On behalf of our friends at the Alliance for School Choice and for the many families and children affected by Hurricane Katrina, please read below and take ACTION!

CALL TO ACTION:

Please support all  victims of Hurricane Katrina, in public and private schools
 

Dear Friends,

We need you to act now! Voice your support for the President's plan to help the over 370,000 students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. See  fact sheet: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050915-7.html 

This plan provides relief to students choosing both public and private schools, but most importantly to all the students misplaced by the tragedy. Many opponents are fighting to exclude children choosing private schools. Don't let special interests dilute any real relief. Please contact the key Congressional leaders listed below, as well as your own representatives (www.flace.org), today.

Remember that a consistent message is important. Contact your legislators with the following  speaking points:

• A plan like the one proposed  by the president is better because it provides relief to all children equally  
• Express moral outrage at public and private school children not being treated equally (with Kennedy's plan)  
• At a time like this we need to  make sure the kids needs are met, not infuse politics  
• All children deserve an equal  chance at recovery  
• Place the interests of  children before special interests  
• We need to worry less about  where Katrina victims are receiving education and more about whether they are receiving  education  
• This is not political action, it is humanitarian action  

CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS TO  CONTACT

Key House  members:

Bobby Jindal  -  Louisiana, 1st
1205 Longworth House Office  Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202)-225-3015
Fax:  (202)-226-0386
http://jindal.house.gov/

Notes: Rep. Jindal represents part of Louisiana ravaged by Katrina and will introduce legislation supporting various educational options for the hurricanes victims.

John Boehner, -  Ohio, 8th
Washington, D.C. Office
1011 Longworth  H.O.B.
Washington, DC  20515
(202) 225-6205
(202) 225-0704  fax
http://johnboehner.house.gov/

Notes: Rep. Boehner is chair the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and authored the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, based on the president's education reform plan.

Key  Senators:
Lamar Alexander  (Tennessee)
SH-302
Washington, DC  20510
Voice: (202) 224-4944
Fax: (202) 228-3398
http://alexander.senate.gov/

Note: A strong supporter of parental choice in education has previously  introduced his "Pell Grants for Kids" bill aimed at equalizing K-12 funding  with that available for higher ed.

Kay Bailey Hutchison  (Texas)
284 Russell Senate Office  Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5922
http://hutchison.senate.gov/

Bill  Frist (Tennessee)
509 Hart Senate Office  Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3344
202-228-1264  (fax)
http://frist.senate.gov/

Notes: Senate Majority Leader. He currently serves on the following committees: Finance; Rules; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP).

David Vitter  (Louisiana)
516 Hart Senate Bldg.
Washington,  DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4623
Fax: (202) 228-5061
http://vitter.senate.gov/

Notes: the first Republican ever elected to the U.S. Senate by the people of Louisiana and directly affected by Katrina's assault on his state.

Swing Senate  votes:
Mary L. Landrieu  (Louisiana)
724 Hart Senate Building
United  States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Voice: (202)224-5824
Fax:(202)  224-9735
http://landrieu.senate.gov/

Notes: has been referred to as “one of the Senate’s foremost leaders on education” by her colleagues in the Senate. Let's help her keep that title by getting her to support the president's plan.

Senators Against - Equally important to  contact:
Edward Kennedy  (Massachusetts)
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC  20510
(202) 224-4543
http://kennedy.senate.gov/

Notes: Sen. Kennedy’s own children spent precious little time in public schools growing up.  Yet the senator would deny aid to families displaced by Hurricane Katrina because they made the same educational choices for their children as he did for his. Remind him that this is not the time for partisan politics and special interest conflicts.

Arlen Specter  (Pennsylvania)
711 Hart Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel:  202-224-4254
http://specter.senate.gov/

Mike Enzi  (Wyoming)
379 Russell Senate Office  Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3424
Fax: (202)  228-0359
TTY/TDD: (202) 224-3453
http://enzi.senate.gov/

Notes: Enzi has been a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, since his arrival in the senate in 1997.

What you can do to  help:

[ ] Contact  the key Representatives and Senators listed above

[ ] Contact your state's Senators http://www.senate.gov/ - ask them to support the president's  plan

[ ] Contact your  state's Representatives http://www.house.gov/ - ask them to support the president's  plan

[ ] Forward this message to your mailing list  and ask your friends to take action and forward to their lists   
 
[ ] Email your elected Representative: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

(Special thanks to Hispanic CREO for research and text).