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Click here for the Congressional Schedule
Please note that the conference call itself is "free" but your customary long distance charges will be billed by your long distance carrier! Apologies if this has been misunderstood in the past.
Marilyn Clement, National Coordinator of Healthcare-NOW!, and Joel Segal, PDA Advisory Board Vice-Chair and Legislative Assistant to Congressman John Conyers, Chair of the Congressional Universal Health Care Task Force, will facilitate a conference call focusing on Single-Payer National Health Care. Please join us to hear important updates and future actions!
Wednesday, February 22
9:00 p.m. EST
Call-In Number: 641-297-4600
Access Code: 626860
Please join us as we begin to put our "Impeach Bush & Cheney" effort into action! This could be a large call, so please come on and immediately press "6" to mute your phone. Because of the potentially large size of this call, we won't be able to have introductions and discussion. This will be an informational update only with no give-and-take by participants. If you would like to submit questions during the call, email them to Sherry@pdamerica.org. We'll do our best to answer all questions that come in. For our next call, we will divide regionally to allow for more discussion and group involvement. Please join us and get involved! We'll also be sharing updates on the Appropriations Bill!
Thursday, February 23
9:00 p.m. EST
Call-In Number: 641-297-4600
Access Code: 626860
PDA Board Member, Rev. Lennox Yearwood, will update us on the victims of the Katrina/Rita hurricanes with particular focus on efforts to rebuild New Orleans. Rev. Yearwood has been on the ground in New Orleans many times since the disaster and will provide up-dates and possible avenues for PDA member involvement in recovery efforts. Please join us and get involved in this vital work!
Monday, February 27
9:00 p.m. EST
Call-In Number: 641-297-4600
Access Code: 626860
The button is a 2 1/4" round black button with white lettering as shown above. Buttons are available for $30 for a pack of 20 buttons (including shipping and handling). Suggested resale is $2.00 per button. Orders are being accepted now. Expected delivery time is 2-3 weeks.
Initial supplies are limited! Order today!
We need help from Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) volunteers all over the country to share articles about the exciting work you're doing in your PDA chapters with our website readers. Please contribute articles and photos for consideration using these guidelines.
National "Vote No on the War Supplemental" Call-in Day is Tuesday, Feb. 28. Progressive Democrats of America is working with UFPJ and other groups. Please read, print, and widely distribute this information now!
Bush asks for $72.4 Billion More - Total cost of war approaches $400 Billion!
President Bush has submitted his "emergency" supplemental appropriation request to Congress. He is asking for $72.4 billion for the continued occupation of Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. This is in addition to the $320 billion already spent on Iraq and Afghanistan, and in addition to the $460 billion in military spending in the 2007 budget.
Although we expected this supplemental request to include aid for the hurricane-ravaged gulf coast, that request will be made separately. This is to our advantage, this will be a clean vote on war funding.
About the Supplemental Appropriations process: Both the House and the Senate will vote on the President's request. Amendments are allowed, they cannot change policy, but they can set conditions on the spending.
We expect a vote in the House as early as March 13.
Our Response: We are hearing from Senate staff that constituents are not calling and writing to protest the war -- they need to hear from us!
Members of Congress have returned to their districts (until Feb. 27) for the President's day recess. Here are some possibilities:
You can read the President's "fact sheet". (Caution, do not open this link if you already have high blood pressure!)
Thank you to Peter Lems at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) for forwarding these useful links:
Bush
seeks 72.4 billion dollars for Iraq, Afghanistan
"President George W. Bush asked Congress Thursday for 72.4 billion dollars in additional funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan this year," the White House said. If approved as expected, the request would raise war-related costs to nearly 400 billion dollars since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. The request is on top of 50 billion dollars already approved for fiscal 2006, raising the total for the year to 120 billion dollars. Additionally, the White House has said it will seek another 50 billion dollars in bridge funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for fiscal 2007, which begins October 1.
Iraq Spending and the Responsibility to Withdrawal: Letter
to Congress
Friends Committee on National Legislation | 14 February 2006
Phyllis Bennis and Erik Leaver of the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) have a concise document detailing the steps necessary for an immediate and complete withdrawal of all troops, military contractors and U.S. corporations backing the U.S. occupation. The updated cost of war fact sheet is also very useful.
Ending the Iraq Quagmire: A
Real Exit Strategy By: Phyllis Bennis and Erik Leaver | 31 January 2006
The Iraq Quagmire: Cost of War
Fact Sheet Institute for Policy Studies & Foreign Policy in Focus | 30 January 2006
Find where your Representative stands: Voting Record of House Representatives (by State). This grid shows what legislation your representative has introduced and supported, and how they voted on past major supplemental legislation.
Also find out if your representative is part of the Out of Iraq Caucus and urge them to join if they haven't already.
UFPJ Legislative Working Group Resource Page
10 Reasons Why the US Must Leave Iraq (December 2005) [flyer]
