Environmentalists Against War

ACTION ALERT: Tell Congress to Debate and Vote on War

June 17th, 2015 - by admin

Angela Canterbury and John Isaacs / Council for a Livable World & Robert Naiman / Just Foreign Policy – 2015-06-17 01:28:58

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ACTION ALERT:
Tell Congress Debate and Vote on War
Angela Canterbury and John Isaacs / Council for a Livable World

“This House appears to have no problem sending our uniformed men and women into harm’s way; it appears to have no problem spending billions of dollars to carry our these wars; but it can’t bring itself to take responsibility for these wars.”
— Rep. McGovern (D-MA), June 4, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC (June 16, 2015) — Later this week, Congress has the opportunity to take action it has conspicuously avoided: debate and vote on the war in Iraq and Syria.

While America has dropped thousands of bombs, deployed 3,500 troops — with plans to send at least 450 more — and spent billions of dollars in our latest war, Congress has failed to perform its most basic constitutional responsibility: To debate and vote on the war.

But this week, Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), are demanding that Congress do its job.

They have introduced a bipartisan resolution, H.Con.Res.55, which could force the House of Representatives to debate and vote on the war. Help us work toward getting this resolution passed by e-mailing your Representative today.

If adopted, the legislation would direct the President to withdraw all American military personnel from Iraq by December 31, 2015 unless Congress votes to authorize that use of force.

The right of Congress to declare war is fundamental to our Constitution, yet Congress has avoided taking a stand on our latest war in the Middle East. In addition, Congress holds the power of the purse, and yet the war is costing at least $9 million per day without congressional approval.

This piece of legislation could bring our troops home. Take action now! Congress owes it to the thousands of Americans we have put into harmâ€™s way to ensure it is for the right reasons.

If you agree, please tell your Representative to take a stand by e-mailing and urging him or her to support this resolution. It’s quick and easy to take action now!

The President should not be permitted to wage war without congressional approval; he should not be able to claim outdated authorizations for the use of military force dating to 2001 and 2002 as his cover for war.

THE MESSAGE
Support H.Con.Res.55, the McGovern-Jones-Lee resolution

Dear [Decision Maker],

While America has dropped thousands of bombs, deployed 3,500 troops — with plans to send 450 more –and spent billions of dollars in our latest war, Congress has failed to perform its most basic constitutional responsibility: To debate and vote on the war in Iraq and Syria.

Thousands of American servicemen and women have fulfilled their duty by fighting in this war. It is your duty as a Member of Congress to debate the use of military force before sending Americans into harm’s way.

In addition, the right of Congress to declare war is fundamental to our Constitution, yet Congress has avoided taking a stand on our latest war in the Middle East. Congress holds the power of the purse, and yet the war is costing at least $9 million per day without congressional approval.

That is why I urge you to support H.Con.Res.55, the McGovern-Jones-Lee resolution, a bipartisan resolution that would force the House of Representatives to debate and vote on the war. It is time for you to take a stand. I join with the Council for a Livable World in urging you to support H.Con.Res.55 to debate and vote on this war.

Thank you for listening to a constituent’s concerns, and I look forward to your reply.

Support McGovern-Jones-Lee:
Congress Must Vote on War
Robert Naiman / Just Foreign Policy

Petition to be delivered to The United States House of Representatives

(June 15, 2015) — While America has dropped thousands of bombs, deployed 3,500 troops, and spent billions of dollars in our latest war in Iraq and Syria, Congress has failed to perform its basic Constitutional responsibility to debate and vote on the war.

Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Walter Jones (R-NC), and Barbara Lee (D-CA) are standing up to demand that Congress do its job. Invoking a key provision of the 1973 War Powers Resolution, they have introduced a privileged resolution, H.Con.Res.55, which would force the House of Representatives to debate and vote on the war.

Urge your Representative to stand with McGovern, Jones, and Lee in opposing endless, unauthorized war by signing our petition at MoveOn:
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/stand-with-McGovern-Jones-Lee

If Congress continues to shirk its constitutional duty to debate and vote on the war, the McGovern-Jones-Lee Resolution would bring our troops home. However one feels about the latest war in the Middle East, we should all agree that it is long past time for Congress to do its Constitutional duty and debate and vote on the war.

Urge your Representative to support McGovern, Jones, and Lee in opposing endless and unauthorized war by signing and sharing our petition. Thanks for all you do to help prevent endless war.