[Ohio-Talk] Message from Jeff Kaloc

Thu Nov 30 13:55:29 UTC 2023

	Dear Federation Family:

I hope you had a great holiday last week. Congress is back in session this
week and we have just learned that there may be a year-end tax component
added to the annual National Defense Authorization Act. We believe the
Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 3702/S. 1467) is a perfect
candidate for that package. The best way to get committee chairs to notice
the bill is to drive the cosponsor counts in both the House and the Senate
as high as we can. We currently have 44 cosponsors in the House and 14 in
the Senate (current cosponsor lists for both chambers below). As a quick
reminder, the Access Technology Affordability Act would create a $2,000
refundable tax credit that could be used to offset the high cost of access
technology. For a more thorough explanation, you can read our Access
Technology Affordability Act fact sheet
<https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2023-10/Access-Technology-Affordability
-Act-Fact-Sheet.docx> . 

Even if you may have already reached out to your members of Congress, it is
essential that we reach out again because sometimes notes and emails are
misplaced and we need to ensure our representatives in Washington receive
our message. Remember, it is not just you calling and emailing, but when we
all work together the full strength of the National Federation of the Blind
is on display.

When you call or email, you might say the following:
"Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent of
[SENATOR/REPRESENTATIVE NAME]. I live in [CITY, STATE]. I would like to urge
[SENATOR/REPRESENTATIVE NAME] to cosponsor the Access Technology
Affordability Act, S. 1467/H.R. 3702. This legislation removes an employment
barrier commonly experienced by blind Americans who cannot afford the high
cost of access technology by creating a refundable tax credit in the amount
of $2,000 to offset the cost of this technology.
Thanks."

You can contact your member of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard
and asking for the office in question. The number is 202-224-3121. We have
also attached a contact list for Senate and House offices, sorted by state,
to this email, but if you have any questions on office contacts, please
contact Lindsey Walsh at lwalsh at nfb.org <mailto:lwalsh at nfb.org> . If you
contact your senators and representative via email, please copy me at
jkaloc at nfb.org <mailto:jkaloc at nfb.org> . Your calls and emails do make a
difference.

Thank you for all that you do, 
Jeff

H.R. 3702 Cosponsors
Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]      
Rep. Peltola, Mary Sattler [D-AK-At Large]            
Rep. Westerman, Bruce [R-AR-4]              
Rep. Womack, Steve [R-AR-3]     
Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19]  
Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4]
Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22]              
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20]
Rep. Dunn, Neal P. [R-FL-2]
Rep. Lee, Laurel M. [R-FL-15]      
Rep. Posey, Bill [R-FL-8]
Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5]
Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27]          
Rep. Waltz, Michael [R-FL-6]       
Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]
Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]
Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]          
Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10]   
Rep. Ivey, Glenn [D-MD-4]           
Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7]    
Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]       
Rep. Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [D-MD-2]            
Rep. Sarbanes, John P. [D-MD-3]
Rep. Trone, David J. [D-MD-6]    
Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2]             
Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8]      
Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3]
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]  
Rep. Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [D-NJ-9]     
Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11]      
Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]         
Rep. Balderson, Troy [R-OH-12] 
Rep. Johnson, Bill [R-OH-6]          
Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-8]
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]              
Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2]        
Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18]            
Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large]    
Rep. Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [D-VA-8]           
Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1]

S. 1467 Cosponsors
Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]        
Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]        
Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN]
Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT] 
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]     
Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]     
Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND]           
Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]        
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] 
Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]     
Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]      
Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]

Jeff Kaloc
Governmental Affairs Specialist
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
410-659-9314, extension 2206 | jkaloc at nfb.org <mailto:jkaloc at nfb.org>  

 <https://nfb.org/> 

<http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind>
<https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice>      <https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind> 

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. 

Richard Payne,  President
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
937/829/3368
Rchpay7 at gmail.com <mailto:Rchpay7 at gmail.com> 
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.

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