[nfbwatlk] FW: Response from Senator Murray

[mjc59 at q.com]

Hi Ben and listers,

I emailed her about the issue a few weeks ago also, and received the EXACT same response as you, Ben.. I also called her office and got no response. There was a hearing of the HELP Subcommittee last week at which Fred Schroeder spoke. I watched it a couple of days ago. I never heard Sen.Murray speak, and was not able to tell if she was even there. I'll try to find the link and post it. Nothing was decided. Our national office must have known this since no notice on it was disseminated. I'll try to find out where things stand and let everyone know.

See you soon,

Marci
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bennett Prows (HHS/OCR)" <Bennett.Prows at HHS.GOV>
To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 8:36:40 AM
Subject: [nfbwatlk] FW: Response from Senator Murray

I sent a letter to Senator Murray some time ago about not permitting section 511 of the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to pass with the rest of the bill.  WE oppose any reference to letting some employers apply for a certificate of exemption to allow them to pay blind workers much less than the minimum wage.

As you'll see, there is no commitment from her in this response, which merely shows her strong support for WIA.  I'm glad she supports workers, but don't have any idea of her stand on requiring the minimum wage for blind people.  I think more pressure through E-mails and letters is appropriate.


From: Senator at murray.senate.gov [mailto:Senator at murray.senate.gov]
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 8:25 AM
To: Prows, Bennett (HHS/OCR)
Subject: Response from Senator Murray




Dear Mr. Prows:



Thank you for contacting me about the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).  I appreciate hearing from you.



Passed in 1998, WIA provides job training and related services to low-income individuals, dislocated workers, and the unemployed.  I strongly support WIA and the services it provides. WIA programs are invaluable resources to millions of individuals, especially for the thousands of disadvantaged groups that might not otherwise have access to job training and employment assistance. WIA provides many Americans with the assistance they need to find steady employment.



The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009, provided an additional $4.2 billion in funding for WIA Title I workforce development programs.  WIA Title I programs include Job Corps, YouthBuild, the Veterans' Workforce Investment Program, and dislocated worker programs, among many others.  These programs are providing American workers with access to job training centers and new job skills, even while enduring one of the most challenging job markets in recent history.



As the Chair of the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, I am leading the effort to reauthorize WIA, and I am working closely with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that we pass this bill as soon as possible.  In addition, as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am fighting to ensure that federal job training programs receive adequate funding.



Rest assured, as the Senate both continues its work on WIA and considers similar legislation, I will keep your concerns in mind.



Again, thank you for contacting me.  I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.  If you would like to know more about my work in the Senate, please feel free to sign up for my updates at http://murray.senate.gov/updates<https://iqs3.solutions.lmit.com/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&cid=quorum_murray-iq&crop=14371.8191115.7986634.9004349&redirect=http%3a%2f%2fmurray.senate.gov%2fupdates>.  Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I may be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Patty Murray
United States Senator
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