[Ohio-talk] We need your help to pass the Space Available Act in the Senate

[Barbara Pierce]

I have just heard from Lauren McLarney at the National Center. We have been trying to get disabled veterans added to the groups who can ride on military planes when there is space available. The bill number in the Senate is S 346. Our bill was  added to the National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA, in the House, and it passed. We are running into the same problem we faced last year in the Senate. Senator Tester, the lead sponsor, did not try to  add the Space Available Act to the bill by Amending NDAA in the committee process, so it is not in. The only chance is to get NDAA amended on the Senate floor. They may not allow amendments, and there are problems surfacing with the other parts of the NDAA, but we have to try to get our amendment into NDAA on the Senate floor because it is the only chance we have for passing this bill this year. Here is what Lauren asks us to do:

We need everyone to do two things. 1) Call Senator Tester’s office (202-224-2644) or email his staffers (dylan_laslovich at tester.senate.gov and Jorge_Rueda at hsgac.senate.gov) and urge them to file Space Available as an amendment to NDAA. If amendments are allowed, Space A needs to be in line for consideration! 2) Please call Senator Levin’s committee office (202) 224-3871) or email his staffer (jonathan_clark at armed-services.senate.gov) to urge them to include Space Available in NDAA. 
 
We can’t allow Space Available to sit on the shelf for yet another year, collecting dust and cosponsors, while the right vehicle to move it keeps circling the block and refusing to pick up amendments. That would mean a procedural problem stopped this bill, rather than any real problem with the actual bill itself. Please speak up on behalf of blind veterans and help us get Space Available in NDAA!

Carl Levin is the chair of the committee, so he will decide how things get done. Please take a minute to contact both of these offices. Veterans are counting on us.

Thanks,
Barbara
Barbara Pierce
President Emerita
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
bpierce at oberlin.net
440-774-8077