WILPF Legislative action and D.C. Visits
1) DISARM EYE ON CONGRESS ALERT November 19, 2007
Read Val Mullen's DISARM EYE alert for November 19. She gleaned this one from FCNL. It discusses the latest attempt to find a formula for bringing the troops home that could pass Congress. Read here Barbara Lee's explanation of her decision to vote for H.R. 4156 even though Lee (a WILPF sponsor), Woolsey and Waters have led the effort to get 92 Representatives to promise no more votes for Iraq occupation funding unless it is to bring troops and contractors home. Read the Congressional letter pledging no more votes for funding the Iraq war, and make sure your Representative (especially if s/he is a progressive) signs on and keeps the promises! Only one of those who took the pledge -- Dennis Kucinich of Ohio -- actually voted against H.R. 4156. John Lewis of Georgia answered present but did not vote, and Oberstar (of Minnesota) did not vote. Others who took the pledge voted for it, despite the $50 billion in "bridge" funding.
The DISARM EYE alert also calls for support of a diplomatic surge on Iraq. Read the Alert and also the bill (H.R. 3797) and list of co-sponsors. It is based on the Baker commission report and includes a call for bi-lateral negotiations with Iran and Syria as well as with the other three nations bordering Iraq. It is again less than perfect from a WILPF point-of-view, but calls for policies certainly better than the present ones. And direct negotiations with Iran and Syria are essential to building peace in the Middle East.
2) WILPF LOBBIES CONGRESS FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS ABOLITION (H RES 68)
AND FOR A COMMON SENSE BUDGET (H.R. 1702)
On November 5, 6 and 7 Carol Urner and Ellen Thomas visited D.C. offices of 18 Representatives with WILPF constituencies. If you are interested in abolition of nuclear weapons and keeping space for peace, or in cutting the military budget and increasing budget for human needs check to see if your Representative's office was visited. We spoke to staff and left letters and background material, but word from constituents always carries more weight. Together we might make a difference!
1) Is your representative one who supports nuclear weapons abolition (H Res 68) but not a budget for peace (HR 1702)?
Offices of these five Representatives with WILPF constituencies thanking them for co-sponsoring H Res 68 and urging them to co-sponsor HR 1702 as well.
Tammy Baldwin --(D-WI-2). Madison. Unfortunately Amber Shipley, her legislative assistant for military and foreign affairs could not keep her appointment with us because she was on the floor re an important vote for Baldwin. We met with her legislative director, Elizabeth Pika, who specializes in women's issues. (We had set up the appointment so that Tzili Mor [D.C. Branch], could also discuss AHR/CEDAW issues). Pika was attentive and welcoming, but did not have the full background to appreciate
Rosa De Lauro -- (D-CT-3) New Haven. We had a good meeting with Daniel Zeitlin, DeLauro's foreign policy aide. He saw no reason why she would not support H.R. 1702, but as November 28 she had not signed on. Help from New Haven WILPFers is needed!
Eddie Bernice Johnson -- (D-30-TX). Dallas. Johnson is a WILPF co-sponsor and we are always well received in her office. We talked with staff but not, unfortunately, with the best aide for our purposes, Paloma Zuleta. We left our letter and materials for her, however.
Ed Markey -- (D-MA-7) -- Greater Boston. We had a good meeting with Daniel Zeitlin , the foreign policy aide for Ed Markey. He saw no reason why Markey would not support H.R. 1702. Ed Markey is one of the most consistent and widely respected proponents of nuclear weapons abolition. I (Carol Urner) may have complicated the discussion by bringing up the BSL-4 biolab issue. Daniel asked me to send him background information to be passed on to the relevant aide, which I did. Boston WILPF (and especially Markey constituents) should of course develop a strong relationship with Markey and his staff. He is one of our best friends on both issues.
Maxine Waters -- (D-CA-35). Los Angeles. Maxine Waters, a strong progressive and member of the black caucus, works closely with Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey in leadership on nuclear weapons abolition, a common sense budget, ending the Iraq occupation and other issues of concern to WILPF. Unfortunately we did not get an appointment with her relevant aide, but spoke with other staff and left materials for Bert Hammond.
2) Is your representative one who supports a budget for peace (HR 1702) but not nuclear weapons abolition (H Res 68)?
We visited offices of these Representatives, thanking them for co-sponsoring HR 1702 and urging them to co-sponsor H Res 68. We spoke with staff and left materials for the foreign or military policy aides, but did not succeed in getting appointments this time round.
William Lacy Clay -- (D-1-MO) St. Louis. His scheduler claimed Clay had already co-sponsored H Res 68 so didn't give us an appointment. However, his name does not appear on the co-sponsors list and it would help if St. Louis Branch members contact him. Michele Bogdanovich is his legislative director.
John Conyers -- (D-MI-14) -- Detroit. Conyers is a WILPF sponsor and now chair of Judiciary. Carol met with Alexia Smokler earlier in the year on H Res 68, so this time we just left the cover letter and materials for her perusal.
Elijah Cummings -- (D-MD-7) -- Catonsville and Baltimore. We left the info on H Res 68 and other materials for Leah Perry Esquire (a legal title -- she is a woman) who specializes in international public law.
Sheila Jackson Lee -- (D-TX-18) -- Houston. We left the materials for the foreign affairs aide with staff in her office.
Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH-11) -- Cleveland. We left materials for the foreign affairs aide with staff in her office.
Carolyn Kilpatrick - (D-MI-13) -- Detroit. We left materials for the foreign affairs aide with staff in her office. James WIlliams is her Legislative Director.
Jim McDermott - (D-WA-7) -- Seattle. We left materials. Legislative Director is Jayme White..
Gregory Meeks - (D-NY-6) -- Rockaway. Left materials for Sophia King, Legislative Director.
Eleanor Holmes Norton- (D) -- Washington D.C. Left materials for Aaron Pritchard, Foreign Policy aide.
Helen Solis -(D-CA-32) - East Los Angeles. Left materials for Megan Uzzell, Legislative Director.
Nydia Velasquez (D-NY-12) -- Brooklyn (New York Metro). Left materials for Max Trujillo foreign policy and/or military aide.
Diane Watson (D-CA-33) - Los Angeles. Left materials for Gregory Adams, Legislative Director.
Linda Sanchez (D-CA-39) - Los Angeles County. Carol met with Sanchez's legislative aide (formerly in the local Whittier area office) Jose G. Delgado and discussed both H Res 68 and HR 1702, neither of which she has yet co-sponsored, although she has now joined the 73 member Progressive Caucus.
4) HR 1826. We also called on Representative Lynn Woolsey and several other Representatives who do not have constituents in WILPF Branches, but who have supported Proposition 1 in the past. This was a Washington D.C. initiative in 1992 that called for global abolition of nuclear weapons and switching of funding from nuclear programs to support of human security and welfare. Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced it in Congress and for many years it has been a pioneering call for sanity in Congress. It is featured in our Mil-Corp Manual in Section IX on building a Peace Economy. Ellen Thomas (D.C. Branch) has been a major promoter from its inception.
5) Keeping Space for Peace. We distributed a copy of the international WILPF statement on the fortieth anniversary of the Outer Space Treaty to all we visited. It went to all delegates involved in negotiations at the United Nations and is available for general distribution. Carol also met with the foreign policy aide of Representative Kucinich (Auke Naher Piersing) on the issue of space militarization. Auke is one of the aides most knowledgeable and simpatico on our issues. He was very sorry they missed the October 10 anniversary date of the Outer Space Treaty for resubmitting the legislation on banning weapons in space. He was very open to introducing it (though Kucinich is of course super involved with his Presidential campaign) so contact by Cleveland Branch members could really help!