[Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert June 19, 2020

[Pare, John]

Dear Federation Family:

Great news! We are up to 101 cosponsors on the Access Technology Affordability Act in the House and 23 in the Senate. This would not be possible without your calls, emails, and social media.

Since the beginning of June, we have gained ten new cosponsors in the House:
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]
Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]
Rep. Crawford, Eric A. "Rick" [R-AR-1]
Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11]
Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7]
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]
Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4]
Rep. Welch, Peter [D-VT-At Large]

And in that same time span we've gained one new cosponsor in the Senate:
Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]

Yesterday, the House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, held a hearing entitled Tax Relief to Support Workers and Families during the COVID-19 Recession.

Rep. Thompson, who is both chair of the subcommittee and the sponsor of the Access Technology Affordability Act, expressed strong support for the bill and urged his fellow members to support it as well. He also entered the attached support letter from President Riccobono into the record.

Please continue to contact your senators and representatives and urge them to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act if they have not already done so. A complete list of Senate and House cosponsors can be found below.

When you call or email your senators or representative you might say something like:

"Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent of [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME]. I live in [CITY, STATE]. COVID-19 has impacted employment and educational opportunities for blind Americans. In a time of physical distancing, self-sufficiency is also paramount. I urge [REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME] to cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act [H.R. 2086 in the House/S. 815 in the Senate]. This bill creates a refundable tax credit in the amount of $2,000 to offset the cost of expensive access technology, such as Braille embossers, Braille notetakers, and screen reading software. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic a bill that will help increase employment opportunities, educational opportunities, and self-sufficiency for blind Americans is needed more than ever. Thank you."

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 or senators, please copy Jeff Kaloc at jkaloc at nfb.org<mailto:jkaloc at nfb.org>. Your calls and emails do make a difference.

It is best to call or email the relevant tax staffer in your member of Congress's office. If you need the name and email of the appropriate staff person for any Senate or House office, please email Jesa Medders at jmedders at nfb.org<mailto:jmedders at nfb.org>.

The more cosponsors we have in the House and Senate, the more likely Congress will include this bill in the next COVID-19 package. That package is likely to pass sometime in July so we need to continue to build cosponsor support quickly.

Have a great weekend.

Warm regards,
John Pare
National Federation of the Blind
410-659-9314, extension 2218

H.R. 2086 Cosponsors
Rep. Rogers, Mike D. [R-AL-3]
Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]
Rep. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ-7]
Rep. Kirkpatrick, Ann [D-AZ-2]
Rep. Schweikert, David [R-AZ-6]
Rep. Crawford, Eric A. "Rick" [R-AR-1]
Rep. Aguilar, Pete [D-CA-31]
Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26]
Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-42]
Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-18]
Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-10]
Rep. Hunter, Duncan D. [R-CA-50]
Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]
Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-13]
Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-33]
Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-6]
Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-20]
Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43]
Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6]
Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1]
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]
Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE-At Large]
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
Rep. Gaetz, Matt [R-FL-1]
Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5]
Rep. Murphy, Stephanie N. [D-FL-7]
Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-4]
Rep. Shalala, Donna E. [D-FL-27]
Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9]
Rep. Spano, Ross [R-FL-15]
Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17]
Rep. Yoho, Ted S. [R-FL-3]
Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2]
Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]
Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL-13]
Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11]
Rep. Garcia, Jesus G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]
Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
Rep. LaHood, Darin [R-IL-18]
Rep. Lipinski, Daniel [D-IL-3]
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10]
Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14]
Rep. Carson, Andre [D-IN-7]
Rep. Visclosky, Peter J. [D-IN-1]
Rep. Yarmuth, John A. [D-KY-3]
Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2]
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]
Rep. Brown, Anthony G. [D-MD-4]
Rep. Cummings, Elijah E. [D-MD-7]
Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7]
Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
Rep. Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [D-MD-2]
Rep. Sarbanes, John P. [D-MD-3]
Rep. Trone, David J. [D-MD-6]
Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
Rep. Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-2]
Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5]
Rep. Levin, Andy [D-MI-9]
Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-4]
Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11]
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-13]
Rep. Upton, Fred [R-MI-6]
Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4]
Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]
Rep. Luetkemeyer, Blaine [R-MO-3]
Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2]
Rep. Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [D-NJ-9]
Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11]
Rep. Sires, Albio [D-NJ-8]
Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]
Rep. Serrano, Jose E. [D-NY-15]
Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12]
Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4]
Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]
Rep. Stivers, Steve [R-OH-15]
Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3]
Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4]
Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4]
Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3]
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16]*
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]
Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2]
Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
Rep. Cooper, Jim [D-TN-5]
Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-35]
Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1]
Rep. Gooden, Lance [R-TX-5]
Rep. Stewart, Chris [R-UT-2]
Rep. Welch, Peter [D-VT-At Large]
Rep. Luria, Elaine G. [D-VA-2]
Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1]
Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1]
Rep. Kind, Ron [D-WI-3]
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]

S. 815 Cosponsors
Sen. Jones, Doug [D-AL]*
Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]*
Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]*
Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]*
Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO]
Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]*
Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE]
Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]
Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]*
Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM]
Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC]*
Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND]
Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH]
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]*
Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]*
Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]

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