[Nfb-krafters-korner] Legislative Alert-Take Action-Cosponsors Needed for NFB Silent Car Legislation

[David Andrews]

>From: McCarthy, Jim
>To: undisclosed-recipients:
>Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 9:17 AM
>Subject: Legislative Alert-Take Action-Cosponsors Needed for NFB Silent
>Car Legislation
>
>Fellow Federationists:
>
>
>
>             It pleases me to write to you announcing that our silent car
>legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives.  Ed
>Towns, Democrat of New York, and Cliff Stearns, Republican of Florida,
>has introduced H.R. 5734, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008.
>Therefore, your help is needed to gain cosponsors of this important
>legislation.
>
>
>
>             This legislation assures that blind and other pedestrians
>will receive the information needed to make proper judgments regarding
>the presence of vehicles, in order that we can travel safely.  It does
>so by:
>
>   a.. Requiring the Department of Transportation to convene a study
>within ninety days of its enactment;
>   b.. Requiring the study to determine whether a minimum sound standard
>or some other approach will provide blind and other pedestrians the most
>accurate information regarding speed, location, and direction of travel
>for the vehicles;
>   c.. Requiring that, when making this consideration, the study must
>evaluate the cost of each method examined, including the cost of
>providing all pedestrians any technology they must possess under each
>approach; and
>   d.. Requiring that the study consider which approach permits the
>greatest amount of independent spontaneous travel for blind and other
>pedestrians.
>
>
>             Once the study reaches its conclusions, the Department of
>Transportation must report its findings to Congress, and within ninety
>days of the study's end, the Department of Transportation must establish
>a vehicle safety standard that implements the results of the study.
>Finally, two years after the safety standard is implemented, all new
>cars sold in the United States must comply.
>
>
>
>             This legislation is under jurisdiction of the House
>Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the House
>Committee on Energy and Commerce.  This subcommittee and its full
>committee are the most important members for this bill, though we want
>all the members that we can get to cosponsor this legislation.  Both of
>our original sponsors are members of the subcommittee, and Stearns was
>its chair when republicans controlled the House of Representatives.
>
>
>
>             Now that the bill has been introduced, we need cosponsors.
>This is so because the attention gained will push Committee and House
>leadership to conduct hearings that will help us get out the message
>that, if solutions are not promptly found and implemented, silent cars
>will place the independence of blind Americans in real peril.  To help
>with this task, it is critical that you get your representatives to sign
>on to H.R. 5734.  Recall that you can reach the Capitol switchboard by
>calling (202) 225-3121.   I am providing lists of the subcommittee and
>full committee members, but you are urged to get all members of the
>House to join as cosponsors.  Thank you for all you do.  Let us now make
>a difference in assuring that we can hear cars now and in the future.
>
>
>
>Most cordially,
>
>
>
>James McCarthy
>
>Government Programs Specialist
>
>National Federation of the Blind
>
>
>
>
>
>FULL COMMITTEE on
>
>Energy and Commerce
>
>John D. Dingell (MI), Chairman
>
>(Ratio:  31-26)
>
>Henry A. Waxman, CA
>
>Joe Barton, TX, Ranking Member
>
>Edward J. Markey, MA
>
>Ralph M. Hall, TX
>
>Rick Boucher, VA
>
>Fred Upton, MI
>
>Edolphus Towns, NY
>
>Cliff Stearns, FL
>
>Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ
>
>Nathan Deal, GA
>
>Bart Gordon, TN
>
>Ed Whitfield, KY
>
>Bobby L. Rush, IL
>
>Barbara Cubin, WY
>
>Anna G. Eshoo, CA
>
>John Shimkus, IL
>
>Bart Stupak, MI
>
>Heather Wilson, NM
>
>Eliot L. Engel, NY
>
>John Shadegg, AZ
>
>Gene Green, TX
>
>Charles W. "Chip" Pickering, MS
>
>Diana DeGette, CO, Vice Chair
>
>Vito Fossella, NY
>
>Lois Capps, CA
>
>Roy Blunt, MO
>
>Mike Doyle, PA
>
>Steve Buyer, IN
>
>Jane Harman, CA
>
>George Radanovich, CA
>
>Tom Allen, ME
>
>Joseph R. Pitts, PA
>
>Jan Schakowsky, IL
>
>Mary Bono Mack, CA
>
>Hilda L. Solis, CA
>
>Greg Walden, OR
>
>Charles A. Gonzalez, TX
>
>Lee Terry, NE
>
>Jay Inslee, WA
>
>Mike Ferguson, NJ
>
>Tammy Baldwin, WI
>
>Mike Rogers, MI
>
>Mike Ross, AR
>
>Sue Wilkins Myrick, NC
>
>Darlene Hooley, OR
>
>John Sullivan, OK
>
>Anthony D. Weiner, NY
>
>Tim Murphy, PA
>
>Jim Matheson, UT
>
>Michael C. Burgess, TX
>
>G. K. Butterfield, NC
>
>Marsha Blackburn, TN
>
>Charlie Melancon, LA
>
>John Barrow, GA
>
>Baron P. Hill, IN
>
>Vacancy
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>SUBCOMMITTEE ON
>COMMERCE, TRADE, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION
>(Ratio:  16-13)
>Bobby L. Rush (IL), Chairman
>
>Jan Schakowsky, IL, Vice Chair
>
>Ed Whitfield, KY, Ranking Member
>
>G. K. Butterfield, NC
>
>Cliff Stearns, FL
>
>John Barrow, GA
>
>Charles W. "Chip" Pickering, MS
>
>Baron P. Hill, IN
>
>Vito Fossella, NY
>
>Edward J. Markey, MA
>
>George Radanovich, CA
>
>Rick Boucher, VA
>
>Joseph R. Pitts, PA
>
>Edolphus Towns, NY
>
>Mary Bono Mack, CA
>
>Diana DeGette, CO
>
>Lee Terry, NE
>
>Charles A. Gonzalez, TX
>
>Sue Wilkins Myrick, NC
>
>Mike Ross, AR
>
>John Sullivan, OK
>
>Darlene Hooley, OR
>
>Michael C. Burgess, TX
>
>Anthony D. Weiner, NY
>
>Marsha Blackburn, TN
>
>Jim Matheson, UT
>
>Joe Barton, TX (Ex Officio)
>
>Charlie Melancon, LA
>
>John D. Dingell (Ex Officio)
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