[Counselor_Educ] NRA's Washington Wire: YOU DID IT -- VR, IL AND SPECIAL ED STILL IN THE STIMULUS (fwd)

[Mona Robinson]

------------ Forwarded Message ------------
Date: Monday, February 09, 2009 10:08 AM -0500
From: Melina Luizaga <Melina at nationalrehab.org>
To: Membership <membership at nationalrehab.org>
Subject: NRA's Washington Wire:  YOU DID IT -- VR, IL AND SPECIAL ED STILL 
IN THE STIMULUS


To:        The National Rehabilitation Association's Legislative Network





From:     Patricia Leahy, Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy

Re:         Compromise Senate Stimulus Retains Funding for VR, IL, Special
Ed and More

Date:       Monday, February 9, 2009


               For those who read on the run, this Washington Wire deals
exclusively with the compromise struck last Friday evening on the Senate
compromise Stimulus bill, formally known as the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act, which RETAINS $500 million for VR, the $110 million for
IL and $13.6 billion for special ed.

               First of all, we want to thank you so much for calling your
Senators.  There is no doubt that the calls you and others conducted made a
difference in retaining these important programs' funding in the Senate
Stimulus compromise that was struck on Friday.  As we have often said, one
person -- and one vote -- can make a difference and that was certainly the
case over the past several days.

               That said, the Senate compromise Stimulus bill -- which was
reached late Friday between Senate Democrats and two moderate Republicans,
one Independent  (Senators Susan Collins (R.ME.), Arlen Specter (R.PA.) and
Joe Lieberman (Independent of CONN.) (and others) -- is a fragile one and
comes against a backdrop of news on Friday of almost 600,000 additional
jobs lost in January of this year alone, in addition to the 3.5 million
jobs lost last year.

              The Senate compromise stimulus cuts $40 billion from proposed
aid to States.  THAT SAID, THE SENATE COMPROMISE STIMULUS RETAINS CRITICAL
ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR VR, IL AND SPECIAL ED WHICH WE HEARTILY SUPPORT AND
FOR WHICH WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL.

                As you know, the Stimulus bill must have 60 votes in order
to pass the Senate.  With the addition of these three additional Senators,
at this time, the compromise Senate Stimulus has the votes to pass.


                At this time, the full U.S. Senate is expected to vote on
the compromise Senate stimulus on Tuesday of this week, although some say
that this date may slip into later in the week.  Because the Senate
Stimulus compromise retains additional funding vital to children and adults
with disabilities, we will be asking you at the appropriate time to call
your respective Senators to support this compromise.

                As we said, the vote on the Compromise Senate Stimulus
could come as early as Tuesday of this week, but more probably, will occur
later in the week.   Please be prepared for additional alerts on the Senate
Stimulus bill, which AT THIS TIME, as we said, retains funding for programs
important to individuals with disabilities.

                Once the Compromise Senate Stimulus is passed by the
Senate, the House and Senate versions of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (the Stimulus) will be conferenced with the House Stimulus
to iron out the differences in the two bills, which are substantial and
many.  As we have said in our past Alerts, these conference deliberations
are held BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and is where the paring of funding for
programs presently in both versions of the Stimulus will take place.

               That said, because the additional funding for VR,
Independent Living and Special Education is now in both versions of the
bills, the chances are greater that they will remain in the Conference
Report (bill) that is ultimately signed by President.

                Having said that, this is no time to be complacent and we
ask you to monitor very carefully your e-mails today and over the next
several days for ALERTS on the Senate Stimulus.

                And, as we have said on so many occasions, the programs
administered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, embody the
ABCs of good legislative and public policy:  The programs are ACCOUNTABLE,
BIPARTISAN, COMPREHENSIVE AND COST-EFFECTIVE.

                Thank you.



Patricia Leahy

Director of Governmental Affairs and Public Policy
National Rehabilitation Association
633 South Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

1-888-258-4295
NRA Office - 703-836-0850
NRA Fax - 703-836-0848

TDD - 703-836-0849
E-mail - patricia at nationalrehab.org
NRA Website - www.nationalrehab.org

---------- End Forwarded Message ----------



Mona Robinson, PhD, PC, CRC
National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitation Concerns,
President-Elect
Rehabilitation Counseling/Chillicothe Program Coordinator
Assistant Professor
Ohio University
386 McCracken Hall
Athens, Ohio 45701
(740)593-4461 (office)
(740)593-0477 (fax)
robinsoh at ohio.edu