Just thought this might be of some interest to some of you. I think we all need to contact our Congressmen/women about this issue! ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Andrews" <dandrews@xxxxxxxx> To: <david.andrews@xxxxxxxxxx>; <David.B.Andrews@xxxxxxxxxxx>; <dtb-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <diabetes-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nabs-l@xxxxxxxxxx>; <blindtlk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-announce@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbmo@xxxxxxxxxx>; <journalists@xxxxxxxxxx>; <blindkid@xxxxxxxxxx>; <napub@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nabop@xxxxxxxxxx>; <blparent@xxxxxxxxxx>; <jobs@xxxxxxxxxx>; <cabs-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-river-city@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbsf@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbc-info@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbofncp@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nopbc-board@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbwatlk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-idaho@xxxxxxxxxx>; <mt-blind@xxxxxxxxxx>; <cabs@xxxxxxxxxx>; <colorado-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbaz-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <mabs@xxxxxxxxxx>; <oabs@xxxxxxxxxx>; <greater-baltimore@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbf-l@xxxxxxxxxx>; <4alabama@xxxxxxxxxx>; <vabs@xxxxxxxxxx>; <mn-abs@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbmi-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <mi-abs@xxxxxxxxxx>; <il-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <iabs-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nebraska-students@xxxxxxxxxx>; <tn-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <vendtalk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nagdu@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nyagdu@xxxxxxxxxx>; <ag-eq@xxxxxxxxxx>; <arizona-students@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-kzoo@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-db@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbwv-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-editors@xxxxxxxxxx>; <humanser@xxxxxxxxxx>; <rehab@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbpnotk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nosb@xxxxxxxxxx>; <stylist@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nobe-l@xxxxxxxxxx>; <teachvib@xxxxxxxxxx>; <ccb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxx>; <la-students@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-hi@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbkabs@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbkpbc@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbofncp@xxxxxxxxxx>; <tabs@xxxxxxxxxx>; <njabs-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <fabs@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-newsline-sponsors@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-science@xxxxxxxxxx>; <blindlaw@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbcs@xxxxxxxxxx>; <gui-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <electronics-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <musictlk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nabentre@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbj@xxxxxxxxxx>; <perform-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <ncme-mentoring@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-lions@xxxxxxxxxx>; <lions-ed@xxxxxxxxxx>; <faith-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; <blindkid@xxxxxxxxxx>; <blparent@xxxxxxxxxx>; <travelandtourism@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-fundraising@xxxxxxxxxx>; <sportsandrec@xxxxxxxxxx>; <rocketon@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfbaffiliatepresidents@xxxxxxxxxx>; <tops-2005@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-moderators@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-bdc@xxxxxxxxxx>; <aebteam@xxxxxxxxxx>; <artbeyondsightmuseums@xxxxxxxxxx>; <art_beyond_sight_advocacy@xxxxxxxxxx>; <art_beyond_sight_educators@xxxxxxxxxx>; <art_beyond_sight_learning_tools@xxxxxxxxxx>; <art_beyond_sight_theory_and_research@xxxxxxxxxx>; <blindexplorers@xxxxxxxxxx>; <gama-summit@xxxxxxxxxx>; <mentoringexcellencestatecoordinators@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nabs-presidents@xxxxxxxxxxx>; <ndcbys@xxxxxxxxxx>; <new-horizons@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-imagination-fund@xxxxxxxxxx>; <nlbct@xxxxxxxxxx>; <youth-outreach@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2007 9:41 PMSubject: [Dtb-talk] Legislative Alert - Urgent Action Needed to Protect Talking Books Program
From: Hartle, Jesse Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2007 4:55 PMSubject: Legislative Alert - Urgent Action Needed to Protect Talking Books ProgramFellow Federationists:Urgent action is needed to respond to the House's Legislative Branch Subcommittee's proposed appropriations bill relating to the fiscal year 2008 budget request of the Library of Congress. As you all know the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) has been working on a plan to convert the Talking Books program to a digital format. The cost of this needed transition from analog cassette to digital technology is $76.4 million over a four-year period ($19.1 million for each of the next four years). The House Legislative Branch Subcommittee has only included $7.5 million for this project in the bill, which passed the subcommittee yesterday. The subcommittee also voted against an amendment raised by Congressman Ray LaHood of Illinois that sought to include full funding for the NLS upgrade. Not only is this amount just a third of what was requested by the Library of Congress, but the subcommittee further gave the Librarian of Congress the power to transfer all or part of the funds from the Books for the Blind program to other upgrades for the Library. Essentially, if the Librarian of Congress chooses to transfer funds from the $7.5 million allotted for the digital conversion program, the Talking Books program will be killed due to a lack of equipment to repair broken tape players and the simple fact that all aspects of cassettetechnology will become obsolete in the next four years.The Legislative Branch Appropriations bill will now be presented to the full Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday, July 12. It is imperative that we flood the offices of Committee members and the office of Subcommittee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz before July 12th to urge them to include the full funding for the digital upgrade and to protect these funds from being shifted within the Library of Congress to meet other needs. The Talking Books program is the largest and most essential available source of information for blind people as a whole, and we need to protect this information source with our greatest effort. Included below is a list of the members on the Appropriations Committee and their office numbers. Please contact their offices, and let them know how important the Talking Books program is to the blind. I will update you with further information on this initiative, but your calls shouldstart immediately. Thanks in advance for all of your hard work. Jesse Hartle Government Program Specialist NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230 (410) 659-9314, ext. 2233 jhartle@xxxxxxx House Committee on Appropriations Full Committee - June 7, 2007 FL D, Schultz, Rep Debbie Wasserman, 202-225-7931 (alphabetical by state) AL D, Cramer, Rep Robert E. Bud, Jr., 202-225-4801 AL R, Aderholt, Rep Robert B., 202-225-4876 AR D, Berry, Rep Marion, 202-225-4076 AZ D, Pastor, Rep Ed, 202-225-4065 CA D, Farr, Rep Sam, 202-225-2861 CA D, Honda, Rep Mike, 202-225-2631 CA D, Lee, Rep Barbara, 202-225-2661 CA D, Roybal-Allard, Rep Lucille, 202-225-1766 CA D, Schiff, Rep Adam, 202-225-4176 CA R, Calvert, Rep Ken, 202-225-1986 CA R, Lewis, Rep Jerry, 202-225-5861 CT D, DeLauro, Rep Rosa L., 202-225-3661 FL D, Boyd, Rep F. Allen, 202-225-5235 FL R, Crenshaw, Rep Ander, 202-225-2501 FL R, Weldon, Rep Dave, 202-225-3671 FL R, Young, Rep C. W. Bill, 202-225-5961 GA D, Bishop, Rep Sanford D., Jr., 202-225-3631 GA R, Kingston, Rep Jack, 202-225-5831 IA R, Latham, Rep Tom, 202-225-5476 ID R, Simpson, Rep Mike, 202-225-5531 IL D, Jackson, Rep Jesse L., Jr., 202-225-0773 IL R, Kirk, Rep Mark Steven, 202-225-4835 IL R, LaHood, Rep Ray, 202-225-6201 IN D, Visclosky, Rep Peter J., 202-225-2461 KS R, Tiahrt, Rep Todd, 202-225-6216 KY D, Chandler, Rep Ben, 202-225-4706 KY R, Rogers, Rep Hal, 202-225-4601 LA R, Alexander, Rep Rodney, 202-225-8490 MA D, Olver, Rep John W., 202-225-5335 MD D, Ruppersberger, Rep C. A. Dutch, 202-225-3061 MI D, Kilpatrick, Rep Carolyn Cheeks, 202-225-2261 MI R, Knollenberg, Rep Joe, 202-225-5802 MN D, McCollum, Rep Betty, 202-225-6631 MO R, Emerson, Rep Jo Ann, 202-225-4404 MS R, Wicker, Rep Roger F., 202-225-4306 MT R, Rehberg, Rep Dennis, 202-225-3211 NC D, Price, Rep David E., 202-225-1784 NJ D, Rothman, Rep Steve, 202-225-5061 NJ R, Frelinghuysen, Rep Rodney P., 202-225-5034 NM D, Udall, Rep Tom, 202-225-6190 NY D, Hinchey, Rep Maurice D., 202-225-6335 NY D, Israel, Rep Steve, 202-225-3335 NY D, Lowey, Rep Nita M., 202-225-6506 NY D, Serrano, Rep Jose E., 202-225-4361 NY R, Walsh, Rep James T., 202-225-3701 OH D, Kaptur, Rep Marcy, 202-225-4146 OH D, Ryan, Rep Tim, 202-225-5261 OH R, Hobson, Rep David L., 202-225-4324 OH R, Regula, Rep Ralph, 202-225-3876 PA D, Fattah, Rep Chaka, 202-225-4001 PA D, Murtha, Rep John P., 202-225-2065 PA R, Peter son, Rep John E., 202-225-5121 RI D, Kennedy, Rep Patrick J., 202-225-4911 TN R, Wamp, Rep Zach, 202-225-3271 TX D, Edwards, Rep Chet, 202-225-6105 TX D, Rodriguez, Rep Ciro D., 202-225-4511 TX R, Carter, Rep John R., 202-225-3864 TX R, Culberson, Rep John, 202-225-2571 TX R, Granger, Rep Kay, 202-225-5071 VA D, Moran, Rep Jim, 202-225-4376 VA R, Goode, Rep Virgil H., Jr., 202-225-4711 VA R, Wolf, Rep Frank R., 202-225-5136 WA D, Dicks, Rep Norm, 202-225-5916 WI D, Obey, Rep David R., Chair, 202-225-3365 WV D, Mollohan, Rep Alan B., 202-225-4172
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