<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Hi All,<div>Now is the time to contact your member of the House of Representatives requesting support for this bill. Note the information below about how this legislation is expected to save the government money. Please ask your frineds and family to call or send emails as well.</div><div>Helen</div><div><div>
<meta charset="UTF-8"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div>Helen Mejia, President</div>National Federation of the Blind<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>of Iowa<br>hmejia@nfbi.org<br>(570) 983-7867</div>
</div>
<div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>From: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Shirek, Jesse via NFBNet-Members-List" <nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>[Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert - April 14, 2025</b><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Date: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 14, 2025 at 1:22:38\u202fPM CDT<br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>To: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org" <nfbnet-members-list@nfbnet.org><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Reply-To: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Shirek, Jesse" <jshirek@nfb.org><br></span></div><br><div><meta charset="UTF-8"><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Dear Federation Family:<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Last week, the United States House of Representatives passed the FY25 Concurrent Budget Resolution. Now that both chambers of Congress have passed this resolution, the work begins on the comprehensive tax bill, part of the reconciliation process that is frequently mentioned in the news. This comprehensive tax bill is the perfect vehicle to include our tax bill, the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA). In order to get the Access Technology Affordability Act, bill number H.R. 1529, included in the overall tax bill, we need substantial bipartisan cosponsor support. We are well on our way to that goal. Currently we have eighteen cosponsors. Of those, eight are Republican and ten are Democratic.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">We need to make a substantial and intensive effort to get a lot more cosponsors, especially Republican cosponsors since the Republicans hold the majority in both the House and Senate. We are currently in a fantastic position to get the Access Technology Affordability Act enacted into law. One recent development in our favor is the dynamic score done by Mathematica. This score estimates that the ATAA would save the Federal government $315 million over a five-year period.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">This is the ideal opportunity that members of the National Federation of the Blind have been waiting for. We have a tax vehicle, we have a solid estimate that the bill will save the Federal government $315 million, and we have a bill sponsor who is dedicated to the bill, but we do not have a lot of time. Congress will pass the comprehensive tax bill as soon as they come to an agreement. If we are going to get the ATAA included, we need to demonstrate overwhelming support in the next few weeks. It is vitally important that we reach out to every member of Congress, if they have not already cosponsored ATAA. We need your help in this endeavor.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">When you call or email, you might say the following:<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">"Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent of [REPRESENTATIVE NAME]. I live in [CITY, STATE]. I would like to urge [REPRESENTATIVE NAME] to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act, H.R. 1529. This bill will create a refundable tax credit for the purchase of qualified access technology for the blind. In addition, a recent report created by Mathematica estimates that the passage of the Access Technology Affordability Act will actually save the government money, approximately $315 million over five years, by increasing employment for blind Americans, thereby decreasing the need for us to receive government benefits while contributing more in taxes.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Thanks."<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">A current list of cosponsors, organized alphabetically by state, is below. If your representative is already on this list, you have helped a tremendous amount. Great job! If your representative does not yet appear on this list, 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 of House offices, sorted by state, to this email, but if you have any questions on office contacts, please contact Lindsey Walsh at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:lwalsh@nfb.org" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134); text-decoration: underline;">lwalsh@nfb.org</a>. If you contact your representative via email, please copy Jesse Shirek at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:jshirek@nfb.org" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134); text-decoration: underline;">jshirek@nfb.org</a>. Your calls and emails are important feedback for our members of Congress to receive and truly do make a difference.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16] (Sponsor)<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4] (Lead Cosponsor)<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. LaHood, Darin [R-IL-16] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1]<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Thank you for all of your hard work,<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;">Jesse<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Jesse Shirek<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Governmental Affairs Specialist<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">410-659-9314, extension 2348 |<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:jshirek@nfb.org" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134); text-decoration: underline;">jshirek@nfb.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><a href="https://nfb.org/" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134); text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" width="210" height="76" id="_x0000_i1028" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/nfblogo.png" alt="National Federation of the Blind" style="width: 2.1833in; height: 0.7916in;"></span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134); text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/facebook.png" alt="Facebook" style="width: 0.25in; height: 0.25in;"></span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134); text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/twitter.png" alt="Twitter" style="width: 0.25in; height: 0.25in;"></span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind" style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134); text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/email/2/youtube.png" alt="Youtube" style="width: 0.25in; height: 0.25in;"></span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span>The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation\u2019s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>