The majority of people in the U.S. say it's time to exit Afghanistan--but our "representatives" in Congress haven't gotten the message.  We need to fix that! 

The House will vote this week on a series of amendments to end the war in Afghanistan. These amendments will be made to the National Defense Authorization Act. The more members of Congress who go on record to end the war by voting for one or more of these amendments, the greater the pressure on the Administration. That's why there is a national call-in day today organized by a coalition of peace and justice groups, including Peace Action.   

Can you call your representative at 1-800-427-8619?  Here's a sample message you can use:

"Hi, my name is ____ and I'm calling from ____. I am calling to tell Rep. ___ to vote for amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act to end the war in Afghanistan and bring the troops home. "  

That's it! It just takes a minute! 

President Obama has said that the upcoming July withdrawal will not be a "token gesture," but the Pentagon is pushing back hard, advocating withdrawing as few as 10,000 troops, with a large majority being office and clerical staff. We don't want a symbolic withdrawal. We want to see a serious withdrawal of troops and an end date for the war. 

For that to happen, we have to ramp up the pressure on Congress now.  

Please call your representative today at 1-800-427-8619. Tell him or her: It's time to exit Afghanistan! 

Another Request

We hate to ask you to take more than one action, but we think you will want to raise your voice about this, too.  

A proposed revision to the National Defense Authorization Act dramatically expands the current Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), the legal basis for the war in Afghanistan. The new AUMF language includes all individuals associated with Al Qaeda and the Taliban, plus "associated forces."  That is, it provides the legal basis for an administration to go to war anywhere in the world--without Congressional consent!  This is a serious assault on our Constitution. 

The revised AUMF would also allow the President to detain persons for the duration of the conflict. There is currently no end in sight to the conflict. That means President Obama and future presidents would be able to capture anyone they say might be associated with Al Qaeda or the Taliban or "associated forces," anywhere in the world, and then hold them, without trial, without limit, potentially until the end of their lives. This is a very dangerous authority.

You can quickly and easily contact your Representative today by using the model e-mail here. Please do this! It's very important, and it should only take about 30 seconds.   

A Great Weekend!