[NLA] Re: NIFL Letter in the Senate

[Jon Randall]

There's no point in anyone urging their Senators to sign a letter yet
because there isn't one.

Getting a letter going in the Senate has not been as easy as it was to do so
the House. The literacy field doesn't have a strong "go-to" relationship
with any Republican in the Senate - not yet anyway.

Folks from the Lindy Boggs Center in New Orleans persuaded Sen. John Breaux
(D-LA) to be the lead Democrat for the NIFL letter in the Senate. Senator
Breaux said he'd sponsor the letter IF it could be bi-partisan letter. That
means we need a Senate Republican to share the lead responsibilities with
Sen. Breaux. We haven't had success yet though.

Folks in Rhode Island have approached Senator Chafee in Rhode Island. Folks
in Ohio have approached Senator DeWine. Neither has said yes yet. The
offices of Senators Frist (TN) and Specter (PA) said they'd consider it.
However, after some initial discussion, neither office has returned phone
calls or emails either to me or their constituents!

TARGETED ACTION:

If you're from Pennsylvania, call Jennifer Castagna in Sen. Specter's
office, (202) 224-4254. You can say you're following up on JoAnn
Weinberger's request. Urge Sen. Specter to take the lead on this letter with
Senator Breaux. If Jennifer asks for more information, let me know and I'll
follow up.

If you're from Rhode Island. Call David Morgenstern in Sen. Chafee's office,
(202)-224-9121. You can say you're following up on a request initially made
by Janet Isserlis. Urge Sen. Chafee to take the lead on this letter with
Senator Breaux. If David asks for more information, let me know and I'll
follow up.

If you're from Ohio, call Kristin Bannerman in Sen. DeWine's office, (202)
224-2315. You can say you're following up on a request initially made by
Karen Scheid. Urge Sen. DeWine to take the lead on this letter with Senator
Breaux. If Kristin asks for more information, let me know and I'll follow
up.

If you're from Tennessee, call Andrea Becker in the office of Sen. Frist,
(202) 224-3344. You can say you're following up on a request initially made
by COABE Chair Sherrie Claiborne. Urge Sen. Frist to take the lead on this
letter with Senator Breaux. If Andrea asks for more information, let me know
and I'll follow up.

If you're not from PA, RI, OH, or TN, please contact me if one of *your*
Senators is a Republican and you're willing to ask him/her to take the lead
on this letter. Anyone from Maine willing to ask Sen. Collins?

Let's get a Senate Republican on board here!


Jon Randall
Public Policy Committee Chair
National Coalition for Literacy
www.natcoalitionliteracy.org

NCL policy efforts are supported in part by funding from ProLiteracy
Worldwide

FedStrategics, LLC
strategic advocacy & public affairs consulting
to charitable organizations
www.FedStrategics.com

8413 Park Crest Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Tel: (301) 588-5304   Fax: (301) 588-5353
jrandall at FedStrategics.com



_______________________________________________
NLA mailing list: NLA at lists.literacytent.org
http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/nla
LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
http://literacytent.org