ACTION UPDATE: NO to War (US Vote for over $30 Billion)

ACTION IN A NUTSHELL:

VOTE NO EITHER WAY: Vote No on the Rule! Vote No on the war escalation funding if offered separately! Vote No on a bill that includes the war escalation funding!
Call your Representative through the Capitol Hill switchboard: (202) 224-3121 and (Then) Email 21 key members with one click. JUST One-Click Email to the 21 Progressive Who Let You Down on the War Last Time - JUST GO to 21 Progressive Democrats Must End the Wars | Democrats.com CLICK here and find the petition: 21 Progressive Democrats Must End the Wars Plz ACT NOW

Tonight They Try to Escalate the War
Submitted by davidswanson on Thu, 2010-07-01

...The House of Representatives will try to vote over $30 Billion to escalate the war in Afganistan. Here's how it's expected to go down (thanks to Peace Action for some of this):

First they'll vote on unemployment insurance as a stand-alone bill.

Then, following some unrelated votes, they'll debate and vote on the Rule for the Supplemental. Rules are procedural votes that caucuses of congress members serious about blocking something can vote against. Progressives don't tend to be serious, but there's a first time for everything, and we should ask them to vote No on the Rule. A small group of Blue Dogs and Progressives is urging this.

Then they'll debate and vote on amendments to the supplemental. These are expected to include two good amendments to the war spending, which risk however providing members who vote Yes on the money the excuse that they also voted Yes on good amendments.

Presumably the amendments will also include an amendment for spending on useful things like disaster relief and schools. Perhaps the war escalation spending will also be voted on as an amendment -- it's not clear.

Then the "last votes" will come in the evening. Presumably these will include a vote on the complete package of the Supplemental.

Regardless of exactly how it goes, our demand is simple: VOTE NO!

(AGAIN)
Vote No on the Rule! Vote No on the war escalation funding if offered separately! Vote No on a bill that includes the war escalation funding!

We've already identified more than enough Democratic No votes to stop this train if the Republicans vote No for their own crazy reasons (and some Republicans oppose the war).

Call your Representative through the Capitol Hill switchboard: (202) 224-3121 and (Then) Email 21 key members with one click.

Now's the time to get them on record opposing any more funding for these wars ever.

Check where things stand and report on your progress at defundwar.org GO: here

Follow: Four Congress Members Urge Colleagues to Vote No on War Escalation $

Rep Michael Honda, Chairman of the Afghanistan Taskforce, Congressional Progressive Caucus
Rep Raul M. Grijalva, Co-Chair, Congressional Progressive Caucus
Rep John Conyers, Chairman, Out of Afghanistan Caucus
Rep Alan Grayson, Member, Congressional Progressive Caucus

It is disingenuous to say this is an “emergency” supplemental. The only “emergency” is this: In funding the longest war in history, we are putting America further into debt with China, expanding the deficit, increasing wasteful government spending, undermining our budgetary process, risking Social Security and solidifying debt that military leaders call our number one national security threat.

Excuse the Repeat but...we've war to stop!

SO, Call your Representative through the Capitol Hill switchboard: (202) 224-3121 and (Then) Email 21 key members with one click. JUST One-Click Email to the 21 Progressive Who Let You Down on the War Last Time - JUST GO to 21 Progressive Democrats Must End the Wars | Democrats.com CLICK here and find the petition: 21 Progressive Democrats Must End the Wars Plz ACT NOW



(More on the) 21 Progressive Democrats:

In 2009, House Progressives had two chances to use the "power of the purse" to end the wars by opposing the $97 Billion War Supplemental. On May 14, 51 Progressives voted against war funds. But on June 16, when 32 true Progressives voted No (1) and we needed just 7 more Progressives to end the wars, 21 sorely disappointed us.

They were: Yvette Clarke, Steve Cohen, Jim Cooper, Jerry Costello, Barney Frank, Luis Gutierrez, Jay Inslee, Steve Kagen, John Lewis, Edward Markey, Doris Matsui, Jim McDermott, George Miller, Grace Napolitano, Richard Neal, James Oberstar, Jan Schakowsky, Mike Thompson, Edolphus Towns, Nydia Velázquez, and Anthony Weiner...

For keen reminders as to the gravity of voting NO to the escalation, see the excerpt and info on Stephen Kinzer's latest book in post below...