[Update: As of COB today, HR 543 gained 3 new signatures, bringing us to 80! New signers: Benjamin L Cardin (D-MD), Michael M Honda (D-CA), and Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)!]
(For background on HR 543 developments, see
here,
here, and
here.)
Tomorrow
Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 5 is National Call-In Day, when DC for Democracy and other groups are asking you to call your Representatives to ask them to sign HR 543. HR 543 is Discharge Petition to bring 17 hours of debate to the floor of the House of Representatives, under Open Rules, which means that any and all amendments introduced must be debated and voted upon.
Also tomorrow, at 11:00 am, there will be a press conference on the Hill, where 3 Republicans will join 3 Democrats, adding 3 new Republican signatures to the DP.
Where will your Representatives be? Have THEY signed?
If you are in the DC area, come to DC for Democracy's MeetUp at Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street, where we will be discussing ways to take action locally. If you are elsewhere, contact your local DFA group and see what efforts they are working on for "Change the Course".
Yesterday (read on)...
Yesterday
Yesterday wistex posted a diary on a vote in his/her(?) hometown of Watertown, WI, on whether or not they support bringing the troops home. One of wistex's follow-up comments read:
While the vote is worded about bringing the troops home now, it is possible that many will be voting on whether they agreed with the war in the first place, on both sides of the issue.
Even if you disagree with the war on every aspect, you may not agree with bringing the troops home immediately. There's no telling what that will do to the stability of the region.
It is true that everyone will not agree on what to do next. That is why HR 543 is so important. Because it allows ALL amendments - whether calling for more troops, less troops, a timeline for withdrawal, redeployment, or more jelly beans for our soldiers - to be debated in an open, honest, and fair way, which is LONG overdue. Again, it doesn't matter where you stood/stand on the war before, this is about how we move forward.
Many aides we have spoken with do not understand this, or are unaware of this. They think it is only a reconsideration of HR 55, which called for the establishment of a timeline. It is not, and does not. It forces the debate to the floor. Once we explain this to the aides, they go "OH!" and are likely to sign. Like Ron Paul, who refuses to sign DPs on principle; he just hates the idea of them. But he signed 543.
Today
I urge you, call your Representative and tell them where you stand and what you, as a constituent, expect from them as elected officials. As patriots.
Note: April 10-23 is when Members are on recess and will be in their local district offices. Visit them in large numbers in person. Get your point across!