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"Charley Richardson of Military Families Speak Out" referred
to turning the heat up on these recent developments.
Urge your US congress representatives to join these efforts.
Quotes from Charley's speech, followed by more (though not enough) citations:
If you find action to post please about these, please send to brian@quirk.ws
.
- but today( 6/17/05)there
is a more hopeful message as the members of the House of Representatives
have undertaken three separate initiatives to work to end the war -
1. The resolution calling for an exit strategy supported by some
of the most conservative elements of the Congress:
Two Republicans and two Democrats
held a news conference in which they prodded President Bush to announce
a withdrawal timetable by the end of the year. Their resolution calls
on him to start bringing American troops home by Oct. 1, 2006.
"Our troops have done everything we've asked of them," said
one sponsor, Representative Neil Abercrombie, Democrat of Hawaii. "It's
time to get serious about an exit strategy."
Representative Walter B. Jones, a North Carolina Republican, who not many
months ago was so incensed by French opposition to the American-led military
campaign in Iraq, agreed. "After 1,700 deaths, over 12,000 wounded
and $200 billion spent, we believe it is time to have this debate and
discussion," he said.
The other sponsors are Representatives Ron Paul, Republican of Texas,
and Dennis Kucinich, Democrat of Ohio. NYTimes 6/16/05: "Small Bipartisan
Group in House Presses for Iraq Exit Strategy"
2. the creation
by Maxine Waters and others of the Out of Iraq caucus in Congress:
JUNE 16, 2005 1:13 PM
CONTACT: Progressive Democrats of America
Kevin Spidel kevin@pdamerica.org (602) 373-6990
Rep. Waters Creates New "Out-of-Iraq Congressional Caucus"
WASHINGTON, D.C.--Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) has informed Progressive
Democrats of America (PDA) that she and Rep. Charles Rangel, Rep. Barbara
Lee, Rep. Lynn Woolsey, Rep. Xavier Becerra, Rep. John Conyers, and Rep.
John Lewis are leading a newly formed Out of Iraq Congressional Caucus,
with 41 members as of today.
Rep. Waters said: "The Out of Iraq Congressional Caucus is a newly
formed effort whose sole purpose is to be the main agitators in the movement
to bring our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Our efforts will include
the coordination of activities and legislation designed to achieve our
goal of returning our troops home. Through floor statements, press conferences,
TV and radio appearances and other actions, we will provide leadership
for the American Public who has been waiting too long for our collective
voices against the war."
"This announcement illustrates the changing tide in Washington around
the issue of the Iraq Occupation," says National Director of PDA
Tim Carpenter. "This caucus will allow a collective dialogue within
Congress on this issue, in which the tens of thousands of grassroots activists
within PDA will be working to support."
In addition, Rep. Waters will speak at today's 5 pm rally in Lafayette
Square Park in support of Rep. John Conyers' (D-MI) hearings today on
the Downing Street memo. Before the rally Rep. Waters will be attending
the hearings. The hearings are being held from 2:30-4:30 pm in Room HC-9
of the U.S. Capitol, with overflow at the Wasserman Room at 430 S Capitol
St. SE.
Current members of the caucus include:
Rep. Neil Abercrombie, Rep. Xavier Becerra, Rep. Corrine Brown, Rep. Julia
Carson, Rep. Donna Christensen, Rep. John Conyers, Rep. William Delahunt,
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Rep. Sam Farr, Rep. Chaka Fattah, Rep. Raul Grijalva,
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Rep. Rush Holt, Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick,
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Shelia Jackson - Lee, Rep.
John Lewis, Rep. James McGovern, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Rep. Jim Moran,
Rep. Grace Napolitano, Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, Rep. John Olver, Rep.
Major Owens, Rep. Donald Payne, Rep. Nick Rahall, Rep. Charles Rangel,
Rep. Janice Schakowsky, Rep. Bobby Scott, Rep. Jose Serrano, Rep. John
Tierney
--Commondreams 6/16/05
3. The effort by John Conyers and others to demand that the President
respond to questions raised by the Downing Street Memo.
The Downing Street Minutes memo has generated enormous ongoing interest.
Last week I personally delivered 560,000 letters from individuals to the
president demanding he respond to questions raised by these documents.
http://www.johnconyers.com/
___________________________________________________
Merrimack
Valley People for Peace meets monthly, on the fourth Tuesday,
at 7:30 pm,
Meeting at the First United Methodist Church,
N Andover Sept, 2006 - Feb, 2007
(NOT DECEMBER)
Contact
Merrimack Valley People for Peace
Call (978) 661-9009