[Missouri-l] Fwd: Action Alert – Deafblind Coalition Effort in Senate

[Chip Hailey]

>Delivered-To: chiphailey at cableone.net
>From: "AFB DirectConnect" <blemoine at afb.net>
>To: "AFB Subscriber" <afbweb at afb.net>
>Subject: Action Alert ­ Deafblind Coalition Effort in Senate
>Date: Tue, 5 May 2009 10:26:04 -0400
>
>Action Alert – Deafblind Coalition Effort in Senate
>
>The National Coalition on Deafblindness is 
>beginning their effort in the Senate. Once 
>again, Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator John 
>Kerry are leading an effort to increase funding 
>for the deafblind technical assistance and 
>dissemination program at the Department of 
>Education. Their offices are coordinating a 
>group letter to the Labor-HHS-Education 
>Appropriations Subcommittee asking for the increase in funding.
>
>We need your help! The timeline for the senate 
>is short. Your Senators need to sign on by May 
>14th. Please call or email your senator and ask 
>him or her to sign on to the group letter 
>supporting this effort. (For contact information 
>for your senator go to the National Coalition on 
>Deafblindness website, 
><http://dbcoalition.org/help.htm>http://dbcoalition.org/help.htm).
>
>It’s important to note that the Coalition is not 
>asking for an earmark. This request is for a $5 
>million increase in the appropriation for an established and valuable program.
>
>If you e-mail Betsy McGinnity, the Campaign 
>Coordinator for the National Coalition on 
>Deafblindness, at 
><mailto:betsy.mcginnity at perkins.org>betsy.mcginnity at perkins.org 
>with either your senators’ names or your 
>address, Betsy will send you the contact 
>information for the key staff person. Time is 
>very short so it’s critical that your request gets in the right hands.
>
>Here is what they will need to know:
>
>Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator John Kerry are 
>leading the group letter in the Senate to 
>increase funding for the deafblind technical 
>assistance and dissemination program at the 
>Department of Education. The staff persons 
>coordinating the sign-on letter are Lindsay 
>Gilchrist in Senator Kennedy’s office at 
><mailto:Lindsay_Gilchrist at kennedy.senate.gov>Lindsay_Gilchrist at kennedy.senate.gov 
>or Alexandra Nunez in Senator Kerry’s office at 
><mailto:alexandra_nunez at kerry.snate.gov>alexandra_nunez at kerry.snategov.
>
>The text of the letter that the National 
>Coalition on Deafblindness is asking them to sign is below.
>
>Please let Betsy McGinnity know if your senators 
>agree to sign onto the letter. If you have any 
>questions, e-mail 
><mailto:betsy.mcginnity at perkins.org>betsy.mcginnity at perkins.org 
>or call 617-972-7519.
>
>
>Text of the letter
>
>May 1, 2009
>
>The Honorable Tom Harkin
>Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education
>Committee on Appropriations
>United States Senate
>Washington, DC 20510
>
>The Honorable Arlen Specter
>Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education
>Committee on Appropriations
>United States Senate
>Washington, DC 20510
>
>Dear Senators Harkin and Specter:
>
>We write to respectfully request a $5 million 
>increase in funding in the FY10 Labor-HHS 
>Appropriations bill to support the needs of 
>children who are deaf-blind and their families and teachers.
>
>The forty-six state and regional project centers 
>that support the deaf-blind community have not 
>had a federal budget increase in over 20 years, 
>despite the fact that the population of children 
>who are deaf-blind has more than doubled over that period.
>
>For FY09 the National Technical Assistance and 
>Dissemination Program at the Department of 
>Education received $48.9 million for all 
>disability technical assistance, of which $12.8 
>million was designated for deaf-blind programs 
>and services. Remarkable advances in medicine 
>and technology in recent years are enabling many 
>more of these infants and children to survive 
>and live longer, and the need for increased 
>support is essential. Unfortunately, because of 
>continuing budget shortfalls, these children are 
>receiving fewer services, and the programs 
>providing the services are operating with fewer well-trained personnel.
>
>As you know, the President’s Budget proposed 
>baseline funding for this program for FY2010. 
>The modest $5 million increase we are requesting 
>is urgently needed, and will help states improve 
>services for families and teachers, support the 
>activities of the National Technical Assistance 
>and Dissemination Center of Deaf-blindness, and 
>strengthen personnel preparation programs. We 
>hope very much that you will include this increase in the Appropriations bill.
>
>Thank you for your consideration of this important request.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>(signature line)
>Edward M. Kennedy
>
>(signature line)
>John F. Kerry