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[an error occurred while processing this directive] Governmental Affairs: Advocacy in action. Read current and previous Legislative Network Alerts. View a listing of the Legislative Network Members. Frequently asked questions about the Legislative Network. |
Legislative Network Alerts Alert Number 121 April 13, 2005 Action Requested A CALL TO ACTION: Senate WIA Bill To: Members of the Legislative Network From: Patricia Leahy, Director of Governmental Affairs The National Rehabilitation Association is asking for your assistance and advocacy once again in asking you to call your respective SENATORS and asking them to OPPOSE any attempt to incorporate the WIA PLUS BLOCK GRANT PROPOSAL in the soon-to-be-introduced Senate WIA bill. The WIA PLUS BLOCK GRANT PROPOSAL would block grant the Vocational Rehabilitation Program (VR), Veterans Employment and Training, Adult Education and other vitally important workforce programs. As you are aware, the Senate introduced a WIA 'placeholder' bill, S. 9, earlier this year. That bill will serve as the foundation from which the Senate will introduce its WIA bill, which we anticipate to be introduced by next week. The markup on the yet-to-be-introduced WIA bill is presently scheduled for April 27. Tomorrow, Thursday, April 14, 2005, the Senate HELP Committee will hold a hearing, the purpose of which is to hear testimony from: The Secretary of Labor, The Honorable Elaine Chao; The Secretary of Education, The Honorable Margaret Spellings, both of whom we anticipate will speak favorably on the WIA PLUS BLOCK GRANT PROPOSAL. There will be a second panel comprised of Governor Ernie Fletcher (R), from Kentucky; the Governor Kathleen Sebelius, of Kansas; former Member of Congress from Wisconsin, Steve Gunderson, now the Managing Director of Greystone Group; and William H. Swenson, the Chief Executive Officer of Raytheon. Rumors are rampant that Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee may try to include in the Senate WIA bill the WIA PLUS BLOCK GRANT proposal, which would divert VR funds and destroy the identity of the Public/Private VR Partnership. The House Education and the Workforce Committee refused to incorporate the WIA PLUS BLOCK GRANT PROPOSAL in its version of the House WIA bill, H.R. 27. The U.S. Department of Labor is doing a full-court-press with Members of Congress, Governors and Mayors in all States to encourage them to support the WIA PLUS BLOCK GRANT PROPOSAL which will dismantle the Public/Private Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Partnership, a partnership that has enjoyed BIPARTISAN support for all of its 85 years. What can you do to make a difference? Exactly what you did during the House deliberations on H.R. 27, the House WIA bill: CALL YOUR SENATORS -- BOTH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS -- AND ASK THEM NOT TO SUPPORT THE WIA PLUS BLOCK GRANT PROPOSAL being made a part of the Senate WIA bill. When calling your Senator(s), please remember to thank them for their continuing support of the Public/Private VR Partnership, which has enjoyed bipartisan support for over 8 decades and is one of the most successful job training partnerships in the history of the workforce world. Please advise your Senator(s) the multiple challenges that individuals with disABILITIES when entering or re-entering the world of work require specialized individualized services which the VR program with its network of public and private providers continues to provide to eligible individuals with disabilities. Please advise your Senator(s) that if the Public/Private VR Partnership were to be blockgranted, funds specifically earmarked for individuals with disabilities who seek economic independence, would be diverted for other purposes and other populations. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ADVISE YOUR SENATOR(s) THAT THE PUBLIC/PRIVATE VR PARTNERSHIP IS NOT DUPLICATIVE ON ANY OTHER WORK FORCE PROGRAM AND THAT THE VR PROGRAM EMBODIES THE ABC'S OF EXCELLENT VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PRACTICE: VR IS ACCOUNTABLE, BIPARTISAN, COST-EFFECTIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE. Please advise your Senator(s) that there are approximately 54 million individuals with disabilities in the United States, which accounts for approximately 20 percent of the population. Please further advise your Senators that many people acquire or develop disabilities later in life. As people survive medical traumas, illness and life-threatening accidents, and as the U.S. population ages, disability is impacting an increasing number of Americans and their families. When calling your Senator(s), please identify yourself as a constituent, assuming you are a constituent. If you voted for the Senator, please make sure you advise the person to whom you are speaking. Please follow up with a fax to your Senator(s) offices. We are providing a link to a list of the Senate HELP Committee Members http://help.senate.gov/committee_members.html If you are unsure of who your representative is, visit the NRA website here: http://www.nationalrehab.org/website/govt/index.html Type your Zip code in the “Write to Congress” box at the bottom of the page and click the “Go” button. OR Visit http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm for a full list of Senators by State. Please call NOW AND ASK YOUR SENATOR(S) NOT TO SUPPORT THE INCLUSION OF THE WIA PLUS BLOCK GRANT AMENDMENT IN THE SENATE WIA BILL. Please make sure you follow up with a thank you note, that should be faxed, to your respective Senators. AND PLEASE REMEMBER; ONE PERSON CAN AND HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE. ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL. ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL. ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL. FIGHT ON VR, FIGHT ON. |
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