Send a Message to Your Senators & Representative:
"Vote
NO on any funding for the occupation of Iraq that does not require the
rapid withdrawal of all U.S. troops and contractors."
Visit or call them ASAP:
202-224-3121
(It
takes a few moments longer to make a phone call than to send an email,
but phone calls are far more effective, so we urge you to take a few
minutes to call your members of Congress today.)
See below for more ways to get this vital message heard.
UPDATE 12/11/07: The budget
deal between Democrats and Republicans that would have
allowed up to $70 billion in unconditional funds for Iraq looks like it
is dead for the time being. However, calls and visits are still needed:
Congress must pass a funding bill to keep the government running
beyond Friday, December 14, so the danger remains that Republicans
will insist that any funding bill include funds for Iraq. We must
make clear to both Democrats and Republicans that the funding bill must
NOT include funds for Iraq for anything but withdrawal. A sample letter to send is available here.
Original alert -- 12/10/07: It
looks like the Senate leadership is ready to make a deal with the
devil: If Bush funds their domestic programs, they will fund his
illegal, destructive occupation of Iraq. Recognizing weakness, Bush
appears ready to hold out and demand no increases to vital domestic
programs, along with a $70 billion blank check for Iraq. The vote may come as early as tomorrow, Tuesday.
Clearly, the Iraqi people and the people of this country will be the losers in this deal.
On
the House side, the signals are still mixed. On Friday, the chairs of
the Progressive and Out-Of-Iraq Caucuses, Lynn Woolsey, Barbara Lee and
Maxine Waters, wrote the Democratic leadership, saying
that they will oppose any legislation that does not "strictly limit
funding" to the protection of the troops and for their complete
redeployment out of Iraq.
We
have called, emailed, visited, occupied offices and refused to leave.
Many members of Congress have gotten the message, but they need to be
reminded, and those who haven't gotten the message need to hear it
again.
This funding fight is prolonged and frustrating, but it is also urgently important. We ask you to take time today to send a message to your senators and representative.
Choose the method that feels right for you:
-
We
know it's short notice, but try to gather some friends together and pay
a visit to one or more of your legislators' local or DC offices today
or tomorrow. (Click here to find their office locations.)
Emphatically demand an end to the occupation. Your peaceful visit can
be brief, or last long enough for you to read the names of civilians
and soldiers killed in Iraq, or it can last until the member of
Congress agrees to oppose all funding that is not tied to the immediate
withdrawal of all U.S. troops and contractors.
If you are able to organize a visit, post the details on our calendar, so others can join you. Check to see if others in your area are planning a visit here.
-
If
you can't put together a visit, flood your legislators' offices with
phone calls. You can reach both of your senators and your
representative through the Capitol Hill switchboard: 202-224-3121.
Tell
them: Vote NO on any funding for the occupation of Iraq that does not
require the rapid withdrawal of all U.S. troops and contractors.
Background
Congress
has not passed most of the Appropriations Bills necessary to fund the
government and government services. The stop-gap funding measure
("Continuing Resolution") they passed last month expires on December
14, so they have to pass something before then in order to prevent a government
shutdown. Pro-war legislators see this as an opportunity to force a
vote on Iraq funding without any conditions. We are getting conflicting
reports from staff and the media about what is happening behind the
scenes -- but it looks likely that Congress will consider some Iraq
funding measure -- for as much as $70 billion, along with an omnibus
spending bill (that rolls all the appropriations bills for all
departments into one giant spending bill). In the House, Democratic
leadership had been promising that they would not take up anymore Iraq
funding bills until next year -- but there are alarming indications
they might renege on that promise. | 
