On Monday, we said just 40 House Progressives could end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan/Pakistan (Af/Pak) by opposing the Pentagon's demand for another $95 billion. That's because all 178 Republicans will vote no over $5 billion for the IMF.
Nearly 10,000 of you emailed your Representatives, and 15 House Progressives responded to you by opposing the $95 billion. So now we need just 25 more.
Tell Congress: Healthcare Not Warfare
http://www.democrats.com/healthcare-not-warfare?cid=ZGVtczE3NTE2NmRlbXM=
For a glimpse of the impact of U.S. bombs on the children of Afghanistan, watch this 1 minute video from our friends at BraveNewFilms:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzyfAHvvXDU
If you have time to call Congress, pick a few from this list:
http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/Supplemental
Report the response you get using the webform.
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From CODEPINK:
Global weapons sales topped 1 trillion dollars last year, with the U.S. accounting for a whopping $603 billion in military spending in 2008. Can you imagine what $603 billion dollars could do towards eradicating hunger, immunizing children, fixing broken infrastructure, creating sustainable jobs and providing quality education and housing?
Call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell your representative (Congressmembers and Senators) to vote NO on the Supplemental.
And here we are again in 2009 about to pour billions of dollars into further death and destruction. Congress will soon vote on the 2009 Supplemental budget bill with $100 billion in continued funding for the military quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill is also loaded with unrelated junk and pet projects, such as money for a plan to spur domestic car sales, money for military aircraft the Pentagon doesn't want, and $5 billion to back credit lines to the International Monetary Fund.
Now more than ever we need to speak up. Once this money is gone, the war machine can continue on its deadly path. Our country can't afford this Supplemental, and we need to let our representatives know TODAY.
Stop Throwing Our $$$ Away!
Call your representatives at 202-224-3121 today. If your Congressmembers or Senators voted NO on the Supplemental bill the first time it appeared, be sure to thank them and urge her or him to hold strong and continue to vote NO. If they voted YES, please express your disappointment, and tell them to stop buying war and waste and vote NO.
You can find out how your Congressmember voted by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ZQOY7
You can find out how your Senator voted by clicking here: http://bit.ly/q0w3B
Thank you for continuing to speak out. We need to let our elected representatives know that we want our tax dollars to support peace and human needs, not more war.
In solidarity,
Allison, Audrey, Blaine, Dana, Desiree, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Janna, Janet, Jean, Jodie, Liz, Lori, Lydia, Medea, Nancy, Pam, Paris, and Rae
P.S. As Congress prepares to fund an escalation in Afghanistan, we are educating ourselves by listening to the voices of Afghan women. Read the fourth interview in our series "Afghan Women Speak Out": http://bit.ly/wBWaC
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An Invitation to Join the Peace Movement
To: True Majority, Moveon.org, Open Left, David Sirota, TPM, Campaign for America's Future, the Center for American Progress, and Daily Kos
The following groups and individuals are working very hard to block a war supplemental bill in Congress that would fund the continued war and occupation of Iraq and an escalated war and occupation in Afghanistan: Action Center For Justice, After Downing Street, American Friends Service Committee, Nick Baumann, Brave New Films, Jennifer Brunner, Brendan Calling, Cindy Sheehan, Code Pink, Dday, Declaration of Peace, Democrats.com, Digby, Docudharma, FireDogLake, Bruce Gagnon, Glenn Greenwald, the Hip Hop Caucus, Howie Klein, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Just Foreign Policy, The Nation, Cynthia McKinney, Linda Milazzo, Michael Moore, Military Families Speak Out, Out of Iraq Blogger Caucus, Patriot Daily, Peace Action, Progressive Democrats of America, Jason Rosenbaum, Coleen Rowley, Jonathan Tasini, True Maine Blue, Doug Tudor, United for Peace and Justice, US Labor Against the War, Veterans for Peace, Voters for Peace, Joan Wile, Marcy Winograd, World Can't Wait, and the Young Turks.
We could use your help.
We've elected majorities to Congress to get us out of Iraq in 2006 and 2008. But we've allowed Congress to toy with us. 51 Democrats voted against the current war supplemental when they were sure it would pass. Two years ago 89 House Democrats signed a statement committing to voting against any war funding except for a withdrawal. This year 85 have signed onto a bill requiring an exit strategy for Afghanistan. And 73 belong to something called the Out of Iraq Caucus. And yet we are being told that the way to "clear the decks" and "move on" to healthcare and energy is to further fund the wars that elected Democrats claim to oppose and that we all claim to oppose.
What are our chances of success? They are much better in the long term if we push hard in the short term. If we can strip unrelated measures out of war bills, if we can force war bills to be passed primarily by Republicans, if we can create an anti-war caucus with negotiating power, if we can change the discourse to include the peace movement we will be closer to achieving peace. Every day that we delay the current bill is a victory. Will you help us? Will you send an Email to your list and post a blog on your site asking your members to phone Congress and ask for No votes on the war supplemental? Will you be part of a growing peace movement now, when we might succeed, just as you were when we had no chance?
We need you.
In Solidarity,
David Swanson
AfterDowningStreet.org
David Swanson will be speaking in Charlotte on Sept. 1 at 7pm at Park Road Books. See http://charlotteaction.blogspot.com/2009/06/sept-1-david-swanson-book-tour-in.html
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For a list of upcoming events for peace & justice see http://charlotteaction.blogspot.com
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