Membership Support Needed Now on IEP Accreditation Amendment

June 20, 2007

This week the Senate will be working to bring back the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S. 1348) to the floor for continued debate.  As part of the compromise between Republicans and Democrats to allow this to happen, only a limited number of amendments will be offered.  Your support is needed now to urge Senators Kennedy (D-MA) and Spector (R-PA) to allow Senator Norm Coleman's (R-MN) amendment (S. Amdt. 1448), which requires IEPs to be accredited prior to receiving SEVIS certification, to be on the approved list of amendments for a voice vote.

With only a limited number of amendments allowed for final debate, your support is needed urgently.  Contact your Senators today to urge support of Senator Coleman's amendment.  Tell them why accreditation is critical and why you support the amendment.

Contact your Senators directly (visit www.senate.gov to find contact information) or use the TESOL U.S. Advocacy Action Center and follow the link to the SEVIS/IEP Action Alert.  Emails and phone calls are needed now.  Tell your Senators to speak to Senators Kennedy and Spector urging them to allow the Coleman amendment to be offered.  Also, fell free to call Senators Kennedy (202-224-2754) and Spector (202-224-4254) directly.

To download Senator Coleman's amendment and the AAIEP accreditation talking points, click on one of these links:

• Download Senator Coleman's amendment.

• Download the AAIEP talking points on accreditation.

Jeff Hutcheson
AAIEP Vice President for Advocacy, 2007-08

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Please note that the 2 downloadable files are .Zip compressed PDF files.  If you cannot open them, you might need one of these 2 free (and very useful) programs:

    * Adobe Reader (www.adobe.com/reader)
    * Stuffit Expander (www.stuffit.com/win/expander)