Wednesday, May 14, 2008

ACT NOW: House Vote to Determine Fate of Millions in Need

As early as noon TOMORROW, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on an emergency spending bill for fiscal years 2008 and 2009, including an amendment that would provide over $1.3 billion in lifesaving humanitarian assistance for Iraqi refugees and vulnerable civilians in Iraq, as well as other global humanitarian concerns.

Without your help, this hard-fought humanitarian provision is likely to get stripped out of the emergency spending package! Such an outcome would be catastrophic for millions of war-affected Iraqis who are facing a deepening humanitarian crisis.

We urgently need you to call your Representative RIGHT NOW via the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121. Tell them:
  • Time is running out for many of Iraq's most vulnerable civilians and refugees. Millions of Iraqis across the region are finding themselves in desperate need of basic humanitarian assistance, including food, health care and education.
  • We not only have a moral obligation to help, it is a matter of international security. Effective humanitarian assistance to Iraqis in the region will save lives, create stability, and improve America's standing in the world.
  • One of the amendments to the emergency spending bill under consideration would provide an additional $1 billion in lifesaving humanitarian assistance for FY 2008 and FY 2009 to assist Iraqis and other victims of conflict ($675 million for refugees and $400 million for internally displaced persons and other vulnerable civilians). It would provide another $250 million in bilateral assistance to Jordan to help Iraqi refugees and alleviate the strain on national systems.
  • The emergency spending bill is the fastest and only available means to address unmet humanitarian needs in Iraq and the region for FY 2008.
During Iraq Action Days, concerned citizens like you met with Members of Congress and urged them to strengthen emergency humanitarian funding and bilateral assistance for the current fiscal year. It is time to make our case again.

Please take a minute RIGHT NOW to call your elected Representative via the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121. Urge him/her to work with colleagues to prevent humanitarian funding for vulnerable Iraqis from being stripped out of the FY08 emergency spending bill.

If you have time, drop us a note about how it went or leave a comment on this blog. Thank you for taking action on behalf of vulnerable Iraqis and their families.
at

9 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:17 PM, May 15, 2008

    This is very critical. I commend your efforts and hope they will provide much needed support for the Iraqis in need.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous1:13 PM, May 15, 2008

    I called Steve Chabot (Republican OH 1st district) today. A gentleman answered the phone and was very courteous as I made my case. I told him especially in light of President Bush's comments today in Israel that we represent peace and democracy, that we needed to do what we say and also that it is needed to improve our standing in the world and so that al-Qaeda has fewer converts. He claimed he would pass on the message.....we will see if it made any impact tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous1:22 PM, May 15, 2008

    I contacted Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) but alas only voice mail. As a participant of Iraq Action Days, he couldn't have forgotten Dusty and I! Urged him to vote YES just as he did yesterday on the Farm Bill (assuming he did vote YES). Peace, courage and gratitude from your friend, Pat Horan.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous1:26 PM, May 15, 2008

    I forwarded your Action Alert to the National Peace Corps Association so that they can alert fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs)! Please let us know how it turns out. Thanks, Collin

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous1:29 PM, May 15, 2008

    Erik, I made the call and forwarded your message to some others in the district, and also to a wider list throughout the Presbyterian Synod of the Northeast.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous1:36 PM, May 15, 2008

    I just wanted to let you know that I contacted my Representative who happens to be Madame Speaker Pelosi. I urged her to ensure inclusion of the $1.3 billion of humanitarian assistance and bilateral aid to help vulnerable Iraqis. More can be done. Keep me posted on what more I can do.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous1:42 PM, May 15, 2008

    I called Rep. Frank Pallone (D) from New Jersey and spoke with a staff person who said Pallone supports the emergency spending for humanitarian aid, but said it was unlikely that the billion dollar supplemental would be acted upon today.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous2:04 PM, May 15, 2008

    Dear EPIC,

    I called Congressman Markey's office today to urge him to vote FOR the emergency spending bill and not to allow the amendment for humanitarian assistance to to Iraqi refugees and others be stripped from the bill. A pleasant person answered the phone and right away seemed to know why I was calling!! She said, "You mean the emergency spending bill?" before I completed my first sentence ---- so, let's hope it's very much on his mind due to many calls! She said she'd certainly pass on my sentiments to the Congressman.

    Thanks for all you do and your energy and persistence and hard work!!! We are here supporting your work!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous2:17 PM, May 15, 2008

    I'm an Iraqi who supports what you do. I received your email from a friend. I'll call my Representative, Albert Wynn, and I'll do what my friend did and tell others. Thank you for helping our Iraqi brothers and sisters.

    ReplyDelete

The Ground Truth Blog is a forum for those who care about the plight of innocent Iraqis. All opinions expressed in this blog are those of the EPIC community, and not necessarily those of the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC). We embrace the democratic spirit of civil discourse, but reserve the right to remove any content that we find to be unacceptable, including anything that: (1) abuses, harasses, or threatens a person or persons; (2) knowingly falsifies information or defames or misrepresents another person; (3) Violates any obligation of confidentiality; (4) Violates the privacy of any third party; (5) Contains editorial content that has been commissioned and paid for by a third party and/or contains paid advertising links and/or SPAM; (6) infringes upon any copyright, trademark, trade secret or patent of any third party (all quotes and excerpts must be properly attributed to the original author). For details on fair use, see the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Legal Guide for Bloggers).