[NFBWATlk] URGENT

[Susan Prows]

OK, please contact your member of the House of Representatives this week and let either Marcy or I know that you have spoken to them. The most effective way is to call the office. The phone number is 202-224-3121 or 202-225-3121 and the operator will connect you to your member’s office


We need to make a substantial and intensive effort to get a lot more cosponsors, especially Republican cosponsors since the Republicans hold the majority in both the House and Senate. We are currently in a fantastic position to get the Access Technology Affordability Act enacted into law. One recent development in our favor is the dynamic score done by Mathematica. This score estimates that the ATAA would save the Federal government $315 million over a five-year period.
 
This is the ideal opportunity that members of the National Federation of the Blind have been waiting for. We have a tax vehicle, we have a solid estimate that the bill will save the Federal government $315 million, and we have a bill sponsor who is dedicated to the bill, but we do not have a lot of time. Congress will pass the comprehensive tax bill as soon as they come to an agreement. If we are going to get the ATAA included, we need to demonstrate overwhelming support in the next few weeks. It is vitally important that we reach out to every member of Congress, if they have not already cosponsored ATAA. We need your help in this endeavor.
 
When you call or email, you might say the following:
"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 Access Technology Affordability Act, H.R. 1529. This bill will create a refundable tax credit for the purchase of qualified access technology for the blind. In addition, a recent report created by Mathematica estimates that the passage of the Access Technology Affordability Act will actually save the government money, approximately $315 million over five years, by increasing employment for blind Americans, thereby decreasing the need for us to receive government benefits while contributing more in taxes.
Thanks."