[Peace] December PDA letters to U.S.Hhouse and Senate

[Debra Schrishuhn via Peace]

Good morning.

Next week PDA will deliver our last letter to the 113th Congress (both
pasted below). When we started educating this session, we were
delivering fewer than 150 letters each month. Last month we
hand-delivered or faxed 382 letters and our all-time high was over 400
letters delivered earlier this year. We take this project seriously,
and PDA is in the game for the long haul, because educating elected
officials is a slow, arduous process. This letter highlights the major
legislation PDA has endorsed in this Congress that is still pending
(and will probably be re-introduced in the next Congress).

You do not have to be  a PDA member to sign on to our letters. Thanks
for being part of our effort.

As always, reply to this email if you want your name added to PDA's
December letter. We will also deliver letters to Rep. Shimkus and Sen.
Kirk.

For a more progressive future,
Deb

To: The Honorable Richard Durbin
From: Constituents of Illinois
December 17, 2014

Dear Senator Durbin:

As active voters in Illinois, we ask you to join with us observing
this Season of Peace and Compassion. We call upon you to cosponsor the
following legislation, if you haven't already, and to oppose policies
that could undermine diplomacy and the well-being of American
families.

This is the time to give diplomacy with Iran time to work. Progress
may be slow, but it promises positive results. We strongly urge you to
hold off on any new sanctions or other actions that could set back
ongoing negotiations and risk putting us on the path to war.

Warfare created the conditions that gave rise to ISIS. More warfare
will increase instability in the Middle East. Please demand a full
Senate debate re: military intervention against ISIS. Also, please
vote against a new or renewed Authorization for the Use of Military
Force (AUMF).

Please oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and any other
multinational commercial agreements that that would serve
multinational special interests, and hurt American families. We
appreciate your public opposition to “fast track” and other
accelerated approval procedures for such deals that might abridge
Congressional oversight.

Please contact Sen. Charles Schumer’s office at (202)-224-6542 to
cosponsor S. 2742, the Improving Access to Social Security Services
Act. This legislation would prohibit the Commissioner of Social
Security from reducing public access to Social Security Administration
field or hearing offices without a public comment period, at least one
public hearing, etc.

Please contact Sen. Thomas Coburn’s office at (202)-224-5754 to
cosponsor S. 2904, the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act. This
legislation would amend the program that lets the Dept. of Defense
transfer military equipment to local police agencies. This equipment
makes our communities look like war zones, and threatens rather than
promotes public safety.

Finally, we thank you for co-sponsoring S. 132, the New Columbia
Admission Act, to set forth procedures to bring the state of New
Columbia into the union—ending the injustice of taxation without
representation for 100,000s in Washington, D.C.

We appreciate your consideration regarding these critically important
issues, and look forward to ongoing discussion and engagement with you
in the coming months.
===============

To: The Honorable Rodney Davis
From: Constituents of IL-13
December 17, 2014

Dear Representative Davis:

As active voters in District 13, we ask you to join with us observing
this Season of Peace and Compassion. We call upon you to cosponsor the
following legislation, if you haven't already, and to oppose policies
that could undermine diplomacy and the well being of American
families.

This is the time to give diplomacy with Iran time to work. Progress
may be slow, but it promises positive results. We strongly urge you to
hold off on any new sanctions or any other actions that could set back
ongoing negotiations and risk another costly, tragic war.

Please contact Rep. Raúl Grijalva’s office: (202)-225-2435 to
cosponsor H.Con.Res. 114 to require the House to debate military
intervention against ISIS. Warfare created the conditions that gave
rise to ISIS. More warfare will increase instability in the Middle
East. Also, please vote against new or renewed Authorization for the
Use of Military Force (AUMF).

Please oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and any other
multinational commercial agreements that that would serve
multinational special interests, and hurt American families. Also,
oppose “fast track” or any other accelerated approval procedure that
might abridge Congressional oversight.

Please contact Rep. Hank Johnson’s office: (202) 225-1605 to cosponsor
H.R. 5478, the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act. This legislation
would amend the program that authorizes the Secretary of Defense to
transfer military equipment to local police forces that makes
communities look like war zones, and threatens—rather than
promotes—public safety.

Please contact Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton's office: (202) 225-8050 to
cosponsor H.R. 292, the New Columbia Admission Act, legislation to set
forth procedures to bring the state of New Columbia into the
union—ending the injustice of taxation without representation for
100,000s in Washington, D.C.

Please contact Rep. Peter DeFazio's office:  (202) 225-6416 to
cosponsor H.R. 630, the Postal Service Protection Act of 2013, to
recalculate and restore retirement annuity obligations of the United
States Postal Service (USPS), eliminate the requirement that the USPS
pre-fund its Retiree Health Benefits Fund, restrict postal facilities
closures, create incentives for innovation, and maintain levels of
postal service.

We look forward to engaging you on these and other issues in the future.