[VABS] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert 7/20/21 - Subminimum Wages Hearing Tomorrow

[André Hill]

Dear Members of VABS,


Mr. John G. Paré Jr., Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy at our
National Headquarters, sent out an outstanding and very detailed email
regarding Anil Lewis and his testimony at the joint subcommittee hearing
tomorrow. If you are available to watch him, please do! As well as read his
testimony.


Please send an email to your member of the House of Representatives. A
template is provided in Mr. Pare's email to explain why ending 14c of FLSA
is in our best interest. I will be writing my house rep immediately and I
urge you to do the same.

If anyone missed or didn't get the email, it is below.

André





André E. Hill
Chairperson
Legislative Committee
Virginia Association of Blind Students



---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Pare, John via NFBNet-Members-List <nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>
Date: Tue, Jul 20, 2021, 2:45 PM
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert 7/20/21 - Subminimum Wages
Hearing Tomorrow
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org <nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>


Dear Federation Family:



Tomorrow (Wednesday, July 21) the US House Committee on Education and Labor
will be hosting a joint subcommittee hearing with the Subcommittee on
Workforce Protections and the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human
Services on the topic of phasing out subminimum wages. Our very own Anil
Lewis will testify on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind. We
encourage you to watch Anil’s live testimony tomorrow at 10:15 a.m.,
eastern, by visiting
https://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/phasing-out-subminimum-wages-supporting-the-transition-to-competitive-integrated-employment-for-workers-with-disabilities.




We also encourage you to read Anil’s written testimony
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements/anil-lewiss-written-testimony-joint-hearing-regarding>
on the Policy Statements page
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements> of nfb.org.
Once you have read his testimony, please take just a few moments to forward
it to your Representative in the House and urge them to cosponsor H.R.
2373, the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act. This
bill will gradually phase out subminimum wages over a five-year period and
eliminate the issuance of new Section 14(c) certificates. It will also
establish a grant program to help states and entities transition employees
with disabilities into competitive integrated employment.



When you email your representative you might write something like:



"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 Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act,
H.R. 2373. This legislation will gradually phase out subminimum wages for
workers with disabilities and facilitate their transition to competitive
integrated employment.



Thanks."



Again, we encourage you to include a link to Anil’s written testimony in
your email.



When you email your representative, please copy Stephanie Flynt at
sflynt at nfb.org. Your calls and emails do make a difference.



It is best to email the relevant staff person in your representative's
office. Please email Jesa Medders at jmedders at nfb.org and she will find the
appropriate staff member for you to email.



The bill currently has 16 cosponsors, but we are hoping that this hearing
in conjunction with your advocacy can help dramatically increase the
cosponsor count and boost Congressional awareness of this legislation. The
list of current cosponsors is pasted below.



Thank you for all that you do,

John



Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5]

Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]

Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1]

Rep. Levin, Andy [D-MI-9]

Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-11]

Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]

Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]

Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]

Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]

Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6]

Rep. Joyce, John [R-PA-13]

Rep. Axne, Cynthia [D-IA-3]

Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4]

Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]

Rep. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ-7]
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