Hearing Aid Tax Credit Has Over 100 Co-Sponsors

Another bill in Congress, HR 1646, was introduced in March 2009 and now has over 100 cosponsors. This bill is the Hearing Aid Tax Credit, which would "allow a credit against income tax for the purchase of hearing aids." (More information is at the Better Hearing Institute).

Why is Caption Action 2 mentioning this? We are mentioning it because it stands to reason that Congressional representatives who support HR 1646, another bill of importance to the deaf and hard of hearing, should also be more likely to support HR 3101! So here are the names of the representatives who are co-sponsoring HR 1646. If you see an asterisk next to their name, it means that they are members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee that has HR 3101.

Rep Akin, W. Todd [MO-2] (Republican)
Rep Altmire, Jason [PA-4] (Democratic)
Rep Bachmann, Michele [MN-6] (Republican)
Rep Bachus, Spencer [AL-6] (Republican)
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] (Democratic) *
Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] (Democratic)
Rep Bishop, Rob [UT-1] (Republican)
Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] (Democratic)
Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3] (Democratic)
Rep Bono Mack, Mary [CA-45] (Republican)
Rep Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [GU] (Democratic)
Rep Boucher, Rick [VA-9] (Democratic) *
Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] (Democratic) *
Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (Republican)
Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] (Republican)
Rep Butterfield, G. K. [NC-1] (Democratic) *
Rep Capuano, Michael E. [MA-8] (Democratic)
Rep Carnahan, Russ [MO-3] (Democratic)
Rep Carson, Andre [IN-7] (Democratic)
Rep Chandler, Ben [KY-6] (Democratic)
Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] (Democratic)
Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] (Democratic)
Rep Dahlkemper, Kathleen A. [PA-3] (Democratic)
Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] (Democratic)
Rep Delahunt, Bill [MA-10] (Democratic)
Rep Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [FL-21] (Republican)
Rep Duncan, John J., Jr. [TN-2] (Republican)
Rep Ehlers, Vernon J. [MI-3] (Republican)
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] (Democrat)
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14] (Democrat) *
Rep Etheridge, Bob [NC-2] (Democrat)
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (Democrat)
Rep Forbes, J. Randy [VA-4] (Republican)
Rep Gordon, Bart [TN-6] (Democrat) *
Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] (Democrat) *
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] (Democrat)
Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] (Democrat)
Rep. Harper, Gregg [MS-3] (Republican)
Rep Heller, Dean [NV-2] (Republican)
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] (Democratic)
Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] (Democrat)
Rep Inslee, Jay [WA-1] (Democrat) *
Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] (Democrat) (already supports HR 3101!)
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] (Democrat)
Rep Johnson, Timothy V. [IL-15] (Republican)
Rep Kagen, Steve [WI-8] (Democrat)
Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] (Democrat)
Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] (Democrat)
Rep Klein, Ron [FL-22] (Democrat)
Rep Kline, John [MN-2] (Republican)
Rep Kosmas, Suzanne M. [FL-24] (Democratic)
Rep Larson, John B. [CT-1] (Democratic)
Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] (Republican)
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] (Democratic) - Already supports HR 3101!
Rep Loebsack, David [IA-2] (Democratic)
Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] (Democratic)
Rep Lynch, Stephen F. [MA-9] (Democratic)
Rep Marshall, Jim [GA-8] (Democratic)
Rep Massa, Eric J. J. [NY-29] (Democratic)
Rep McCarthy, Kevin [CA-22] (Republican)
Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4] (Democratic)
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] (Republican)
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] (Democratic)
Rep Meeks, Gregory W. [NY-6] (Democratic)
Rep Miller, Brad [NC-13] (Democratic)
Rep Miller, Candice [MI-10] (Republican)
Rep Minnick, Walter [ID-1] (Democratic)
Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3] (Democratic)
Rep Moran, Jerry [KS-1] (Republican)
Rep Murphy, Tim [PA-18] (Republican) *
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] (Democratic)
Rep Nunes, Devin [CA-21] (Republican)
Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (Republican)
Rep Paulsen, Erik [MN-3] (Republican)
Rep Peterson, Collin C. [MN-7] (Democratic)
Rep Petri, Thomas E. [WI-6] (Republican)
Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] (Republican)
Rep Price, David E. [NC-4] (Democratic)
Rep Rahall, Nick J., II [WV-3] (Democratic)
Rep Rogers, Mike D. [AL-3] (Republican)
Rep Rooney, Thomas J. [FL-16] (Republican)
Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [FL-18] (Republican)
Rep Roskam, Peter J. [IL-6] (Republican)
Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9] (Democratic)
Rep Roybal-Allard, Lucille [CA-34] (Democratic)
Rep Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [MD-2] (Democratic)
Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] - (Democratic) - already supports HR 3101!
Rep Salazar, John T. [CO-3] (Democratic)
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-39] - (Democratic) - already supports HR 3101!
Rep Schiff, Adam B. [CA-29] (Democratic)
Rep Schock, Aaron [IL-18] (Republican)
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] (Democratic)
Rep Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [WI-5] (Republican)
Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (Democratic)
Rep Shuler, Heath [NC-11] (Democratic)
Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] (Republican)
Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] (Republican) *
Rep Thompson, Mike [CA-1] (Democratic)
Rep Titus, Dina [NV-3] (Democratic)
Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] - (Democratic) - already supports HR 3101!
Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] (Democratic)
Rep Wamp, Zach [TN-3] (Republican)
Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19] (Democratic)
Rep Wittman, Robert J. [VA-1] (Republican)
Rep Wolf, Frank R. [VA-10] (Republican)
Rep Wu, David [OR-1] (Democratic)
Rep Yarmuth, John A. [KY-3] (Democratic)
Rep Young, Don [AK] (Republican)

Caption Action 2 Action Alert: Representative Cliff Stearns

Caption Action 2 Action Alert

This is an Action Alert from Caption Action 2.

Caption Action 2 has been told by Representative Ed Markey's office (Markey is the sponsor for HR 3101) that we need to get a Republican co-sponsor. One Republican who expressed interest last year but who did not co-sponsor, is Representative Cliff Stearns (FL). Help Caption Action 2 get Representative Cliff Stearns on board this year!

How can you help us get Stearns to sign on?

1. Stearns has a Facebook page. Become a "fan" of Stearns and then you can post on his wall.
2. Go to Stearns home page on the web.: http://www.house.gov/stearns
Use the "contact" link but you must live in his district to send an email.
3. Send an email to Matt Mandel, the legislative director for telecommunications in Stearns' office, at matt.mandel@mail.house.gov.

By posting and sending messages you will be making Stearns aware that deaf and hard of hearing people are a community that will not be ignored!

Is Stearns Your Representative?

If you live in Florida but are not sure if Stearns is your Representative, check the District page on his website. This page lists all the counties and cities represented by Stearns, whose District is the Sixth District.

If Stearns is Your Representative...

If Stearns is your representative do all you can to make people in your community aware of HR 3101. Send letters to the editor to local and weekly papers, and contact local television stations via their websites. Find local email lists and message boards for your community, join them and post messages. Contact schools in your area and tell them about HR 3101, emphasizing that captioning has educational benefits. Contact all disability related organizations in your area such as independent living centers.

With your help, we may be able to bring Representative Cliff Stearns on board!

Towns and Lewis Sign on to HR 3101!

Today Caption Action 2 learned that Representative Edolphus Towns (NY) has signed on! Your calls, letters, and Facebook wall messages worked! Remember when back on July 29 Caption Action 2 reported that Towns was "reportedly" interested but had not committed? Now he has committed! Congratulations to residents of Brooklyn, New York!

The other Representative who has signed on, John Lewis, hails from Atlanta, Georgia! Lewis is not on either Facebook or Twitter, so the only way you can thank him is by sending him an email through his website. According to his biography, Lewis has a strong history in civil rights.

This makes eight cosponsors so far. We need more!!!