2009/06/08: Contact Congress to oppose 2009 Supplemental

Submitted by Staff on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 2:27pm

Action Alert

It's hard to believe, but the 2009 Supplemental is actually worse than before.

In addition to funding a continued war in Iraq and an escalated war in Afghanistan, the Senate version contains the Lieberman-Graham amendment, which prevents the release of torture photos by amending the Freedom of Information Act. Plus, the Senate version also authorizes $108 billion for U.S.-backed loans to be distributed by the IMF, which threatens to exacerbate the global economic crisis, not diminish it.

The first time around, 51 antiwar House members voted against the war funding. Now, House Republicans are threatening to oppose the bill because of the IMF provision. To get the money for the wars, there is great pressure on those antiwar House members to switch their vote.

That's why we need to hold them firm! Our phone calls made a huge difference to antiwar Congressional representatives earlier. Now, we're urgently needed to make those calls again.

Call the Congressional Switchboard today at 202-224-3121.

If your Congressional Representative voted 'NO' to the Supplemental bill the first time, thank them and urge them to stay firm and vote 'NO' once again. If your Congressional Representative voted 'YES' the first time, express your disappointment and ask them to change their vote. Click here for the breakdown of the first House vote on the Supplemental.

For more information on the IMF issue, please take a look at Maxine Waters' (and 41 other House members) letter to the House Appropriations Committee, rejecting the lack of transparency and oversight of the IMF loans. Plus, click here to read Robert Naiman's analysis of the IMF funding issue.

And make sure to ask ALL representatives to become a co-sponsor of Congressman Jim McGovern's bill HR 2404, requiring the Defense Department to produce an 'exit plan' for Iraq no later than December 2009. Click here for a list of sponsors so far.

For other steps you can take, please click here.

Thanks,

United For Peace and Justice http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

WNPJ is a member group of UFPJ

For more on this isse see:

National Call-In Day: Fund Diplomacy, Not the Wars!

UFPJ Calls For Diplomacy and De-Escalation in Afghanistan

Funding devastation - Lillia Langreck

Four Wisconsin Representatives say "no" to war funding

9/11 Families call for U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan

Nine steps the incoming president can take to build a peace-based economy

Obama disappoints on ending the war - Lee Brown