[NFBWATlk] Congressional meetings set - now we need YOU!

[Marci Carpenter]

Greetings friends,

We have appointments with several of our Members of Congress. Now we need our NFB of Washington members to attend the meetings and we need some of you to sign up to speak on one of our issues. Below is information on the appointments we have, whether the Member of Congress is a cosponsor on any of our bills this year and any relevant committees they serve on related to our bills.  Below that is a link to the Washington Seminar webpage. Here you will find fact sheets on our 4 issues, information about the schedule of events (all times are Eastern) as well as video/audio of the issues training and our mock meeting. Please contact me if you are available to speak on one of our issues or if you can attend any of the meetings. It is especially important when speaking to Congresspeople to have NFBW members who live in their district presenting.

Here is the schedule so far: (All times are Pacific)

Tuesday, February 8
10 AM to 10:30 AM Senator Maria Cantwell’s staff
Not cosponsoring any bills yet
Committee: member of Committee on Finance, relevant to Access Technology 
Affordability Act (S 212)
12:20 PM to 12:35 PM Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler
Cosponsors Access Technology Affordability Act (HR 431)

Wednesday, February 9
11 AM to 11:30 AM  Senator Patty Murray’s staff
Cosponsors Access Technology Affordability Act (S 212)
Committee: Chair of Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, relevant to Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act, Twenty-First Century Websites and Applications Accessibility Act and Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (S 3238)
12:30 PM to 1 PM Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s staff
Not cosponsoring any bills yet
Committee: Member of Committee on Education and Labor, relevant to Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (HR 2373)

Thursday, February 10
9 AM to 9:30 AM Congressman Rick Larsen’s staff
Not cosponsoring any bills yet
No relevant committees
12:30 PM to 12:50 PM Congresswoman Kim Schrier
Not cosponsoring any bills yet
Committee: Member of Committee on Energy and Commerce, relevant to Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act (HR 4853) and Ywenty-First Century Websites and Applications Accessibility Act

We will be meeting with Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers staff and width Congressman Derek Kilmer in the weeks following Washington Seminar. I am still working on appointments with the rest of our congressional delegation. All meetings will be held using our affiliate Zoom line. We will send out that link, which will be the same for all appointments, closer to the first appointment.

Link to NFB Washington Seminar Page:
https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar

Please contact me ASAP if you would like to present on one of the issues to our Senators and/or to your Congressperson and/or you can attend some of the meetings.

Thank you for all that you do to help further our efforts.

Marci Carpenter, President
National Federation of the Blind of Washington
206-604-5507
mjc59 at comcast.net