[Tn-talk] FW: Legislative Alert-Take Action-Cosponsors Needed for NFB Silent Car Legislation

[wbragg4 at comcast.net]

Michael
   Been meaning to send you this attachment.  It's on of three letters we use to "frame" the issue in last year's legislative battle to prevent the Sheriff's from opting out of Randolh-Sheppard.  
    Warren
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Seay, Michael" <Michael.Seay at ssa.gov>
> 	There are only two members of this committee from Tennessee
> (Marsha Blackburn and Bart Gordon); however, there are seven other
> Representative from TN that should be contacted and persuaded to
> cosponsor this important legislation.  I would appreciate your
> assistance with this effort!
> 
> Michael Seay
> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: McCarthy, Jim [mailto:JMcCarthy at nfb.org] 
> Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 11:17 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:
> 
> *	
> 	Requiring the Department of Transportation to convene a study
> within ninety days of its enactment;
> *	
> 	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;
> *	
> 	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 
> *	
> 	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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From: "Seay, Michael" <Michael.Seay at ssa.gov>
Subject: [Tn-talk] FW: Legislative Alert-Take Action-Cosponsors Needed for NFB
	Silent Car Legislation
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:03:30 +0000
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