Words from Washington
December 20 2001
Vol. 107 No. 15
Happy Holidays to all our subscribers!
In this issue. . .
* AFB Seeks Advocate for Our Governmental Relations Office
* House Passes Election Reform Legislation (H.R. 3295); Senate Prepares
It's Compromise Bill
* W. Roy Grizzard to Be Nominated for ODEP
* House Passes Seventh Continuing Resolution; House Approves Labor HHS
Conference Report
* House and Senate Conferees Set NLS Appropriation
AFB Seeks Advocate for Our Governmental Relations Office
The American Foundation for the Blind, a national nonprofit whose mission
is to eliminate the inequities facing the ten million Americans who are
blind or visually impaired, is seeking an advocate in its Governmental
Relations office in Washington. You will find the job announcement
at http://www.afb.org/employment_detail.asp?jobid=100 or e-mail your
resume and a writing sample to [log in to unmask]
House Passes Election Reform Legislation (H.R. 3295); Senate Prepares It's
Compromise Bill
On December 12, the House passed H.R. 3295, the "Help America Vote Act of
2001" by a vote of 362 - 63. The bill, which contains weak access
provisions, was sent to the Senate where it was referred to the Committee
on Rules and Administration.
On December 13, Senators Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT), Mitch McConnell
(R-KY), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Christopher "Kit" Bond (R-MO, and Robert
G. Torricelli (D-NJ) were able to reach agreement on a strong, bipartisan
election reform bill. The bill, whose text is not yet available, further
guarantees that voting machines be made accessible to people with limited
English proficiency and people with disabilities, and that provisional
ballots be made available to people whose names do not appear on voting
lists. Finally, this bill provides $3.4 billion to finance the reforms
mandated by the legislation.
Under this five-year proposal States will be required to meet minimum
standards, and a bipartisan committee will be created to set those
standards. It requires that election officials give voters the opportunity
to correct a flawed ballot before it is cast. It will establish statewide
computerized voter registration lists.
According to Tom Daschle (D-SD), Senate Majority Leader, the Senate will
consider the bill early in the next session. Passage by the House and the
five-year agreement in the Senate doesn't guarantee that any reform
legislation enacted will take effect for the 2002 midterm elections or for
the presidential election in 2004.
W. Roy Grizzard to Be Nominated for ODEP
On December 7, 2001, President Bush announced his intention to nominate W.
Roy Grizzard to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for the new Office of
Disability Employment Policy (this is the office that subsumed the programs
and staff of the former President's Committee on Employment of People with
Disabilities)..
First appointed in 1995, Dr. Grizzard, who is legally blind, is currently
Commissioner of the State of Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision
Impaired. Grizzard has provided cooperative educational services to state
public school divisions, administered programs for low vision services and
special services to senior citizens with visual impairments. Grizzard, 53,
earned a doctorate of education, with a concentration in educational
leadership, from Nova University in Florida.
House Passes Seventh Continuing Resolution; House Approves Labor HHS
Conference Report
The House and Senate passed H.J. Res.78, the seventh continuing resolution
(CR) of fiscal year 2002, to provide funding to keep the government
operating through Dec. 21. The sixth CR was effective through December 15.
Conferees on Labor HHS appropriations have issued their report which passed
the House on December 19. The Senate is expected to pass it today, December
20.
House and Senate Conferees Set NLS Appropriation
House and Senate conferees for H.R. 2647, making appropriations for the
Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2002, agreed to
adopt the House-passed recommendation of $49,788,000 for "Books for the
Blind and Physically Handicapped." (House Rpt. 107-259) This represents an
increase of $281,000 over $48,507,000 for FY 2001.
Paul Schroeder, Alan Dinsmore, and Barbara LeMoine are contributors to WFW.
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: [log in to unmask] Address questions
regarding subscriptions or content to Barbara Jackson 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 the Topica "Words from Washington" list. WFW is
available shortly after publication at www.afb.org/gov.asp.
====================================
Barbara Jackson LeMoine
Legislative Assistant
Governmental Relations Group
American Foundation for the Blind
Visit GRG's web site at http://www.afb.org/gov.asp
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