[Counselor_Educ] NRA'S WASHINGTON WIRE: URGENT ALERT -- URGENT ALERT -- FIGHT FOR VR, IL AND SPECIAL ED (fwd)

[Mona Robinson]

------------ Forwarded Message ------------
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 10:31 AM -0500
From: Patricia Leahy <Patricia at nationalrehab.org>
To: Membership <membership at nationalrehab.org>
Subject: NRA'S WASHINGTON WIRE:  URGENT ALERT -- URGENT ALERT -- FIGHT FOR 
VR, IL AND SPECIAL ED



To:        NRA's Legislative Network



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



Re:        FIGHT FOR OUR PROGRAMS IN THE STIMULUS CONFERENCE



Date:     Wednesday, February 11, 2009



             THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION.



             Conference negotiations on the House and Senate versions of
H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as amended (also known
as the Stimulus bills) began in earnest last night and, I believe,
negotiations went all evening and are continuing as we speak.



              IT IS VERY IMPORTANT -- EXTREMELY IMPORTANT -- THAT YOU CALL
AND E-MAIL YOUR RESPECTIVE SENATORS and CONGRESSPERSONS NOW AND ASK THEM TO
RETAIN ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN THE CONFERENCE FOR VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION
(VR) ($500 million), INDEPENDENT LIVING ($110 million) AND IDEA, $13.5
billion.



               It is the intention of the President and some in Congress
that this important legislation be signed into law ASAP, but certainly by
President's Day.



               The Senate Conferees are:  Senators Harry Reid (D.NV.);
Senator Chuck Grassley (R.IA.); Senator Daniel Inouye (D.HI.); Senator Thad
Cochran (R.MS.) and Senator Max Baucus (D.MT.)



               House Conferees include:  Congressman Dave Obey (D.WI.);
Congressman Henry Waxman (D.CA.); Congressman Charles Rangel (D.N.Y.);
Congressman Jim Oberstar (D.MN.); Congressman JERRY Lewis (R.CA.) and
Congressman David Camp (R.MN.).



                Call your Senators and Congresspersons, as well as the
Senators and Congresspersons immediately listed above, who comprise the
Conference Committee, and advise them that the additional funding for VR is
critical to the continuation of securing and retaining employment and
community living for individuals with disabilities who want to work.



                 Tell them that the public/private VR Program (Title I of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended) is the most successful
public/private partnership in our country for securing and retaining
employment for eligible individuals with disabilities who want to work and
enjoy community living, the combination of which spurs spending and the
desire to experience the American Dream.



                  Year after year, the VR program, in conjunction with its
many partners at the State and local levels, places into quality employment
hundreds of thousands of individuals with disabilities who want to work and
become taxpaying citizens of our great country.



                  Tell your Senators and Congresspersons that for every $1
that VR spends on assisting individuals with disabilities in securing and
retaining quality employment, $6 is returned to the U.S. Treasury,
according to the Social Security Administration.



                   The Public/Private VR Program exemplifies the ABCs of
good public and legislative policy:  The programs are ACCOUNTABLE,
BIPARTISAN, COMPREHENSIVE AND COST-EFFECTIVE.



                   Ask your Member of Congress to retain additional funding
for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which the
Federal government promised to fund up to 40%.  The additional funds
proposed in both versions of the Stimulus will go a long way in making that
Federal promise a reality and will assist in hiring and retaining Special
Education teachers.



                   Respectfully, but resolutely, tell your Senators and
Representatives NOT TO LEAVE CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH  DISABILITIES BEHIND
during negotiations on the Stimulus bills.



                   Ask them to retain the additional funding in the
Stimulus bills for VR ($500 million), $13.5 billion for IDEA and $110
million for independent living.



                   We are attaching for your convenience and use contact
numbers for your Senators and Representatives.
www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm and
http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/mcapdir.html



                    DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL.



                   CALL NOW AND ASK YOUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSPERSONS TO
RETAIN THE $500 million for VR, the $110 million for Independent Living and
the $13.5 billion for IDEA (Special Ed.)



                    Thank you and look for additional ALERTS throughout the
day and week.







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



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---------- 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