Sample Letter to Chamber of Commerce

Several of you have called or written, requesting a sample letter for use in responding to the Chamber of Commerce.

Below, you will find a sample letter, to which you may choose to add your personalized message. Although the sample letter is addressed to the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce, we encourage you to send a letter to the Chamber’s regional office servicing your area, as well. To determine contact information for the regional office nearest you, go to: http://www.uschamber.com/about/contact/regional.htm.

We also encourage you to send copies of your letter to your Member of Congress in the House of Representatives (to determine who your Representative is, go to www.house.gov and enter your zip code in the upper left corner), so they continue to hear from advocates just how important this bill is to people with disabilities.

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SAMPLE LETTER:

[YOUR NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY, STATE, ZIP]

[DATE]


Paul S. Speranza, Jr.,
Chairman of the Board of Directors
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
1615 H Street, NWWashington, DC 20062-2000


Re: Letter from R. Bruce Josten, Executive Vice President, Government Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, attacking the AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) RESTORATION ACT

Dear Mr. Speranza,

I am writing to protest the letter the U.S. Chamber sent to the U.S. House of Representatives on August 22, 2007 to indicate the Chamber’s opposition to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Restoration Act of 2007 (H.R. 3195).

In the letter, Mr. Josten writes that the ADA Restoration Act is “ …not a simple tweak of the ADA, but rather a wholesale re-writing of it.” This is untrue and a mischaracterization of the ADA Restoration Act’s bipartisan attempt to correct some narrow Supreme Court interpretations of the ADA, which is an activity that the Congress has every right and power to do. The bill, as its name suggests, is a restoration of the intent of the original ADA, which was to create an equal opportunity for all Americans, including Americans with disabilities, to work and to prohibit employers from obstructing this opportunity on the basis of fears, myths, and stereotypes surrounding disability.

[INSERT YOUR PERSONAL THOUGHTS HERE - identifying yourself as a person with a disability or as a family member or friend, as a taxpayer, as a registered voter, and state why the ADA Restoration Act is important to you, etc.]

I am very disappointed with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and urge you to recall the letter and change your position.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

CC: [Your Member of the U.S. House of Representatives]