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Every year Congress has two chances to reduce Pentagon waste — through appropriations bills and then through authorization bills.
This week (May 19) the U.S. House of Representatives will be debating and voting on the military budget for FY 2015 in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
This week is a crucial time for your voice to be heard. Congressional aides say that the volume of calls on an issue makes the difference. Your call matters.
ISSUES TO ADDRESS AT THIS TIME
•Drones: Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) are co-sponsoring H.R. 4372 (Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act) that would require an annual report detailing casualties from drone strikes, and a retroactive report on the last five years. Tell your Representative why you want them to co-sponsor and vote for this amendment.
•Ending the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF): Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) has introduced a bipartisan bill (H.R. 4608) to repeal the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF, which is the legal underpinning of the Afghanistan War but has also been used to justify the drone war, mass surveillance, Guantanamo and nearly every other abuse of the past decade plus of war. Tell your Representative why you want them to co-sponsor and vote for this amendment.
•Afghanistan: Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) are expected to offer an amendment requiring an up or down vote in Congress for any US military mission in Afghanistan after 2014. Tell your Representative why you want them to co-sponsor and vote for this amendment.
•Iran: There are likely to be amendments undermining diplomacy with Iran and pushing for military response. We need to be alert to oppose such amendments when they are proposed. Tell your Representative why you want them to oppose this amendment.
HOW TO PRESSURE CONGRESS
•Send an email or call the local office of your Representative.
•For more impact, call your Representative’s DC office. Ask for the Legislative Aide for Military Affairs. Express your concern about the issue at hand and ask that your Representative vote in specific ways.
•For the most impact, call the local Congressional office and ask for a brief meeting with the Member of Congress. The Congressperson should be in the district at least once a month.
SIGN UP Veterans For Peace’s LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
You can get timely updates when there is an opportunity to act on national legislation on issues important to Veterans For Peace. This is NOT a discussion list; you will only receive action alerts. Send an email to vfp-legislation-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to join.
With consistent efforts we can develop credibility and strengthen the veteran voice for peace in Washington!
Information from: http://www.veteransforpeace.org/
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