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Inside/Outside Update
PDA Staff Report
October 11th, 2005
PDA has been a very strong supporter of H.CON.RES.197, a bill declaring it is the policy of the United States not to enter into any agreement with the Government of Iraq that would lead to a permanent United States military presence in Iraq. Originally sponsored by PDA supporter, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who spoke about the bill's importance at the recent PDA national strategy session in Washington, D.C., the bill now has 55 Congressional sponsors, including most recently Rep. Richard Neal (DEM-MA-2), Rep. Marty Meehan (DEM-MA-5), and Rep. Michael Capuano (DEM-MA-8).
The three Massachusetts congressional additions are clearly the result of massive popular lobbying efforts by nearly one hundred PDA, UFPJ, and Peace Action members from Massachusetts who lobbied their Congressmen during National Lobbying Day in Washington, D.C. on September 26th. To urge your congressional representative to support this legislation go to http://tinyurl.com/9rdcy. PDA's inside/outside strategy is working.
PDA's grassroots support and strategic work with key allies on the Hill has given hope to House Leadership. This hope has resulted in direct action by House Democratic Leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (DEM-CA-8). Her stance against the Iraq occupation is becoming evermore visible. Read an article about how PDA's involvement has directly impacted the entire Democratic Caucus in the House. This activity has bubbled over to the Senate with Senator Boxer (DEM-CA) putting forward similar action steps to bring the troops home! [read more]
PDA and the After Downing Street Coalition are asking our members, allies, and all U.S. citizens to urge your Congress Member to Co-Sponsor Congressman Rush Holt's bill (H. Res. 363), calling for a Congressional investigation into the dangerous outing of former CIA agent Valerie Plame.
CONTACT Your Congress Member.
Tell them that you want a discharge petition to overcome the stonewalling of the Republican leadership. (A discharge petition, if signed by a majority of House members, forces a resolution to the floor of the full House.) Republicans have consistently stonewalled this crucial investigation, voting against investigating this illegal intimidation of a whistleblower and blatant violation of National Security EIGHT times since February of 2004!
Republican-controlled committees in the House defeated four separate Resolutions of Inquiry in September that were targeted at Bush as well as Secretaries Rumsfeld and Rice, along with AG Gonzalez. The next step is to get enough support for H. Res. 363 to generate a discharge petition and thus a vote on the full House floor. This bill should be debated and voted on there, on the floor of the full House of Representatives.
Current Co-Sponsors.
Take action TODAY! Click here.
Jim Hightower recently wrote a scathing review of the Democrats in Topeka, Kansas Capital-Journal. His views are very much shared by PDA activists on the ground as well as our Advisory Board and staff. As noted above, PDA is becoming more effective putting, as Jim states, "the Kick back into the Democratic Donkey." Please take time to read his article and feel free to add your comments on Will Pitt's blog.
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