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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Ohio,</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As you are aware, the time is approaching fast for the membership to attend the 2024 Washington Seminar. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>However, there is work to do prior to this advocacy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Everyone must take part in ensuring that our legislative advocacy is front and center, on the minds and hearts of our Congressional Representatives and Senators. Therefore, read below and take action. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ohio only has two Congressional Representatives as co-sponsors. We must gain more.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Attached is the ATAA Factsheet, Ohio’s Senate and Congressional Representatives contact info. Please read the info thoroughly and notate important talking points.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On Monday, I will organize a group to make calls from the Ohio Zoom Hall. After I receive Comfirmation to use the room, I will send out the time. We will review the ATTA and then, pick up the phone to call.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Here is Jeff’s email that President, Payne sent out this morning.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dear Federation Family:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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 <a href="https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2023-10/Access-Technology-Affordability-Act-Fact-Sheet.docx">Access Technology Affordability Act fact sheet</a>. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>When you call or email, you might say the following:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<span style='color:#1F497D'> </span>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 <a href="mailto:lwalsh@nfb.org">lwalsh@nfb.org</a>. If you contact your senators and representative via email, please copy me at <a href="mailto:jkaloc@nfb.org">jkaloc@nfb.org</a>. Your calls and emails do make a difference.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thank you for all that you do, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jeff<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>H.R. 3702 Cosponsors<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Peltola, Mary Sattler [D-AK-At Large] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Westerman, Bruce [R-AR-4] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Womack, Steve [R-AR-3] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Dunn, Neal P. [R-FL-2]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Lee, Laurel M. [R-FL-15] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Posey, Bill [R-FL-8]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Waltz, Michael [R-FL-6] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Ivey, Glenn [D-MD-4] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [D-MD-2] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Sarbanes, John P. [D-MD-3]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Trone, David J. [D-MD-6] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [D-NJ-9] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Balderson, Troy [R-OH-12] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Johnson, Bill [R-OH-6] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-8]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [D-VA-8] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>S. 1467 Cosponsors<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>Jeff Kaloc</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>Governmental Affairs Specialist</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif'>410-659-9314, extension 2206 | <span style='color:#1F497D'><a href="mailto:jkaloc@nfb.org">jkaloc@nfb.org</a> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://nfb.org/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=210 height=76 style='width:2.1875in;height:.7916in' id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/nfblogo.png" alt="National Federation of the Blind"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=24 height=24 style='width:.25in;height:.25in' id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/facebook.png" alt=Facebook></span></a><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=24 height=24 style='width:.25in;height:.25in' id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/twitter.png" alt=Twitter></span></a><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=24 height=24 style='width:.25in;height:.25in' id="_x0000_i1028" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/youtube.png" alt=Youtube></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>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. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>