[VABS] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Urgent Legislative Alert 9-10-2018

Tue Sep 11 00:07:38 UTC 2018

Dear VABS Members!

Below you will find an urgent letter written by Mr. John Paré. I urge you
to read it and reach out to your elected officials. Together we can make it
happen!! So let's make some calls and send some emails.

Signed,

André E. Hill

-Chair, Legislative Committee
Virginia Association of Blind Students
National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

-Student Member
Electronic Information & Technology Advisory Board
Tidewater Community College

-Member- Planning Activities Committee & Alumni Advisory Council
Maryland Youth Leadership Forum

"I see my path, but I don't know where it leads. Not knowing where I'm
going is what inspires me to travel it.”-Rosalía de Castro

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Pare, John via NFBNet-Members-List <nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>
Date: Mon, Sep 10, 2018, 6:09 PM
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Urgent Legislative Alert 9-10-2018
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org <nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>

Dear Fellow Federationists:

We are at a critical point with two of our legislative priorities which
need your immediate attention.

First, the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act (S. 2559) is sitting idle in
the House Judiciary Committee. We need Chairman Goodlatte to discharge this
bill and put it on the House suspension calendar for a vote. The Department
of State will not ratify the treaty until the House of Representative
passes this bill and the president signs it into law. This legislation is
noncontroversial, supported by all relevant stakeholders, and was passed
unanimously by the Senate on June 28.

Please call Chairman Goodlatte at 202-225-5431 and urge him to "support
blind Americans by putting the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act, S.
2559, on the House suspension calendar." Note that Chairman Goodlatte's
email web-form blocks any emails from outside his district, so please
contact his office via phone.

Our second topic is the Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 1734). We
are up to 84 cosponsors in the House and 12 in the Senate. Special thanks
to the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois. Fourteen House members
from Illinois and Senator Tammy Duckworth have cosponsored this legislation.

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. If you
email your representative, please copy me at JPare at nfb.org<mailto:
JPare at nfb.org>.

When you call or email, you might say something like the following:

"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a constituent of [your
representative]. I live in [city, state]. I am calling to urge [your
representative] to cosponsor H.R. 1734, the Access Technology Affordability
Act. This bill would increase the availability of Access Technology thereby
increasing educational and employment opportunities for all blind
Americans. The bill does this by creating a tax credit for the purchase of
access technology. The National Federation of the Blind has analyzed the
cost impact and the bill is either cost neutral or will save the government
money. I urge [representative] to cosponsor the bill. Thanks."

The 84 House cosponsors are listed below in alphabetical order by state.
You do not need to contact your representative regarding ATAA if he or she
is already on this list.

In summary we are asking you to make two calls. One to Chairman Goodlatte
regarding the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act, and a second call to
your representative regarding the Access Technology Affordability Act. If
you have any questions I can be reached at 410-659-9314, extension 2218.

Thanks,
John

Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 1734) Cosponsors
Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]
Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]
Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-3]
Rep. O'Halleran, Tom [D-AZ-1]
Rep. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ-9]
Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46]
Rep. Denham, Jeff [R-CA-10]
Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]
Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-19]
Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-32]
Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]
Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28]
Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-41]
Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35]
Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]
Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
Rep. Curbelo, Carlos [R-FL-26]
Rep. Demings, Val Butler [D-FL-10]
Rep. Gaetz, Matt [R-FL-1]
Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [D-FL-20]
Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5]
Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-18]
Rep. Posey, Bill [R-FL-8]
Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-27]
Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9]
Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2]
Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]
Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]
Rep. Bustos, Cheri [D-IL-17]
Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]
Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL-13]
Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11]
Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4]
Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]
Rep. LaHood, Darin [R-IL-18]
Rep. Lipinski, Daniel [D-IL-3]
Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
Rep. Roskam, Peter J. [R-IL-6]
Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1]
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10]
Rep. Brooks, Susan W. [R-IN-5]
Rep. Messer, Luke [R-IN-6]
Rep. Visclosky, Peter J. [D-IN-1]
Rep. Blum, Rod [R-IA-1]
Rep. Loebsack, David [D-IA-2]
Rep. Young, David [R-IA-3]
Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6]
Rep. Yarmuth, John A. [D-KY-3]
Rep. Poliquin, Bruce [R-ME-2]
Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
Rep. Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [D-MD-2]
Rep. Capuano, Michael E. [D-MA-7]
Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
Rep. Tsongas, Niki [D-MA-3]
Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5]
Rep. Upton, Fred [R-MI-6]
Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5]
Rep. Nolan, Richard M. [D-MN-8]
Rep. Peterson, Collin C. [D-MN-7]
Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]
Rep. Kihuen, Ruben J. [D-NV-4]
Rep. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV-3]
Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]
Rep. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM-3]
Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13]
Rep. Faso, John J. [R-NY-19]
Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-2]
Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]
Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4]
Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14]
Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]
Rep. Stivers, Steve [R-OH-15]
Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-2]
Rep. Meehan, Patrick [R-PA-7]
Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-16]
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-5]
Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1]
Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30]
Rep. O'Rourke, Beto [D-TX-16]
Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-32]
Rep. Garrett, Thomas A., Jr. [R-VA-5]
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]

John G. Paré Jr.
Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314, extension 2218 | jpare at nfb.org<mailto:jpare at nfb.org>

[National Federation of the Blind]<https://nfb.org/>

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