesh Treaty legislation and it always helps to say thank you. In addition, it would help to ask for his support of the Access Technology Affordability Act s 732.
Phone: (202) 224-4024
C. Attend Thursday morning’s Senate Judiciary committee meeting
The Senate Judiciary Committee will be marking up the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act (S. 2559) this Thursday, May 10, at 10:00 a.m. The location is room 226 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. I urge you to attend if possible. For those planning to attend, please plan to arrive at security no later than 9:15 a.m. to allow enough time to get through the security lines and get to the room. We do not know how many other people might be attending. I mention this because seating is on a first come, first served basis. It will help if you contact Sandy Halverson to let her know you are attending.
This is an exciting time but we need your help keeping up the momentum.
Tracy Soforenko
President, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia
202 285-4595
<mailto:Tracy.soforenko at gmail.com> Tracy.soforenko at gmail.com
<http://www.nfb.org> www.nfb.org
<http://www.nfbv.org> www.nfbv.org
National Federation of the Blind. Live the Life You Want
The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
From: NFBNet-Members-List <nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Pare, John via NFBNet-Members-List
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2018 7:54 AM
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert - May 7, 2018
Dear Fellow Federationists:
We are making great progress on all of our legislative issues, especially the Marrakesh Treaty. We had a very successful hearing in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, April 18. Scott LaBarre did a fantastic job offering our testimony. You can view the entire hearing at the following link: https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/treaties-041818
The Senate Judiciary Committee will be voting on the Marrakesh Implementation Act, S. 2559, this week on Thursday, May 10. We need to build more cosponsor support for this bill before that date. Senator Grassley is the bill sponsor and the current cosponsors are:
Bob Corker (TN)
Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Kamala Harris (CA)
Orrin Hatch (UT)
Patrick Leahy (VT)
Bob Menendez (NJ)
If your senator is not on this list please contact him or her and urge them to cosponsor S. 2559, the Marrakesh Implementation Act.
We are also making excellent progress on the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) in both the House (sixty-one cosponsors) and the Senate (ten cosponsors). The complete list of ATAA cosponsors is included at the end of this email. If your representative is not on this list, please urge them to cosponsor H.R. 1734, and if you don’t read your senators’ names, please contact them and ask them to cosponsor S. 732.
You can contact your senator or representative by calling the Capitol Switchboard and asking for the office in question. The number is (202) 224-3121. If you email your senators or representative, please copy me at JPare at nfb.org <mailto:JPare at nfb.org> .
It is critical that we move on this quickly, so please strive to make your calls and send your emails as soon as possible.
I have also included a short sample ask that could be used for the items above:
“My name is [name] and I am a constituent of Senator [name]. I am calling to encourage the Senator to cosponsor the Marrakesh Implementation Act (S. 2559). The Marrakesh Implementation Act would expand reading options for millions of blind and other Americans with print disabilities. I also ask that the Senator/Representative cosponsor S. 732/H.R. 1734, the Access Technology Affordability Act. This bill will increase opportunities for blind Americans to get the access technology they need to secure education and employment.
Thank you for your support of blind Americans.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]”
Warm regards,
John
John G. Paré Jr.
Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy
(410) 659-9314, extension 2218 | Jpare at nfb.org <mailto:Jpare at nfb.org>
S. 732 Cosponsors:
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO]
Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE]
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK]
H.R. 1734 Cosponsors:
Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]
Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-3]
Rep. O'Halleran, Tom [D-AZ-1]
Rep. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ-9]
Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]
Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-19]
Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-32]
Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]
Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28]
Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-41]
Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35]
Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]
Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
Rep. Demings, Val Butler [D-FL-10]
Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5]
Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-18]
Rep. Posey, Bill [R-FL-8]
Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-27]
Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2]
Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]
Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]
Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL-13]
Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11]
Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4]
Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]
Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1]
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
Rep. Messer, Luke [R-IN-6]
Rep. Visclosky, Peter J. [D-IN-1]
Rep. Blum, Rod [R-IA-1]
Rep. Loebsack, David [D-IA-2]
Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6]
Rep. Yarmuth, John A. [D-KY-3]
Rep. Poliquin, Bruce [R-ME-2]
Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
Rep. Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [D-MD-2]
Rep. Capuano, Michael E. [D-MA-7]
Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
Rep. Tsongas, Niki [D-MA-3]
Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5]
Rep. Nolan, Richard M. [D-MN-8]
Rep. Peterson, Collin C. [D-MN-7]
Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]
Rep. Kihuen, Ruben J. [D-NV-4]
Rep. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV-3]
Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]
Rep. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM-3]
Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-2]
Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]
Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]
Rep. Stivers, Steve [R-OH-15]
Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-2]
Rep. Meehan, Patrick [R-PA-7]
Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-16]
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-5]
Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1]
Rep. O'Rourke, Beto [D-TX-16]
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
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