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Grassroots Activism Rewards Program
Offering rewards to members who are most involved in the legislative and political process

You fight for your business every day—now earn rewards for it. Members of the VoteForBusiness Grassroots Team will earn points for their grassroots activities, and the highest point earners will win prizes. Anyone can take part in these activities and the more effort you put in, the higher reward you’ll receive. We hope this program will demonstrate how important your contributions are and how much we appreciate them.

REWARDS!  

  • Grand Prize: Attend America’s Small Business Summit for free (includes hotel and cost of program). Points earned through April 30 will count toward this year’s event: May 23-25, 2007 at the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel.

  • Quarterly Prize: The top point earner each quarter will be featured in our newsletter and will be sent a gift.

  • Other prizes, including tickets to see national political figures, or free Chamber offers, will be announced throughout the year.

Points Structure

• Base for becoming a member of VFB-GT 100
• Face-to-face meeting with a member of Congress 50
• Talk to the media when we ask for help from the business
   community
50
• Send us a personal story about how a business issue or   legislation affects you 40
• Participate in a Town Hall Meeting in your state or   Congressional district 40
• Send a personal letter to your members of Congress and a   copy to the U.S. Chamber 30
• Complete and return a survey 20
• Sign up a friend online 20
• Order Get-Out-The-Vote materials 20
• Send internal Get-Out-The-Vote messages to employees 20
• Send a pre-written letter using VoteForBusiness.com 15
• Call members of Congress via the VFB hotline, 866-346-VOTE 15
• Return tear-off postcards 10
• Points will be offered at random on the materials you receive   regularly from us ??

Earning Points

To earn points, just keep doing what you've been doing-write letters, call your members of Congress, attend meetings, and get involved. Also, be on the lookout for easy ways to earn points through special announcements in our communications with you.

Most of your involvement will be counted automatically. Anything you do online through www.VoteForBusiness.com or send back to us by fax or mail will be recorded. If you attend a meeting, make a phone call, or run a Get-Out-The-Vote program, you will need to notify us. Please send an e-mail to VFB@uschamber.com, call 202-463-5604, or send a fax to 202-463-3190.

 

Urge your legislators to support the U.S. Colombia Free Trade Agreement when it comes before Congress
Urge your legislators to support the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement when it comes before Congress.  It’s a “fair trade” agreement that will bring real benefits to American workers, farmers, and companies.
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Government mandated mental health coverage may increase costs and threaten coverage
Urge your Representative to oppose H.R. 1424 and support Senate-passed S.558

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, along with a broad coalition of leading associations and healthcare groups, is working hard to oppose H.R. 1424, the Kennedy-Ramstad Mental Health Parity bill.  H.R. 1424 is scheduled for a vote on the House floor THIS WEEK.  We need you to contact Congress TODAY and urge your member to oppose H.R. 1424 and support S.558 as unanimously passed by the Senate.

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Support the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement
The U.S.-Korea FTA was signed by the U.S. and Korean governments on June 30, 2007.  The most commercially significant U.S. trade deal in more than a decade, the FTA will bring important economic benefits and opportunities to U.S. businesses, farmers, and workers by immediately opening new access for U.S. goods and services in Korea—one of the world's largest and most dynamic economies.
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Wake Up to Climate Change
On December 5, the Senate will try to move the Lieberman-Warner climate bill through committee and to the Senate floor. According to the Washington Post, this bill will require an across-the-board Transformation of the American way of life.
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States Rights at Risk in Farm Bill
The House-passed Farm Bill (H.R. 2149) includes a provision (Section 4015) that prohibits states from utilizing private sector companies to improve the service and efficiency of their Food Stamp Program. Now the Senate is set to take up the Farm Bill and may pass a similar provision to the House’s Section 4015.
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Highway Trust Fund Near Crisis
Our surface transportation system is becoming increasingly congested and in many places is in disrepair. If nothing changes, the Highway Trust Fund will have a negative $4.3 billion balance in fiscal year 2009. Congress must find either $4.3 billion in additional revenues or cut highway spending by four times that amount in order to preserve the Highway Trust Fund.
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Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
In Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., the Supreme Court said that the filing period for claims of discrimination starts when a decision is made and communicated to the employee. The Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would overturn the Court’s decision, eliminating statutes of limitation, but it would also alter other employment laws, increase frivolous lawsuits, and make it harder to resolve cases in a timely manner.
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House Energy Package Threatens Energy Supplies
The House approved the full energy package, 241-172, as one of its last acts before heading home until Labor Day. The vote broke down largely along party lines, with 26 Republicans joining the Democratic majority in approval and nine Democrats voting against the bill.
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No Child Left Behind Act Reauthorization
The U.S. Chamber believes the No Child Left Behind Act is one of the critical tools needed to transform U.S. education so that all students graduate academically prepared for college, citizenship, and the 21st century workplace.  Ask your legislators to support NCLB reauthorization efforts that go beyond the current Act.
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Write your Members of Congress
Send a letter to your Members of Congress on any issue.  Don't forget to include the bill number or describe the issue.
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