Reps. Ted Lieu [D-CA] and Ted Yoho [R-FL] have introduced legislation in the House (H.J.R. 90) that would restrict U.S. weapons transfers to Saudi Arabia. Just like the companion Murphy-Paul bill in the Senate, it would require the President to certify that Saudi Arabia is limiting civilian casualties in its war in Yemen and cooperating…
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) have introduced legislation to prevent the U.S. from continuing to support Saudi-led military campaigns in places like Yemen where Saudi Arabia’s year-long campaign has led to a devastating humanitarian crisis and a security vacuum that has empowered our terrorist enemies al Qaeda and ISIS. The Murphy-Paul bipartisan legislation will require the President to formally certify…
Please call (202) 224-3121 now and ask your Representative to sign the Ellison-Johnson-Kaptur letter urging Secretary of State Kerry to support an independent international investigation into the assassination of Berta Cáceres. When you reach a staffer (or leave a message on a machine) you can say something like: “I urge Rep. _______ to sign the…
Tremendous news: President Obama is seriously considering signing an executive order requiring federal contractors to disclose their political spending. It’s about time. Limiting federal contractors’ influence to elect the politicians that award contracts worth millions of taxpayer dollars to those same companies seems like an obvious move to eliminate corruption or potential corruption. Moreover, so…
The U.S. has a moral obligation, as well as an obligation under international law, to welcome refugees fleeing war and persecution. Despite this obligation, reports suggest Republicans may attach provisions blocking refugee resettlement to the “must-pass” year-end spending legislation (a.k.a. Omnibus) in order to try to force President Obama to sign them into law. [1]…
Some have used the attacks in Paris Friday to whip up a xenophobic hysteria against Syrian refugees. Members of Congress say their phones are ringing with demands to keep Syrian refugees out, but not with voices insisting that America is a place of refuge from persecution. We need to speak up. Welcoming refugees is our…
New Mexico Democratic Senator Tom Udall, backed by Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Republican Utah Senator Mike Lee, has now introduced legislation that would block sending US ground troops to Syria. As Senator Udall has stated, escalating US involvement in a complex ethnic and religious civil war by deploying ground troops is a mistake…
“We die in the war or we die at sea – people are dying either way.” That’s one Syrian refugee’s bleak analysis of the crisis that has forced over 4 million people to flee from their homes, families, and livelihoods. The ultimate answer to the Syrian refugee crisis is to end the war through diplomacy…
The US-backed Saudi bombing of Yemen has killed thousands of civilians – including Americans trapped in Yemen – while Congress has been mostly silent. Now, at long last, we have an opportunity to something about it: Reps. Debbie Dingell & Keith Ellison are circulating a letter [1] to President Obama pressing for the US to…
AIPAC has failed to stop the Iran deal. Last Thursday, 42 Senators stood by their word, supported diplomacy, and stopped Republican efforts to block the deal. [1] But we cannot stop to celebrate just yet. Only two Senate votes provided the margin by which Republican efforts to undermine the agreement were thwarted. There will likely…