Words from Washington
March 20, 1998
To: Valerie Brew-Parrish
Action Alert!!
Help protect U.S. Department of Education funding levels for
captioning and Video Description!
Senator Joseph I. Lieberman (D-CT) and Senator Dan Coats (R-IN)
feel that the Department of Education should not fund captioning
for some shows like "Jerry Springer" (currently the number one
rated talk show) and "Baywatch." Their reasoning is that those
shows have no "educational value." The same budget account also
funds video description services. These funds provide critical
access to television programs. It is important to ask Congress not
to cut or reduce ED funding levels for captioning and video
description!
Fax Senators Lieberman (224-9750) and Coats 224-5623 (phone) and
members of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Keep your message
short and to the point--and send it ASAP!
Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, fax numbers, where
available, or telephone numbers. All Senators can be addressed at
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510.
Ted Stevens, Chairman, 224-2354; Thad Cochran, 224-5054 (phone);
Arlen Specter, 224-4254 (phone); Pete V. Domenici, 224-6621
(phone); Christopher (Kit) Bond, 224-8149; Slade Gorton, 224-9393;
Mitch McConnell, 224-2499; Conrad Burns, 224-8594; Richard C.
Shelby, 224-3416; Judd Gregg, 224-4952; Robert F. Bennett, 224-5444
(phone); Ben Nighthorse Campbell, 224-1933; Larry E. Craig, 228-
1067; Lauch Faircloth, 224-3154 (phone); Kay Bailey Hutchison, 224-
0776; Robert C. Byrd, Ranking 224-8070; Daniel K. Inouye, 224-3934
(phone); Ernest F. Hollings 224-6121 (phone); Patrick J. Leahy,
224-4242 (phone); Dale Bumpers, 224-4843 (phone); Frank R.
Lautenberg, 224-9707; Tom Harkin, 224-9369; Barbara A. Mikulski,
224-8858; Harry Reid, 224-7327; Herb Kohl, 224-5653 (phone); Patty
Murray, 224-0238; Byron L. Dorgan,224-1193; Barbara Boxer, 224-3553
(phone).
The Big Education Picture
Republicans are proposing vouchers for private school tuition,
block grants for general education funding, and tax-free savings
accounts to pay for education costs. Republicans failed last year
to push a voucher bill through Congress but are trying again in
light of polls that suggest public support for the idea is growing,
especially among minorities. Democrats in Congress oppose the
savings accounts proposal saying that it's not much different from
the voucher system. Some Republican lawmakers have joined Democrats
in supporting proposals to increase teacher training. Others are
backing variations of Clinton's plan to reduce class size; some
oppose paying for it with an as-yet-to-be-approved tobacco
settlement.
At this point none of these proposals have direct impact on IDEA.
IDEA
There is a current debate on the Hill with respect to so-called
"fully funding" Part B of IDEA. In this case "fully funding" means
the federal government would pay its full share under the law of
the costs of special education, which it has not in the past.
Proponents suggest that the money to fully fund Part B come from
the President's new budget proposals for general education. They
also suggest that no general education initiatives be funded until
Part B is fully funded. Although fully funding of Part B is
laudable, it should not be done at the expense of general education
given the inherent tension between the cost of special education
and general education.
Appropriations
AFB will be submitting recommendations for discretionary programs
under IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act at the end of March. Details
will follow in a subsequent issue.
Reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act
S. 1579 , the Senate's bill to reauthorize the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 has still not been scheduled for floor action.
Social Security Reform
On March 11, Jim Bunning (R-KY-4)introduced H.R. 3433, the "Ticket
to Work and Self-Sufficiency Act of 1998". This bill is the
culmination of over three years of activity in the Subcommittee on
Social Security to try to provide mechanisms in the Social Security
disability programs to get people off the rolls and back to work.
The basic thrust of the bill is to encourage primarily private
providers of rehabilitation services to provide such services to
SSDI or SSI beneficiaries through a voucher system.
Most recently, key members of Congress have indicated that they are
prepared to move legislation that would implement some of the
reform proposals advocated by disability community activists. This
legislation is dominated by the provider-based perspective and has
not emphasized many consumer-based proposals, such as the
elimination of the so-called earnings cliff and other powerful
disincentives to work in current law. Although AFB remains
committed to the principle of restoring the linkage between seniors
and blind SSDI beneficiaries, we recognize this current opportunity
to advance our public policy agenda and to make changes in Social
Security that would be of great benefit to people who are blind or
visually impaired.
This legislation is on an extremely fast track and is currently
scheduled for mark up on Thursday, March 26. We expect similar
legislation to be introduced in the Senate shortly.
The FCC's NPRM on Telecommunications
FCC staff will present a notice of proposed rulemaking to the FCC
Commissioners at their April 2 meeting. AFB governmental relations
staff has met with FCC staff and is meeting with the Commissioners
and the Chairman to discuss the notice of proposed rulemaking. In
its meetings AFB is suggesting that the proposed rulemaking cover
the definitions adopted by the Access Board for such key elements
as telecommunications, accessibility, compatibility, and usability.
AFB is also urging that the rulemaking address the process and
performance guidelines recommended by the Access Board. The Access
Board's charge of responsibility covered the accessibility of
telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment but
did not cover telecommunications services. AFB is also recommending
to the Commission that its notice of proposed rulemaking cover
telecommunications services including enhanced services, such as
access to the Internet, and must contain provisions for a
responsive complaint process and effective remedies for
noncompliance. If the Commissioners approve the notice, it should
be published within 10 working days if not sooner.
Contributors to WFW include Scott Marshall, Alan Dinsmore, Mark
Richert and Barbara LeMoine.
WFW is published by the American Foundation for the Blind,
Governmental Relations Group, 820 First Street, N.E., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20002, 202-408-0200, Fax: 202-289-7880, E-mail:
afbgov(AT)afb.org
Address questions regarding subscriptions or content to Barbara
LeMoine.
This report focuses on the most significant issues currently being
addressed by AFB's Governmental Relations Group, and is delivered
to you approximately biweekly via e-mail or fax.
--------- End forwarded message ----------
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