------------ 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
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