FAMILY OPPORTUNITY ACT UPDATE
The Senate Finance Committee had the mark-up of "H.R. 4844, the Railroad Retirement and
Survivors Improvement Act" on Thursday, 28 September. The
FOA that Senator Grassley offered as an amendment to this legislation was
"voted down." Sen. Grassley fought for the FOA, but he did not have the
support of Senator Roth, Chairman of the Finance Committee, nor a number of
Finance Committee members, who were also FOA co-sponsors: Senators
Thompson, Murkowski, Moynihan, Rockefeller, and Baucus. The fight is not
over with yet, but time is running out. We need to get FOA passed before
October 6th. This legislation is important to families of children with
disabilities, and it should be a top legislative priority. ACTION NEEDED
-
Applaud Senator Grassley for his continued tireless efforts on behalf
of
children with disabilities. Let his colleagues who didn't support FOA know
how disappointed you are that they did not support Senator Grassley and
children with disabilities.
-
Continue to contact key members of Congress and government and
ask them
to show their support for families with children with disabilities by
making the FOA a priority.
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CONTACT INFORMATION (fax numbers listed)
- Senators Grassley (R-IA): 202-224-3744;
- Roth (R-DE): 202-228-5798;
- Baucus
(D-MT): 202-228-3687;
- Thompson (R-TN): 202-228-3679;
- Murkowski (R-AK):
202-224-5301;
- Moynihan (D-NY): 202-228-0406;
- Rockefeller (D-WV): 202-224-7665.
- Sen. Lott (R-MS), Senate Majority Leader, 202-224-4639
- Sen. Nickels (R-OK), Senate Majority Whip, 202-224-3913
- Rep. Hastert (R-IL), Speaker of the House, 202-225-5646
- Sen. Daschle (D-SD), Senate Minority Leader, 202-224-7895
- Sen. Reid (D-NV), Senate Minority Whip, 202-224-7362
- Rep. Gephardt (D-MO), House Minority Leader, 202-225-7414
- John Podesta, Domestic Policy Advisor to President Clinton,
202-456-2883
- Jack Lew, Director of the Office of Management and Budget,
202-395-3888
www.senate.gov /www.house.gov / US Capitol 202-224-3121 |
National Council on Disability Briefings
NCD is conducting regional community briefings to share findings and
recommendations on federal enforcement of disability civil rights laws with
people with disabilities. The briefings are open to the public, and free of
charge, and will focus on NCD's new Ten Point Strategy for the Next Decade
of Disability Civil Rights Enforcement. The final briefing:
Date/Time: September 29, 2000 - 1PM - 5PM
Location: Unitarian Church, Unity Temple
KANSAS CITY, MO
Contact: Caroline Stewart 877-588-5644
WEMEDIA UPDATES
* Access the Vote
Access the Vote is WeMedia's initiative to encourage people with
disabilities to register to vote in the Tuesday, November 7th election. Why
vote? Because your vote and the votes of the 45 million citizens with
disabilities can swing any election. At www.wemedia.com
you can request an
absentee ballot (Only until Sunday, Oct. 7 so act now!), find out how to
get a ride to the polls, track legislation and learn the candidates'
positions. This election can be different. Right now, if you and 45 million
other people with disabilities vote, you will decide. Access: www.wemedia.com
.
* Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games
WeMedia is bringing the world together with our unprecedented and exclusive
webcast coverage of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. Webcasting is like
watching TV on your own personal computer. WeMedia's Paralympic webcast
promises to be an extraordinary moment in history - bringing you the Role
Models of the 21st Century. To pre-register and learn about the Paralympic
experience, access: www.wemedia.com
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION
* March For Justice -- October 3rd
Join thousands of civil rights advocates to support the ADA and the civil
rights of all Americans on Tuesday, October 3rd at noon on the U.S. Capitol
grounds at Upper Senate Park (North side of the Capitol) in Washington, DC.
Access: www.tash.org/marchforjustice
.
* Disability Mentoring Day
Scheduled for October 25. For more information access: www.disability.gov,
under the "Hot Topics" Section, click on the link for National Disability
Employment Awareness Month.
* Notice for Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)-IDEA Early Intervention Program
(Part C)
A NPRM is the US Dept of Education's "draft" regulations for implementing a
law. Anyone can send comments. Access the proposed rules: www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/index.html
. Comments are due on December 4,
2000.
* Youth Essay Contest
The Presidential Task Force on the Employment of Adults with Disabilities
is sponsoring an essay contest open to youth of all ages, with and without
disabilities. The deadline for submission of essays is October 15, 2000.
For more information contact: 202-693-4939/4920(TTY) or Basha-Rhonda@dol.gov
NPND Needs Your Support - CFC #1532
NPND is participating for the eighth year in the Combined Federal Campaign
(CFC). Alert your friends and relatives in the military and federal
government to check off #1532. |