Overview of the 112th Congressand

Maximizing Grassroots Advocacy

John Kelly, Director, Government Affairs ● Alicia Epstein, Manager, Disability Policy ● Bill Jefferson, Congressional Liaison, House and Senate Armed Services and DoD ● Debbie Ignatz, Manager, State Relations ● Shari Walton, Manager, Government Affairs

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Agenda

• Introduction

• Overview of the 112th Congress

• NISH Legislative Agenda

• State and Local Issues

• Grassroots Advocacy

• Questions and Answers

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The Government Affairs Team Members

• Nancyellen Gentile, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Marketing and Government Affairs

• John Kelly, Director, Government Affairs• Tony Young, Senior Public Policy Strategist• Debbie Ignatz, Manager, State Relations• Bill Jefferson, Congressional Liaison, House and Senate

Armed Services and DoD• Alicia Epstein, Manager, Disability Policy• Shari Walton, Manager, Government Affairs• David Fields, Legislative Outreach Coordinator• Rachel Kelly, Executive Assistant

Introduction

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The Government Affairs Team

• Serve as an Advocate for Non-Profit Agencies (NPAs) and People with Significant Disabilities• On national and state levels monitor, influence and initiate

legislative, regulatory and other policy actions affecting employment opportunities, services and supports for people with significant disabilities.

• Board-approved Legislative Agenda

• In cooperation with the National Council of Work Centers (NCWC)

• In coordination with the NISH Regional Offices.

Introduction

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• NISH Public Policy Advocates Calls• Monthly forum to share current congressional and regulatory

issues and strategies about communicating more effectively with Members of Congress

• NISH Public Policy Updates• Published on an as needed basis to share breaking public policy

news.

• Other NISH information sources:• CapWiz and NISH Action Alerts• CRP Connection• NISH Workplace

How We Keep You InformedIntroduction

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Overview of the 112th CongressWhat Do They Have in Common?

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Overview of the 112th CongressFreshmen

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Political Landscape

• Split Congress

• Senate: Need 60 votes to pass most legislation• 51 Democrats• 2 Independents (caucus with Democrats), • 47 Republicans• 16 new members (13 Republicans and 3 Democrats)

• House: 218 Votes needed to pass legislation.• 242 Republicans• 193 Democrats• Republicans have 24 more than the 218 needed to pass legislation• 96 new members (87 Republicans and 9 Democrats)

Overview of the 112th Congress

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Political Landscape

• Big Picture Politics

• 2012 election is top of mind

• “Priority 1 is preventing Obama’s reelection.” -Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

• Can Speaker of the House, John Boehner (R-OH), control new Republican Members?

• Health Care Repeal

• Decreased spending (FY 2011 forward) and deficit reduction

• Jobs

Overview of the 112th Congress

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Political Landscape

• 112th Congressional Start – 8 Continuing Resolutions to fund the Federal Government

• House leadership initiated a series of reforms and new rules• “Cut-as-you-go” mechanism requires increases in mandatory

spending to be offset with cuts to existing programs • Tax cut legislation is exempt from the requirement • Overhauled the Congressional Calendar to give Members more

time in their district with their constituents• Cut the budget of the House of Representatives, including

committee budgets• Reduced the number of committee assignments to increase the

focus and attention of Members on committee business

Overview of the 112th Congress

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What to Expect: What History Tells UsView of Congress by the Numbers

2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002

111-2 111-1 110-2 110-1 109-2 109-1 108-2 108-1 107-2

Days in Session

Senate 158 191 184 190 138 159 133 167 149

House 127 159 118 164 101 140 110 133 123

Time in Session hrs

Senate 1075 1421 989 1376 1028 1222 1032 1454 1043

House 879 1247 890 1478 850 1067 879 1015 772

Average Daily Session hrs

Senate 6.8 7.4 5.4 7.2 7.4 7.7 7.8 8.7 7

House 6.9 7.8 7.5 9 8.4 7.6 8 7.6 6.3

Bills Resolution Introduced

Senate 1506 3380 1590 3033 2302 2616 1318 2398 1558

House 3098 5691 3225 6194 2451 5703 2338 4616 2711

TOTAL 4604 9071 4815 9227 4753 8321 3656 7014 4269

Public Laws Enacted

Number 258 125 278 138 248 169 300 198 241

% Introduced 5.6 1.38 5.8 1.5 5.2 2.03 8.21 2.82 5.65

Recorded Votes

Senate 299 397 215 442 279 366 216 459 253

House 1 660 987 688 1186 541 671 544 677 484

TOTAL 959 1384 903 1628 820 1037 760 1136 739

Vetoes

1 0 4 5 1 0 0 0 0

Overridden 0 3 1 01 Includes quorum calls

2 Includes pocket vetoes3 Does not include line-item vetoes

Overview of the 112th Congress

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Disability Policy

• Support innovative programs and policies that maximize meaningful employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities, particularly veterans with disabilities• Legislation

• Reauthorization of Workforce Investment/Rehabilitation Act

• TEAM Act Package

• Repeal of CLASS Act

NISH Legislative Agenda

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• Support legislation that will ensure continued cooperative interaction among worker training and education programs; promote language that supports physical and programmatic accessibility in the WIA/RA; advocate for increased funding and improvements to all worker training and education programs, and; support legislation that protects the employment of persons with significant disabilities who utilize Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. • Legislation

• Fair Pay Act

• Regulatory

• U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance

Employment PolicyNISH Legislative Agenda

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NISH Legislative AgendaBudget & Appropriations

• Promote funding for the AbilityOne Program to ensure that NPAs have the capacity and capability to serve the needs of the disability community

• FY 2012 Budget Debate• The President’s FY 2012 budget plan was rolled out in mid-February

• House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-1st WI) introduced House FY 2012 budget resolution

• Proposed nearly $5.8 trillion in discretionary spending cuts• House voted in mid-April largely along party lines to adopt the budget

resolution• Senate Budget committee working on its resolution plan• Conference activities will be held to iron out differences and provide for a

blueprint for later spending and tax bills

Deficit Reductions• Monitor and respond to Congressional initiatives aimed at

reducing the Federal deficit that might negatively impact disability entitlements or discretionary programs

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NISH Legislative Agenda

• Core goal: job growth for people who are blind or have significant disability; align the law and the AbilityOne Program with today’s federal acquisition environment and disability policy, and; streamline procurement process with more focused oversight

• Legislation

• Policy

• Regulation

Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act Modernization

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Procurement Policy

• Support acquisition and procurement reform initiatives to maximize employment; Prevent enactment of legislation that harms the AbilityOne community and creates more barriers to entry, and; oppose legislative and regulatory efforts that mandate or encourage insourcing contracted functions.

NISH Legislative Agenda

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NISH Legislative Agenda

• Support policies that encourage and enhance AbilityOne small business partnerships and collaboration• Legislation

• U.S. Small Business Administration Authorization

• Small Business Procurement Goals

• Vets First Priority Program

• Regulatory

• Small Business Jobs Bill

• Women-Owned Small Business Program

• Policy

• President’s Small Business Federal Contracting Opportunities Taskforce

Small Business

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NISH Legislative AgendaEntitlements

• Support retention of critical employment supports; such as SSI, SSDI, Medicare and Medicaid Programs to maintain employment for people with significant disabilities

Nonprofit Agency Governance• Advocate legislative and policy initiatives impacting nonprofit

organizations to promote the highest level of AbilityOne Program integrity and continued growth of the Program

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State Relations

• Monitor and support state legislative activity• Support legislative initiatives that grow employment opportunities

at the state level for people with significant disabilities

• Monitor state legislatures for initiatives that impact NPAs• Taxes• Reductions in Medicaid program services• Consolidation and/or elimination of state departments serving

people with disabilities• Minimum wage issues and 14(c)• Preferential purchasing programs

State Legislative Activity

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State RelationsState Use Programs

• Assist states with development and growth of State Use Programs• Existing programs and states without programs • Stakeholders• Legislation• Creation of CNAs• Trainings

• Relationship building • Statewide Associations • Vocational Rehabilitation Community

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Grassroots Advocacy

Short Answer: Every Member of Congress

Who is Important?

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Grassroots Advocacy

• Senate Committees of Key Concern (7)

– Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (AbilityOne Oversight)

– Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (disability & employment policy oversight)

– Small Business & Entrepreneurship (oversight of competing priority)

– Armed Services

– Appropriations

– Veterans Affairs

– Finance

• House Committees of Key Concern (9)

– Oversight & Government Reform (AbilityOne Oversight)

– Homeland Security

– Education & Labor (disability & employment policy oversight)

– Small Business (oversight of the competing priority)

– Armed Services

– Appropriations (CRP & Committee Funding)

– Energy &Commerce (Medicaid)

– Veterans

– Ways & Means

Key Congressional Committees

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Grassroots Advocacy Who Else is Important?

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What is a Grassroots Network?

Grassroots networks are devoted to increasing political involvement by

organizing a group of people who share similar views on political issues facing their

industry.

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• Recruit and Nurture AbilityOne Congressional Champions• Office Visits• AbilityOne Contract Site Tour• Communication• Use AbilityOne Products and/or Services• Champion Renewal Program

Congressional Champion ProgramGrassroots Advocacy

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AlabamaRep. Jo BonnerRep. Mike Rodgers

AlaskaRep. Don Young

ArizonaRep. Gabrielle GiffordsRep. Raul Grijalva

CaliforniaSen. Dianne FeinsteinRep. Brian P. Bilbray Rep. Susan DavisRep. Bob FilnerRep. Lynn Woolsey

ColoradoRep. Diana DeGette

District of ColumbiaDel. Eleanor Holmes Norton

FloridaSen. Bill Nelson

GeorgiaSen. Saxby ChamblissSen. Johnny IsaksonRep. John BarrowRep. Sanford BishopRep. Paul BrounRep. Phil GingreyRep. Hank JohnsonRep. John LewisRep. Tom PriceRep. David ScottRep. Lynn Westmoreland

Congressional Champions GuamDel. Madeleine Bordallo

HawaiiRep. Mazie Hirono

IllinoisSen. Dick DurbinRep. Danny DavisRep. Janice Schakowski

IndianaRep. Dan BurtonIowa

Sen. Charles GrassleySen. Tom HarkinRep. Leonard Boswell

KansasSen. Jerry Moran Sen. Pat Roberts

KentuckyRep. Harold Rogers

LouisianaSen. Mary LandrieuSen. David VitterRep. Rodney Alexander

MaineSen. Susan Collins

MarylandSen. Benjamin CardinSen. Barbara MikulskiRep. Roscoe BartlettRep. Steny HoyerRep. C.A. “Dutch”

Ruppersberger

MassachusettsRep. Michael CapuanoRep. Barney FrankRep. Stephen LynchRep. Edward MarkeyRep. James McGovernRep. John Tierney

MichiganSen. Carl LevinSen. Debbie StabenowRep. Dave CampRep. Dale KildeeRep. Michael RogersRep. Fred Upton

MinnesotaRep. Betty McCollumRep. Collin Peterson

MississippiSen. Thad CochranRep. Gregg HarperRep. Bennie Thompson

MissouriRep. William Lacy ClayRep. Emanuel CleaverRep. Sam Graves

NevadaSen. John EnsignSen. Harry ReidRep. Shelley BerkleyRep. Dean Heller

New JerseyRep. Robert Andrews

New MexicoSen. Jeff BingamanRep. Martin Heinrich

New YorkRep. Maurice D. HincheyRep. Jerrold NadlerRep. Louise M. SlaughterRep. Edolphus TownsRep. Anthony Weiner

North CarolinaSen. Richard BurrSen. Kay HaganRep. G.K. ButterfieldRep. Howard CobleRep. Virginia FoxxRep. Walter JonesRep. David PriceRep. Melvin Watt

OhioRep. Steve Austria Rep. Steve Chabot Rep. Tim Ryan

PennsylvaniaRep. Tim HoldenRep. Joseph Pitts

Rhode IslandRep. James Langevin

South DakotaSen. Tim JohnsonSen. John Thune

TennesseeRep. Phil Roe

TexasSen. John CornynSen. Kay Bailey HutchisonRep. Mike ConawayRep. Henry CuellarRep. Louie GohmertRep. Charlie GonzalezRep. Kay GrangerRep. Ralph HallRep. Silvestre ReyesRep. Pete SessionsRep. William Thornberry

UtahSen. Orrin HatchRep. Rob BishopRep. Jason Chaffetz Rep. Jim Matheson

VirginiaRep. Gerry E. ConnollyRep. James P. Moran Rep. Robert C. ScottRep. Robert Wittman

WashingtonSen. Maria CantwellSen. Patty MurrayRep. Norman DicksRep. Rick LarsenRep. Jim McDermottRep. Cathy McMorris

Rodgers

WisconsinSen. Herb KohlRep. Gwen MooreRep. F. James

Sensenbrenner Jr.

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Grassroots Advocacy: The Power In CRPs

• 12 Grassroots Advocacy Conferences• More than 180 Grassroots Teams Formed and Trained

• 12 CRP Fly-Ins• More than 1,800 Congressional Visits Conducted

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CapwizTools We Use

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Action AlertsTools We Use

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Member InformationTools We Use

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How Can We Get Stronger?

The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the

pig is committed.~ Martina Navratilova

• Build Relationships

• Worksite Visits

• House Calendar Makes it Easier

• Collaborate for Greater Impact

• Champions

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How Can We Be Healthier

A minute's success pays the failure of years.~ Robert Browning

• Opportunities• Protection• Funding Opportunities• Increased Access• Self Advocate Development• You Have a Voice

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How Can We Be Better?

As a general rule, the most successful person in life is the person who has the best information.

~ Benjamin Disraeli

• Public Policy Updates• Public Policy Advocates Calls• Action Alerts• National Sources (Politico, Roll Call)• Local Sources

– Local Papers– State/Local Organizations

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Final Thoughts

There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.

~ Lyndon B. Johnson

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Questions?Feel free to contact us!

John KellyDirector, Government Affairs8401 Old Courthouse RdVienna, VA 22182571-226-4691jkelly@nish.org

Bill JeffersonCongressional Liaison,House and Senate ArmedServices and DoD8401 Old Courthouse RdVienna, VA 22182571-226-4525bjefferson@nish.org

Alicia EpsteinManager, Disability Policy8401 Old Courthouse RdVienna, VA 22182571-921-9362(video relay service)aepstein@nish.org

Debbie IgnatzManager, State Relations112 Townpark Drive NW Suite 200Kennesaw, GA 30144-3733678-838-5171dignatz@nish.org

Shari WaltonManager, Government Affairs8401 Old Courthouse RdVienna, VA 22182571-226-4533swalton@nish.org

Session Evaluation Information

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SESSION TITLE: Congress

SESSION CODE: GA-T1045