A Real Chance to Defeat the War Funding Bill in the House, With Your Help
Because of the inclusion of billions of dollars earmarked for the IMF to bail-out European banks, there is a real chance that the 2009 Supplemental War Appropriations bill can be defeated in the House of Representatives.
But, it will require you to again contact your Representative to tell them: “Vote NO on the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations.”
After the House and Senate approval of their versions of the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations bill, last month, the total funding measure has now grown to $100 billion! The House will vote on a compromised war funding bill, next week.
We are asking you to do the following to help defeat the war funding bill:
Please read the Robert Naiman article here and the Action Alert from Just Foreign Policy below. The article contains valuable talking points for getting your message across.
E-mail your Representative this weekend. (Use your Rep’s website e-mail form.)
Then make a phone call to your Representative’s office on Monday.
Your message can be as simple as: “I’m writing/ calling to tell Representative ________ to ‘Vote NO on the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations__.’”
See the Robert Naiman article With IMF Money, the War Supplemental Could Fail in the House (http://www.truthout.org/060309R)
See the Summary: ‘Why Your E-mails and Calls to Congress Are So Important Now in Defeating War Funding’
If you don’t know the phone number or website of your Representative, click here and follow the links to get to your Congressperson’s website. (The website will contain an e-mail webform and phone numbers.)
Or just call the Congressional switchboard 1-202-225-3121 and ask for your Representative’s office by name.
Thank you!
The following is from Robert Naiman at Just Foreign Policy
With Your Help, The House Can Defeat the War/IMF Supplemental
The war supplemental expected to come before the House next week will have no exit strategy from Afghanistan, but it will have billions for the International Monetary Fund to bail-out European banks - money the IMF will use as leverage to impose economic austerity policies. Because of the inclusion of the IMF money, there is a real possibility the House could defeat the combined war/IMF supplemental, which would be a significant step towards ending the wars, as well as an important move towards reform of the IMF.
Can you call your Representative today, and ask him or her to vote no on the war supplemental? The Congressional switchboard is 202-225-3121: ask to be connected to your Representative.
Last month, 60 Members of the House voted against the war supplemental. But next week, the supplemental could be defeated on the floor of the House.
The key thing that’s changed since the last House vote is the Treasury Department’s insistence that the war supplemental include billions for the International Monetary Fund to be used as a bailout for European banks facing big losses in Eastern Europe - the international version of the Wall Street bailout.
House Republicans, including Minority Leader John Boehner, have threatened to vote no on the war funding if the IMF money is attached. If Republicans vote no, and if all the Democrats who voted no last month vote no again, the war supplemental would fail on the floor of the House, 200-228.
Can you call your Representative today, and ask him or her to vote no on the war supplemental?
If your Representative is a Republican, it may be especially helpful to emphasize opposition to the IMF bailout.
If your Representative is a Democrat, it may be especially helpful to emphasize the lack of an exit strategy from Afghanistan and opposition to the IMF’s austerity policies. The Congressional switchboard is 202-225-3121.
Thank you for all you do for a just foreign policy,
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/