| It is easy to meet with your senators and representatives. If you don’t know how to reach them, go on the web to http://www.visi.com/juan/congress, click on your state and call one of the offices listed there and make an appointment. These offices exist so that the congressmen can meet with the public and find out their concerns, so they are as anxious to meet you as you are to meet them. You may not be able to meet with the congressmen, but they listen to what their staffers report to them. It is better to meet with a staffer than to wait months to meet with the congressman.Many congressmen are loathe to meet with people outside their districts, but this is changing. Nevertheless, it is a good idea, if possible, to have at least one resident of the congressman’s district among your team. You will make a stronger impression if you can bring with you people representing different organizations, such as Peaceful Tomorrows, Peace Action, CodePink, Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out and any clergy members you can find — and that includes, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and any others you can round up. Congressmen are very impressed by clergy. Bring with you a copy of the Peaceful Tomorrows report, “Afghanistan: Ending a Failed Military Strategy.”Remember, however, that the Democrats want to appear in public to support their president, who presently favors escalation of the war in Afghanistan/Pakistan, so don’t expect them or ask them to publicly oppose the war. Rather, ask them to confer with Obama privately. Remember that, in the next year and a half, all the representatives will have to run for re-election and one third of the senators will have to as well. If this war goes badly, as it probably will, they are likely to suffer the same fate as the Republicans did in 2006 and 2008. You don’t have to spell that out for them.After a visit to a congressman, please send a report to Wright Salisbury at sasmedia@rcn.com. Your report will be added to the list and new copy will be sent to all web sites incorporating this list of meetings with congressmen.
* indicates congressmen who support Jim McGovern’s bill, HR 2404, calling for the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress, not later than December 31, 2009, a report outlining the United States exit strategy for U.S. military forces in Afghanistan
Arkansas
*Representative Robert Berry, Arkansas
Arizona
*Representative Raul Grijalva, Arizona
California
Senator Barbara Boxer, California
- Met with Hillary Pearson, Special Projects Director
- Visited 4/9/09
- People who attended included representatives of CodePink and American Friends Service Committee
- Went over the economic issues, waste within the military, war profiteers, Boxer’s courage on other issues. Left several documents and a photo of my nephew in training in AZ (kept him anonymous). I can send you the list of what Sandra and I left with HP if you wish. We talked about everything we could think of for her to give a strong “vote no on the supplemental” message. We also asked for Boxer to put out a public statement on Afghanistan and to meet with vets from IVAW.
- Hillary Pearson has worked with vets so we hit the “unmet needs of vets” and “stop the flow of newly created vets” issues hard. We had emailed Ms. Pearson Janet Larson’s analysis of Obama’s “new strategy” doc. Ms. Pearson had read and highlighted sections. She let me look at her copy; she was most interested in the language about “no exit strategy.”
* Representative Lois Capps, California
* Representative Sam Farr, California
* Representative Bob Filner, California
- Talked with staffer George Goderiz. Tel: 619-422-5963
- Called 5/21/09
- Call made by member of Peaceful Tomorrows
- Thanked Congressman Filner for supporting Jim McGovern’s HR 2404 “To require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress outlining the United States exit strategy for United States military forces in Afghanistan participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.”
* Representative Barbara Lee, California
Representative Zoe Lofgren, California
• Met with staffer
- People who visited included a group from South Bay with CodePink
- They felt the meeting went fine, but with no assurance/promise about Lofgren’s vote.
* Representative Doris Matsui, California
* Representative Laura Richardson, California
* Representative Dana Rohrabacher, California
* Representative Michael Thompson, California
* Representative Maxine Waters, California
* Representative Diane Watson, California
* Representative Henry Waxman, California
* Representative Lynn Woolsey, California
- Met with staffer
- People who visited included representatives of CodePink and two Palestinian-American women
- The two Palestinian-American women talked about Gaza and the I/P conflict, then Grace talked about Afghanistan. The staffer assured Grace of Woolsey’s complete opposition to the surge, a no vote on the war funding supplemental, and a message to activists of “keep doing what you’re doing.”
Colorado
* Representative Jared Polis, Colorado
District of Columbia
* Representative Eleanor Norton, District of Columbia
Florida
* Representative Corrine Brown, Florida
* Representative Alan Grayson, Florida
Georgia
* Representative John Lewis, Georgia
Hawaii
* Representative Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii
Illinois
Senator Roland Burris, Illinois
- Met with staff aides Matt Berry (Outreach Representative), Zory Valchev (Caseworker), and Ron McGee (Outreach – Vets, Healthcare)
- Visited 4/16.09
- People who attended included representatives of Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice, Friends Meeting, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and Oak Park Progressive Action League
- The delegation presented the staffers with a bound copy of the September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrow’s report “Afghanistan: Ending a Failed Military Policy” for the senator. Individuals from the group each presented their particular concerns, including the threat of environmental degradations, the costs of the war, both in terms of human life and financial costs, the fact that we are regarded as occupiers and are creating more enemies. The group stressed the need for diplomacy, involving all the parties concerned, and in ceasing the drone attacks, which are killing many civilians and creating more resentment. The staffers promised to deliver the copy of the report to Senator Burris and to convey our concerns to him. They said they could not speak for him on how specifically he would vote on the up-coming appropriations bill.
* Representative Jerry Costello, Illinois
* Representative Danny Davis, Illinois
- Met with Ira Cohen, Legislative Aid and briefly with Representative Davis
- Visited 3/25/09
- People who attended included representatives of Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice, Friends Meeting, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and Oak Park Progressive Action League
- The delegation presented Mr. Cohen with a bound copy of the September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrow’s report “Afghanistan: Ending a Failed Military policy for Representative Davis. Individuals from the group each presented their particular concerns, including the threat of environmental degradations, the costs of the war, both in terms of human life and financial costs, the fact that we are regarded as occupiers and are creating more enemies. The group stressed the need for diplomacy, involving all the parties concerned, and in ceasing the drone attacks, which are killing many civilians and creating more resentment. Mr. Cohen listened to all our concerns and discussed the political factors that make ending the war difficult and complex.
* Representative Phil Hare, Illinois
* Representative Luis Gutiérrez, Illinois
* Representative Jesse Jackson, Illinois
* Representative Bobby Rush, Illinois
* Representative Mike Quigley, Illinois
* Representative Janice Schakowsky, Illinois
Iowa
* Representative Bruce Braley, Iowa
* Representative David Loebsack, Iowa
Kentucky
* Representative Edward Whitfield, Kentucky
* Representative John Yarmuth, Kentucky
Maine
Senator Susan Collins, Maine
- Met with aide in 3/09 in Augusta, ME office and with aide in 4/09 in DC office
- Visits made by CodePink team
Representative Mike Michaud, Maine, House Committee on Armed Services
- Talked with Michaud himself on two occasions, once in Maine, once in DC
- Met in 3/09 and 4/09
- Visits made by Maine CodePink team
- Michaud voted against the supplemental and credits CodePink with having persuaded him.
* Representative Chellie Pingree, Maine, House Committee on Armed Services
- Talked with staffer Heidi, Tel: 207-774-5019
- Visited by CodePink team
- Call made by member of Peaceful Tomorrows
- CodePink and Peaceful Tomorrows member thanked Congresswoman Pingree for voting “no” on the supplemental and supporting Jim McGovern’s HR 2404 “To require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress outlining the United States exit strategy for United States military forces in Afghanistan participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.”
Senator Olympia Snowe, Maine
- Met with aide in 3/09 in Augusta, ME office and with aide in 4/09 in DC office
- Visits made by CodePink team
Maryland
* Representative Donna Edwards, Maryland
* Representative Roscoe Bartlett, Maryland
Massachusetts
* Representative Michael Capuano, Massachusetts
- Met with Congressman Capuano and Katherine Auspitz, Issues Director, Tel: 617-621-6208
- Visited on 4/14/09
- People who attended included representatives of United for Justice with Peace and Neighbor to Neighbor
- Congressman Capuano began by saying that he hadn’t heard anything about Sept. 11 as the original reason the U.S. had gone into Afghanistan. He has been to Afghanistan more than once, three weeks earlier with Nancy Pelosi; with her, it was only to Kabul and Bagram and it was a bubble. When he has gone by himself, he has stayed out of cities and talked as much as possible with ordinary people.
- Met with Congressman Capuano and Katherine Auspitz, Issues Director, Tel: 617-621-6208
- Visited on 4/16/09
- People who attended included representatives of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, Military Families Speak Out, Association of Pakistani Physicians and Mass Peace Action
- Discussed the congressman’s views on the rationale for the Afghan/Pakistan conflict
- Each of us shared why we were here, and our thoughts on Afghanistan. Rep. Capuano believes that the Afghanistan war is justified and necessary, but is being mismanaged.
* Bill Delahunt, Massachusetts
- Met with District Representative Anestis Kalaitzidis
- Visited 5/12/09
- 1250 Hancock St., Quincy, MA 02169
- People who attended included representatives of Mass Peace Action, Peaceful Tomorrows, the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, Military Families Speak Out, Golf Star Families for Peace, and South Shore Families for Peaceful Solutions
- We opened the meeting by thanking the congressman for his efforts towards peace and justice: Arranging for home heating oil from Venezuala, efforts to open relations with Cuba and his work in the Out of Iraq Caucus to end the war in Iraq. Particularly, we thanked him for the work his office had done with Congressman McGovern’s workshop and report on Iraq. Discussed Congressman Delahunt’s plans re: supporting Congressman Jim McGovern’s efforts to introduce a bill calling for planning an exit strategy from Afghanistan/Pakistan by year’s end.
* Representative Barney Frank, Massachusetts
- Met with Congressman Frank, Chairman of Financial Services Committee
- Visited on 1/12/09
- 29 Crafts Street, Newton, MA 02458-1275. Tel: 617-332-3920
- People who attended included representatives of the Alliance for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding, Peaceful Tomorrows, Military Families Speak Out, and MoveOn
- Discussed the congressman’s views on the rationale for the Afghan/Pakistan conflict
- Congressman Frank was pressed for time but polite, scanned Peaceful Tomorrow’s report, “Afghanistan: Ending a Failed Military Strategy,” told us he only knew as much as we did from reading the newspapers. However, we know that he proposes a 25% cut in military spending.
- Met with Congressman Frank, Chairman of Financial Services Committee
- Visited on 4/8/2009
- 29 Crafts Street, Newton, MA 02458-1275. Tel: 617-332-3920
- People who attended included representatives of Mass Peace Action and Brookline Peace Works
- In general we felt it was a positive meeting. Frank was well informed on the issues and shared many of our concerns. True to form, he repeatedly pushed back on our protestations that certain things were wrong, e.g. frustration with Afghan contracting and corruption. He often said he agreed with us and instead wanted to hear our proposals to solve the problems.
Senator Ted Kennedy, Massachusetts
- Met with stafferTom Crohan (Tom_Crohan@kennedy.senate.gov)
- Visited on 12/19/08
- One Bowdoin Square, 10th Floor, Boston, MA 02114, 617-565-8519
- People who attended included representatives of the Alliance for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding, Peaceful Tomorrows, Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, and MoveOn
- Discussed the senator’s views on the rationale for the Afghan conflict
- Mr. Cronan was pleased to meet with us and answered all our questions
Senator John Kerry, Massachusetts, Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- Met with staffers Steve Meunier (Stephen_Meunier@kerry.senate.gov) and Jamie Chisholm (James_Chisholm@kerry.senate.gov)
- Visited on 12/19/08
- One Bowdoin Square, 10th Floor, Boston, MA 02114, 617-565-8519
- People who attended included representatives of the Alliance for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding, Peaceful Tomorrows, Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, and MoveOn
- Discussed the senator’s views on the rationale for the Afghan conflict
- Mssrs. Meunier and Chisholm were pleased to meet with us and answered all our questions.
- Met with Foreign Relations staffer Chris Wyman (Chris_Wyman@kerry.senate.gov)
- Visited on 4/6/09
- One Bowdoin Square, 10th Floor, Boston, MA 02114, 617-565-8519
- People who attended included representatives of the Alliance for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding, Peaceful Tomorrows, Military Families Speak Out, and the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
- Discussed the senator’s views on the rationale for the Afghan/Pakistan conflict
- We suggested to Mr. Wyman that Sen. Kerry discuss his views with Pres. Obama after conducting the hearings of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Representative Ed Markey, Massachusetts
- Met with staffers Mark Gallagher (mark_gallagher@mail.house.gov) and Rocco DiRico (rocco.dirico@mail.house.gov)
- Visited on 1/13/09
- 5 High St., Suite 101, Medford, MA 02155, Tel: 781-396-2900
- People who attended included representatives of the Alliance for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding, Peaceful Tomorrows, MoveOn, Mass Peace Action, and Arlington/Lexington United for Justice with Peace
- Discussed the congressman’s views on the rationale for the Afghan/Pakistan conflict
- Mssrs. Gallagher and DiRico were pleased to meet with us and answered all our questions.
* Representative Jim McGovern, Massachusetts. Member of Human Rights Council
- Met with Rep. McGovern
- Visited 5/8/09
- People who attended included representatives of Neighbor to Neighbor, Mass Peace Action, and United for Justice with Peace
- Agreed to sign anti-escalation letter. Asked 2 questions: how we overcome Americans’ fear of Al Qaeda; how to leave Afghanistan better than we found it.
* Representative John Tierney, Massachusetts
- Met with Congressman Tierney and District Director Garry M. Barrett
- Visited 6/1/09
- People who attended included members Mass Peace Action, Peaceful Tomorrows, Military Families Speak Out, Women’s Action for New Directions, Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America.
- Tierney very smart, just returned from fact-finding trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan, understands the situation there better than anyone in the Obama administration. Was interested in finding more native speaiking doctors, lawyers, engineers who would go to help rebuild those countries.
* Representative John Olver, Massachusetts. Member of House Committee on Appropriations
- Met with aide
- Visited week of 5/10/09
- Member of Mass Peace Action met alone with the aide.
- The aide seemed very receptive and promised a follow-up appointment with Olver. We gave him the Sept. 11th Families primer document as well as an AFSC/National Priorities Project handout .
* Representative Niki Tsongas, Massachusetts
- Met with Chris Keohan (Chris.Keohan@mail.house.gov), Tel: 978-457-0101
- Visited on 2/3/09
- People who attended included representatives of Peaceful Tomorrows, Military Veterans Speak Out, the Alliance for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding, the Diocese of Massachusetts, and Merrimack Valley People for Peace
- Discussed the congressman’s views on the rationale for the Afghan/Pakistan conflict
- Mr. Keohan was pleased to meet with us and answered all our questions
Michigan
* Representative John Conyers, Michigan
* Representative Carolyn Kilpatrick, Michigan
Minnesota
* Representative Keith Ellison, Minnesota
* Representative James Oberstar, Minnesota
* Representative Timothy Walz, Minnesota
Missouri
* Representative William Clay, Missouri
Nevada
* Representative Shelley Berkley, Nevada
New Hampshire
* Representative Paul Hodes III, New Hampshire
- Spoke with staffer Matthew Groch at 603-223-9814 and emailed matthew.groch@mail.house.gov with message to pass onto Congressman Hodes
- Called 5/21/09
- Thanked Congressman Hodes for supporting Jim McGovern’s HR 2404 “To require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress outlining the United States exit strategy for United States military forces in Afghanistan participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.”
* Representative Carol Shea-Porter, New Hampshire, House Committee on Armed Services
- Spoke with staff Jennifer Herron at 603-641-9536 and emailed jennifer.herron@mail.house.gov with message to pass onto Congresswoman Shea-Porter
- Called 5/21/09
- Thanked Congresswoman Shea-Porter for supporting Jim McGovern’s HR 2404 “To require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress outlining the United States exit strategy for United States military forces in Afghanistan participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.”
New Jersey
* Representative Rush Holt, New Jersey
* Representative Donald Payne, New Jersey
* Representative Steven Rothman, New Jersey
New Mexico
* Representative Ben Lujan, New Mexico
New York
* Representative Yvette Clarke, New York
- Spoke with staffer Mary Bishop at 718-287-1142 and emailed message c/o mary.bishop@mail.house.gov
- Called 5/22/09
- Thanked Congresswoman Clarke for supporting Jim McGovern’s HR 2404 “To require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress outlining the United States exit strategy for United States military forces in Afghanistan participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.”
* Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, New York
- Women Against War met with one of Gillibrand’s staffers
- Visited 5/22/09
- Urged Senator Gillibrand her to vote against the appropriations, call for an end to the drones and night raids, and encourage a troop withdrawal. Left “Afghanistan: Ending a Failed Military Strategy” and was assured it would be passed on.
* Representative Maurice Hinchey, New York
- Emailed message Rep. Hinchey to staffer Dan Lamb at 607-273-1388 at dan.lamb@mail.house.gov
- Called 5/22/09
- Thanked Congresswoman Hinchy for supporting Jim McGovern’s HR 2404 “To require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress outlining the United States exit strategy for United States military forces in Afghanistan participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.”
* Representative Eric Massa, North York
* Representative José Serrano, North York
* Representative Edolphus Towns, New York, Ch. of House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Spoke with staffer Christopher Lundy at 718-272-1175 and emailed message to him at christopher.lundy@mail.house.gov to pass on to Congressman Towns
- Called 5/21/09
- Thanked Congressman Towns for supporting Jim McGovern’s HR 2404 “To require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress outlining the United States exit strategy for United States military forces in Afghanistan participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.”
* Representative Nydia Velazquez, New York
- Spoke with staffer, Iris Quinones, at 212-673-3997 and emailed message Congresswoman Velazquez at iris.quinones@mail.house.gov
- Called 5/22/09
- Thanked Congresswoman Velazquez for supporting Jim McGovern’s HR 2404 “To require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress outlining the United States exit strategy for United States military forces in Afghanistan participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.”
North Carolina
* Representative Walter Jones, North Carolina
Ohio
* Representative Marcy Kaptur, Ohio
* Representative Mary Jo Kilroy, Ohio
* Representative Dennis Kucinich, Ohio
* Representative Timothy Ryan, Ohio
* Representative Betty Sutton, Ohio
Oregon
* Representative Peter DeFazio, Oregon
* Representative Kurt Schrader, Oregon
Pennsylvania
* Representative Chaka Fattah, Pennsylvania
* Representative Joe Sestak, Pennsylvania
Tennessee
* Representative Steve Cohen, Tennessee
* Representative John Duncan, Tennessee
Texas
* Representative Lloyd Doggett, Texas
* Representative Ron Paul, Texas
* Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee, Texas
Vermont
* Representative Peter Welch, Vermont
- Spoke with staff aide Victoria Jones at 888-605-7270 and emailed victoria.jones@mail.house.gov with message to pass on to Congressman Welch
- Called 5/21/09
- Thanked Congressman Filner for supporting Jim McGovern’s HR 2404 “To require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress outlining the United States exit strategy for United States military forces in Afghanistan participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.”
Virgin Islands
* Representative Donna Christensen, Virgin Islands
Virginia
* Representative Thomas Perriello, Virginia
Washington
* Representative James McDermott, Washington
Wisconsin
* Representative Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin
* Representative Steve Kagen, Wisconsin
Representative Ron Kind, Wisconsin
- Met with staff aide Loren Kannenberg at LaCrosse, WI.
- Visited 3/25/09
- People who attended included representatives of Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice, CodePink, and Juneau County Peace Committee
- The delegation, whose members came from the communities of Kendall/Elroy and well as Mauston, presented Mr. Cannonberger with a bound copy of the September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrow’s report “Afghanistan: Ending a Failed Military policy for Representative Kind. Individuals from the group each presented their particular concerns, including the cost in lives of both Americans and Afghanis, the financial burden and the need to spend those funds for domestic needs, the threat of destabilizing Pakistan, a nuclear armed nation, the corruption among the contractors and their use of slave-like working conditions, and the fact that the occupation is not working and is making more enemies. The meeting lasted about and hour and Mr. Cannonberger was very engaged and promised to make a full report to Representative Kind.
* Representative Gwen Moore, Wisconsin
As more meetings take place, please email information about them to Wright Salisbury at sasmedia@rcn.com. |
