House War Funding Vote Delayed: UFPJ Legislative Update

1. Vote delayed, more phone calls needed!
2. Plan now for Senate vote
3. Background on House action and reason for the delay
4. A note from Legislative Working Group Conveners re: staff
5. Peace Action Lobby Day - July 20 -21
6. Sample Press Release

1. Vote delayed -- more time to organize and call!
The House will delay the vote on the Iraq funding until next week. We have
heard feedback from staff that they are getting a lot of phone calls urging
a No vote on the funding. Thank you for alerting your networks and making
phone calls. Please share with this listserve the results of your calls..
*Remember, this will likely be the last binding vote on Iraq until after
Inauguration Day -- now is the time to pull out all the stops!*

*There is still time so continue to urge people to make a phone call.*

- Those of you who have regular weekly vigils over the weekend are
strongly encouraged to turn this week's vigil into a phon-a-thon (see
how)
- If your Representative signed the letter promising not to vote for more
funds unless it is for the safe withdrawal of the troops, call and remind
them of that pledge (find the letter
here).

- If you weren't able to send out an alert this week -- there is still
time. Get the alert from our
website
.
- Send out a press release, or at least a letter to the editor (see below
for the draft of the UFPJ release)

*2. It is time to start planning NOW for the Senate vote!*

- We encourage you to set up a visit to your Senate office with a broad
delegation (representing veterans, labor, clergy, human needs providers and
community leaders). If a delegation can't be pulled together for a visit -
how about a letter signed by prominent people?
- Share with this list other ideas your group is considering -- we are
all always looking for creative ideas.

*We cannot let this vote take place without a huge outcry!*

Thank you for all that you do -- KEEP DOING IT!

*3. Background on House actions**
Facing opposition from Republicans and a possible revolt from the Blue Dog
Democrats, Pelosi has put the vote on Iraq funding off until next week. The
Blue Dogs are unhappy that approx. $11 million in domestic spending is not
offset in the bill. They are apparently okay with the $162 billion in
deficit spending for the war though.... Blue Dogs have told Pelosi they will
vote against the rule that allows her Iraq funding bill to come to the floor
unless she finds a way to offset the domestic spending. At a press
conference yesterday, Rep. Maxine Waters, chair of the Out of Iraq Caucus
indicated that the OIC might also consider voting against the rule. * A
progressive/OIC vote against the rule would not ultimately prevent the
funding bill from coming to the floor, but it could force a vote on the Lee
amendment (to fund only the withdrawal of troops). Rather than focus on
procedures, UFPJ's advocacy focus will continue to focus on our core demand
-- Vote NO on the funding.

*Erik Leaver, one of our UFPJ Legislative Conveners, has written The Iraq
Supplemental, A Three Ring Circus *
David Swanson, also a UFPJ Legislative Convener, has written an explanation
and alert about the rule

4. A note from Carolyn Eisenberg and Gael Murphy*
UFPJ was fortunate to have been able to hire John Bruhns as our legislative
coordinator earlier this year. Due to family circumstances, John has had to
step back from his role as our legislative coordinator -- but his passion
and determination to work to end the war has not wavered. He will continue
to be involved with our work as well as other anti-war work. We greatly
appreciate John's contribution as legislative coordinator and look forward
to continuing to work with him. For the short term, our previous
legislative coordinator, Sue Udry will fill in, on a part-time basis until
the war funding fight ends.

5. Save-the-Date: Peace Action Lobby Day July 20-21*
UFPJ has not (and has no plans to) host a lobby day this year -- so this is
your opportunity to visit DC and talk to your legislators about Iraq, Iran
and Nuclear Weapons. The lobby day is in conjunction with the Peace Action
50th Anniversary Congress

*6. UFPJ press release:*

*Peace Movement: House Leadership Plan to Fund Iraq War
Betrays Constituents*
New York, NY -- United for Peace and Justice, the nation's largest coalition
of anti-war groups, today expressed anger and incredulity at a
proposed $162.6 billion war funding bill the House of Representatives will
consider next week. Unlike previous measures, this bill will extend funding
for the war and occupation in Iraq through the rest of the Bush presidency
and into the beginning of the next president's term, giving him or her "a
virtual free hand" for six months.

Leslie Cagan, National Coordinator of UFPJ, today declared, "We are outraged
that the Democratic Party leadership is working to give President Bush every
penny he has asked for to continue a war they say they oppose. Amazingly,
the bill includes $66 billion for fiscal year 2009, giving the next
president the opportunity to continue the war with little or no
accountability to Congress until next summer. This is an appalling
abdication of responsibility."

"We should be clear about what this means," said Cagan. "What Congress is
really doing by authorizing this war for another year, is writing a death
sentence for hundreds if not thousands of U.S. servicemembers and Iraqis."

"At a time when money is urgently needed in our communities, the new bill
would bring the total for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to an
unimaginable $860 billion. The possible addition of an amendment that funds
worthy programs does not conceal the bottomline on war spending: It is
robbing our people and our communities at a time of desperate need," said
UFPJ Co-Chair George Martin.

"Across the country, our members are picking up their phones to ask their
representatives to oppose continued funding of the war. We have marched,
lobbied, sat in offices, protested outside offices and voted for pro-peace
candidates. Polls consistently show that over 60% of the people of this
country want the troops to come home within a year," said UFPJ Legislative
Coordinator Sue Udry. "United for Peace and Justice and other national peace
groups are watching this vote, and will make sure voters are reminded this
fall who voted to continue the war, and who voted to end it."

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