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--></style><title>Call your senators TODAY to say no to Iraq war
money</title></head><body>
<div align="center">From: "Peter Lems, American Friends
Service Committee" <actioncenter@afsc.org></div>
<div align="center"><br></div>
<div>Dear Peace & Justice Center,<br>
</div>
<div>Today (Tuesday, December 18), your senators will vote on whether
the U.S. should give the president another $70 billion to fight the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with no strings attached. Please call
your senators right now and ask them to vote NO on more money for
war.<br>
</div>
<div><b>Take Action</b><br>
</div>
<div><b>Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for one
of your senators.</b> You can <a
href="http://support.afsc.org/site/R?i=tOpBPQtZ7FYMKcsO94QqOQ..">find
out who your senators are on AFSC's website</a> if you don't already
know.<br>
</div>
<div>Here are talking points to help you with your call.<br>
</div>
<ul>
<li>My name is {name} and I'm calling from {city, state}.
<li>I want the senator to vote NO on any amendment to the omnibus
funding bill that would add more money for the war in Iraq.
<li>Thank you.</ul>
<div>After you call one office, please call the switchboard again and
ask for your other senator.<br>
</div>
<div><b>Background</b><br>
</div>
<div>By controlling how U.S. tax dollars are spent, Congress has the
power to demand a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops and bases from
Iraq and set a new U.S. policy in Iraq. So far, a majority in Congress
has been content to cast symbolic votes against the current war policy
and then write blank checks to keep the war going.<br>
</div>
<div>Congress needs to stop voting more money for continuing the
war.<br>
</div>
<div>Right now, Congress is working to pass the remaining bills to
fund the U.S. government for the current fiscal year, which began
October 1. Since Congress has run out of time to pass each bill
individually, members have rolled them all into one large bill, called
an omnibus. The House passed the bill last night and it is scheduled
for a vote in the Senate today.<br>
</div>
<div>The House bill, which passed Monday night, doesn't include more
money to fight the Iraq war. When the bill gets to the Senate today,
several senators have said they are planning to offer an amendment
that would add as much as $70 billion to wage war in Iraq and
Afghanistan, with no conditions about how that money could be used.
President Bush has threatened to veto the bill if there's no money for
Iraq included.<br>
</div>
<div>If 51 senators vote against the amendment adding Iraq war funding
to the bill, then the money will not be added.<br>
</div>
<div>Call your senators today.<br>
</div>
<div>In Peace,<br>
</div>
<div><img
src="http://support.afsc.org/images/content/pagebuilder/10492.jpg"
alt="support.afsc.org/2B6DE8DA.jpg"></div>
<div>Peter Lems<br>
For the American Friends Service Committee's Wage Peace Campaign<br>
</div>
<div>P.S. For more information on the cost of the war and what
taxpayer money could better be spent on, see our Cost of War web
section at <a
href="http://support.afsc.org/site/R?i=9NnHEk0WWoHOWV5Oh3Bq7A.."
>www.afsc.org/cost</a>.</div>
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<div>The Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine<br>
170 Park Street<br>
Bangor ME 04401<br>
(207) 942-9343<br>
fax 992-2288<br>
email: info@peacectr.org<br>
check our website:
<http://www.peacectr.org/>www.peacectr.org</div>
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