Now is the time: Call Congress to Close the SOA/WHINSEC

SOA Protest PicNow is the time!

Now is the time when the Congress is about to vote on cutting funds to the School of the Americas/Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.

This is an issue we’ve been working on for years; the School of the Americas is linked to some of the works human rights abuses in Latin America. And the vote to cut funding to it will come THIS WEEK, and the vote will be close.

Please take a few minutes today to call your Representatives in Congress and to ask them to support the McGovern-Lewis amendment to cut funding to the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, the place the world knows as the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC). You can contact your Representative’s D.C. office by calling the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121.

Here’s what you can say:

“I am calling Representative ________ to urge her/him to vote YES on the McGovern amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. This amendment is a cut in funding for the School of the Americas/ WHINSEC. New information indicates that WHINSEC has allowed known human rights abusers to instruct and receive training at the school. The governments of Costa Rica, Argentina and Uruguay have made public announcements they will no longer send students to the school, citing the negative image and history of this institution. Voting YES on this amendment sends a positive human rights message to Latin America and will help to improve the U.S. image abroad. As an elected official in Washington, DC, I hope you will represent me and vote YES on any amendment in the House that would cut funding for the school.”

For more information, visit:
www.soaw.org
latinamerica.icpj.net

To learn more about this issue, please come to ICPJ’s Dinner and a Movie this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Memorial Christian Church, 730 Tappan, Ann Arbor. Details at: www.icpj.net/DinnerAndMovie

Published by Chuck on Jun 19, 2007 under Latin America

2 Responses to “Now is the time: Call Congress to Close the SOA/WHINSEC”

  1. # Chuckon 21 Jun 2007 at 7:15 am

    Here’s the notice we just received from SOA Watch:

    editor_id=”mce_editor_0″>

    href=”http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=367284990&url_num=3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.democracyinaction.org%2Fdia%2ForganizationsORG%2Fsoaw%2Fcampaign.jsp%3Fcampaign_KEY%3D11949″>Click here to Email/Fax your Representative Now!

    (Be sure to click the “Send a Fax” box to have the fax sent)

    SOA Watch has received NEW information, that WHINSEC

    has a secret weapon and that the Pentagon’s public relations campaign has won some influence with the Representatives who have already told you they will

    vote YES.

    Yesterday was a busy day in Congress and they were not able to finish the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, so we have bought more time to counteract the Pentagon campaign and persuade Congress to vote YES to cut funding for the SOA/ WHINSEC.

    Beginning at 10:00am on Thursday, June 21, the amendments to the Foreign Operations Appropriations for fiscal year 2008 will be debated, including the McGovern - Lewis (GA) amendment to prohibit funding for the SOA/ WHINSEC.

    As this unfolds, you should be able to view or listen to that House floor debate or watch the vote count on

    C-SPAN

    (At the bottom of the page, click on “Live Stream”)

    Due to this new information, you MUST make your calls again. We need YOU to keep up the pressure on Congress by making telephone calls and sending emails and faxes now, even if you have already made calls. It’s very important that you continue to contact congress today to let members know that they have constituents who support human rights and the closing of the SOA/WHINSEC.

    Call Congress Now at 202-224-3121 !

    Please take a few minutes today to call the DC office of your Representative through the Capitol Hill Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Ask to speak with the foreign affairs legislative assistant.

    Here is a NEW suggested message for you to convey when calling your Representative:

    “I am calling Representative________ to urge him/her to vote YES on the McGovern amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. This amendment prohibits funding for the School of the Americas/ WHINSEC. New information indicates that WHINSEC has allowed known human rights abusers to instruct and receive training at the school. The governments of Costa Rica, Argentina and Uruguay have made public announcements they will no longer send students to the school, citing the negative image and history of this institution. Voting YES on this amendment sends a positive human rights message to Latin America and will help to improve the U.S. image abroad. As an elected official in Washington D.C., I hope you will represent me and vote YES on any amendment in the House that would cut funding for the school.”

  2. # Chuckon 25 Jun 2007 at 6:59 am

    First, the bad news:

    Last night we saw a close, 6-vote loss on the amendment to cut funding to the School of the Americas. The final vote was 203 to 214, not enough votes to cut funding.

    Both Rep. Dingell and Rep. Walberg voted “no.” That is, they voted to continue funding the School of the Americas/WHINSEC. This was despite a last-minute push by ICPJ members right as the amendment was up for debate. We flooded Dingell’s office with calls saying “vote YES on the McGovern amendment to cut funds to the SOA/WHINSEC”

    Overall, Michigan did well. Eight of our 15 representatives voted to cut funding (breakdown below).

    You can learn more online at http://www.soaw.org

    Next, the good news. We did see Congress vote to improve U.S. policy to Colombia. The Latin America Working Group reports: “WE DID IT! After many years of advocating for change, we are thrilled to tell you the positive new approach to Colombia has been approved by the full House of Representatives. With all of your calls to the Congress, those who supported the old approach decided against offering an amendment since they did not have the votes to turn back the clock.” (details at: http://lawg.org/countries/colombia/alert_06-22-07.htm )

    Thank you all for all you hard work!

    In peace,
    -Chuck

    YES
    Camp, Dave, Michigan, 4th– Yes
    Conyers Jr., John, Michigan, 14th –Yes
    Ehlers, Vernon J., Michigan, 3rd — Yes
    Kildee, Dale, Michigan, 5th — Yes
    Kilpatrick, Carolyn, Michigan, 13th — Yes
    Levin, Sander, Michigan, 12th — Yes
    Stupak, Bart, Michigan, 1st — Yes
    Upton, Fred, Michigan, 6th — yes

    NO
    Hoekstra, Pete, Michigan, 2nd– No
    Knollenberg, Joseph, Michigan, 9th — No
    McCotter, Thaddeus, Michigan, 11th — No
    Miller, Candice, Michigan, 10th — No
    Rogers, Mike, Michigan, 8th — no
    Walberg, Timothy, Michigan, 7th — No
    Dingell, John D., Michigan, 15th– No

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