Congress is on vacation; time to get to work

In session
August 2003

Congress is on vacation; time for you to get to work
Republicans make a legislative run for the border

Congress is on vacation; time for you to get to work
The Congressional August Recess begins August 2 and runs through September 1. They're taking the rest of the summer off. That doesn't mean you have to. The Friends Committee on National Legislation says now's a good time to write or visit your representatives in Congress during home district visits to let them know exactly how you feel. FCNL recommends contacting your legislators' local offices. Schedule a meeting with them, or see if there are any town meetings or public events which you can attend. Assemble a delegation from your community to meet with them.

Below are brief summaries of pending issues concerning North Korea, Liberia, funding for nuclear weapons, Colombia, Cuba, and Iraq.

PROMOTE DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION WITH NORTH KOREA: Tensions are heating up on the Korean Peninsula, and neither the U.S. nor North Korea seem willing to make the compromises necessary to allow diplomacy to succeed. This fall, if the U.S. proceeds with plans for provocative military exercises and North Korea declares it has nuclear weapons, the tension will only increase.

Please ask your members of Congress to contact the President to urge him to pursue a peaceful diplomatic resolution to this conflict. War in Korea is NOT the answer. To advance diplomacy, the U.S. should offer North Korea security assurances. For more information.

SUPPORT STRONG U.S. ROLE IN UN MISSION TO LIBERIA: Escalating violence in Liberia has killed hundreds, displaced hundreds of thousands, destroyed families and communities, and contributed to the spread of disease and hunger. It is threatening to further unravel the region of West Africa. The main parties to the conflict have said they would welcome intervention by international peacekeepers and a strong U.S. role. Unfortunately, the Administration is moving slowly and promising only a "limited" role for the U.S. in helping end the violence.

Please ask your members of Congress to tell the President that the U.S. must take a lead role in the UN/Economic Community of West African States peacekeeping mission to restore order in Liberia and promote lasting peace and democracy. Urge your representative to cosponsor H Con Res 240, by Rep. Payne and others, calling on the U.S. to take a lead in supporting an end to hostilities, deploying an international stabilization force, and providing humanitarian assistance. For more information.

HALT RESEARCH ON NEW NUCLEAR WEAPONS: The Senate has decided to delay further consideration of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill (S 1424) until September. The bill includes funding for U.S. nuclear weapons programs at the Energy Department.

Please urge your senators to remove funding for research on new nuclear weapons. Continuing U.S. research on new nuclear weapons will dangerously undermine U.S. and global security by encouraging the proliferation of nuclear weapons by other countries. For more information.

END TRAVEL BAN TO CUBA: Over the last several years, bipartisan political momentum for ending the U.S. ban on travel to Cuba has been gaining steam in Congress. In spite of this, however, the Administration has been tightening the existing travel restrictions. Legislation has been introduced again in both the House and the Senate to end that ban. Please urge your representative to cosponsor HR 2071 and your senators to cosponsor S 950. Votes are expected early this fall on related measures. The best way to advance democracy and human rights in Cuba is to expand travel, trade, and exchange between our peoples. For more information.

END MILITARY AID TO COLOMBIA: At the end of July, Reps. McGovern (MA) and Skelton (MO) offered an amendment to the House Foreign Aid Appropriations bill (HR 2800) which would shift $75 million in military aid to Colombia toward international HIV/AIDS programs. Although the amendment was defeated 195-226, the measure received support from both sides of the aisle, and it provided an important opportunity for the House to debate current U.S. policy toward Colombia.

Please contact your Senators and urge them to support a similar amendment when the Senate begins consideration of its version of the bill (S 1426). More weapons and military training are not what the people of Colombia and the Andean region need. For more information.

CALL FOR INVESTIGATION ON IRAQ INTELLIGENCE: Prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the Administration made strong claims, based on what it said was "solid" classified intelligence, that Iraq was clearly in possession of weapons of mass destruction and was continuing to develop its nuclear weapons program. To date, little evidence has been found in Iraq to substantiate these claims, and further investigation has shown that a number of these claims were based on ambiguous or even fabricated information.

Please urge your Members of Congress to call for an open, public investigation into the Administration's use of intelligence in the lead up to the war on Iraq. The Administration must be held accountable for its statements to Congress and the U.S. public to prevent this from happening again. For more information.

FCNL SEPTEMBER 11 OBSERVANCE AND LOBBY DAY: Join (F)friends from across the country Thursday, September 11. (Schedule to be announced.) Bob Burnett of Berkeley, CA, will provide a keynote address. There will be briefings on alternatives to war, peaceful prevention of deadly conflict, and ways to protect our civil liberties. Then participants will visit their members of Congress. (Please make your own appointments.) The event will be held at the Church of the Reformation at East Capitol at 2nd Street, NE, Washington, DC. To attend, please call FCNL, 1-800-630-1330, or email field@fcnl.org.

If you cannot come to Washington, D.C. on September 11, organize a local observance and lobby visits at district offices. Contact the FCNL field team for tips and ideas: 1-800-630-1330, or email field@fcnl.org.

CONTACTING LEGISLATORS
Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
Sen. ________
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Rep. ________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Information on your members is available on FCNL's web site.

CONTACTING THE ADMINISTRATION
White House Comment Desk: 202-456-1111
FAX: 202-456-2461
E-MAIL: president@whitehouse.gov
WEB PAGE: http://www.whitehouse.gov

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Back to page top