[Peace-discuss] ALERT: Ask the Progressive Caucus to support an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon

[Robert Naiman]

Dear Advocate of a Just Foreign Policy,

Some things that are worth doing can't be accomplished in one fell swoop.

As you know, the majority of members of the U.S. Congress have been
largely unmoved by the suffering of civilians in Lebanon under
bombardment by the Israeli air force, using weapons supplied by the
the United States, while Secretary of State Rice blocks diplomatic
initiatives aimed at an early cease-fire.

Many peace groups have called on their members to contact Congress in
support of the Kucinich resolution, which backs an immediate
cease-fire. The day it was introduced, the Kucinich resolution had 23
cosponsors. Today it has 30 cosponsors.

This is a beginning. But if we are refute the idea that the Israeli
government has a blank check from the United States for its current
policy, we need to increase this number.

Of the 30 cosponsors of the Kucinich resolution, 25 are members of the
Congressional Progressive Caucus, a group of members of Congress that
have committed themselves to re-build U.S. alliances, reaffirm
engagement in the UN, enhance international cooperation, and bring U.
S. troops home from Iraq.

There are 62 members in the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

In this alert, we ask you to focus your attention on the Progressive
Caucus. The list of Progressive Caucus members who have not yet agreed
to cosponsor the Kucinich resolution is below. The current list is at

http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/issues/prog_cauc_noceasefire.xls.

If one of these members is your representative, call them and write
them, and ask everyone you know to do the same by forwarding this
alert. The Congressional switchboard is 202-225-3121. Ask to talk to
your representative's office, and ask them to cosponsor the Kucinich
resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon (HCR 450.) To send an
email, you can use this link:

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/justforeignpolicy.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4697.

If one of these members is not your representative, look at the list
of members below, which shows the cities they represent. (This gives a
rough sense of where their district is.) The current list of
Progressive Caucus members who have not yet cosponsored is at
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/issues/prog_cauc_noceasefire.xls. Go
through your address book (or your memory), and think of anyone you
know who lives in their district. Call them or forward them this alert
and ask them to contact their representative and ask them to support
HCR 450 for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, by calling at
202-225-3121, or by emailing them using this link:

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/justforeignpolicy.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4697

Thank you for taking action. If we can get a clear majority of the
Progressive Caucus on this resolution, we will have taken a
significant step towards ending the blank check from the U.S. for
attacks on civilians by the Israeli government.

Here is the list of Progressive Caucus members who have not yet signed
the Kucinich resolution. The current list, including phone numbers, is
at http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/issues/prog_cauc_noceasefire.xls.

Rep             State   CD      City
Ed Pastor               Ariz    4       Phoenix
Tom Lantos      Calif   12      San Mateo, San Francisco
Sam Farr                Calif   17      Salinas, Santa Cruz
Henry Waxman    Calif   30      Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood
Xavier Becerra  Calif   31      Los Angeles
Diane Watson    Calif   33      Los Angeles, Culver City
Rosa DeLauro    Conn    3       New Haven, Guilford
E. Holmes-Norton        DC              Washington, DC
Corrine Brown   Fla     3       Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando
John Lewis      Ga      5       Atlanta
Madeleine Bordallo      Guam            all
Jesse Jackson, Jr.      Illin   2       Chicago, far south & south suburbs
Luis Gutierrez  Illin   4       Chicago, Cicero, Stone Park
Jan Schakowsky  Illin   9       NW Chicago, Evanston, Skokie, Niles
Lane Evans      Illin   17      Moline, Rock Island, Galesburg
Julia Carson    Ind.    7       Indianapolis
Elijah Cummings MD      7       Baltimore
John Olver              Mass    1       Holyoke, Pittsfield, Fitchburg
James McGovern  Mass    3       Worcester, Attleboro, Fall River
Barney Frank    Mass    4       Newton, New Bedford, Taunton
John Tierney    Mass    6       Peabody, Lynn
Ed Markey               Mass    7       Medford, Framingham
Michael Capuano Mass    8       Boston, Cambridge, Roxbury
Bennie Thompson MS      2       Jackson
William Clay    MO      1       St. Louis
Donald Payne    NJ      10      Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth
Tom Udall               NM      3       Santa Fe
Jerry Nadler    NY      8       New York City: Manhattan, Brooklyn
Nydia Velazquez NY      12      NYC:  Brooklyn, Lower East Side
Jose Serrano    NY      16      Bronx
Mel Watt                NC      12      Charlotte, Greensboro
Steph. Tubbs Jones      Ohio    11      Shaker Heights
Sherrod Brown   Ohio    13      Akron, Elyria, Lorain
Chaka Fattah    Penn    2       Philadelphia
Sheila Jackson-Lee      Texas   18      Houston
Bernie Sanders  VT      1       all
Donna Christensen       Virgin Is.      all


--
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org