[NFBV-Announce] legislative day of action on Wednesday

[Sarah Patnaude]

> From Deepa Goraya
>  NFBV Co- Legislative Director


> Dear Virginia Affiliate,
>  
> On Wednesday from 9 AM to 6 PM, we’d like to have a Day of Action where we call and email our two senators and our House representatives to urge them to include the text of the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) and a provision to eliminate the waiting periods for SSDI and Medicare in the next coronavirus relief bill. For ATAA, the most effective way to have it included in the bill is for you to call or email the tax staffer for your representative and the tax staffers for both senators and ask them to have the Congressman or Senator cosponsor the ATAA (H.R. 2086 or S. 815). A list of all the tax staffers’ email addresses and office phone numbers is at the end of this message, below the sample email. More cosponsors means more general support for the legislation, which gives it a greater chance of being written into the bigger bill. Currently, Representatives Luria, Beyer, and Wittman have cosponsored the ATAA. So you do not need to email or call their offices, unless you’d like to thank them for cosponsoring.
>  
> Also, because we don't have any standalone legislation for the elimination of the SSDI and Medicare waiting periods, we will have to let them know how important this is, and how much it would benefit all blind Americans if it were included in the bill. 
>  
> Here is a sample email you can use when emailing the tax staffers on Wednesday. When emailing, please copy John Pare from the National Center at jpare at nfb.org:
>  
> "Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent of [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME]. I live in [CITY, STATE]. I would like to urge [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME] to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act [H.R. 2086 in the House/S. 815 in the Senate]. 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 these technologies. In the wake of the coronavirus an employment bill for blind Americans is needed more than ever. 
>  
> I am also calling to urge [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME] to support language that would waive waiting periods for SSDI payments and medicare benefits during this national crisis. It’s no secret many Americans are losing their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including those with disabilities. As it currently stands, persons with disabilities wait five months before their SSDI benefits begin and 24 months before they are Medicare-eligible. Please include language to temporarily waive these waiting periods in the next coronavirus relief legislation. 
>  
> Thanks."
>  
> Tax Staffers Emails and Office Phone Numbers:
>  
> Senator Tim Kaine: Paul Lapointe - paul_lapointe at kaine.senate.gov; (202) 224-4024
>  
> Senator Mark Warner: Craig Radcliffe - craig_radcliffe at warner.senate.gov; (202) 224-2023
>  
> Congressman Scott: paige.schwartz at mail.house.gov; (202) 225-8351
>  
> Congressman McEachin: justin.goldberger at mail.house.gov; (202) 225-6365
>  
> Congressman Riggleman: haley.brady at mail.house.gov; (202) 225-4711
>  
> Congressman Cline: eric.bagwell at mail.house.gov; (202) 225-5431
>  
> Congresswoman Spanberger: sam.wojcicki at mail.house.gov; (202) 225-2815
>  
> Congressman Griffith: emily.michael at mail.house.gov; (202) 225-3861
>  
> Congresswoman Wexton: mike.lucier at mail.house.gov; (202) 225-5136
>  
> Congressman Connolly: collin.davenport at mail.house.gov; (202) 225-1492
>  
> Deepa Goraya
> NFBV Co-Legislative Director
>  
> Deepinder K. Goraya, Esq.
>  
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