Protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Last week (March 16), the Senate voted 51-49 to budget $2.5 billion in revenue from the future sale of oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. If the House and Senate agree on a budget resolution that includes this language, then each chamber will have to draft legislation authorizing opening the Refuge to oil exploration. Even if the two chambers cannot agree to a budget resolution, more debate and votes will likely be held on this issue later this year.
Act Now: Please contact your senators. Thank them if they voted for the amendment by Sen. Cantwell (WA) to strip this provision from the budget resolution. It is especially important to thank Sens. Chafee (RI), Collins (ME), McCain (AZ), Smith (OR), and Snowe (ME) for voting yes against the position of their party leadership.
Express your disappointment and concern if your senators opposed the Cantwell amendment and supported oil exploration in the Refuge. It is especially important to labor with Sens. Akaka (HI), Martinez (FL), and Specter (PA) over their votes. We hope they will change their votes in the future.
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=7297266&type=CO
Conserve Our Ocean Legacy
Last month, the Virginia General Assembly passed a bill, SB 1054, to remove offshore drilling protections for Virginia's coast, leaving the coast vulnerable to catastrophic oil spills and leaks as well as routine discharges of contaminated waste that are part of offshore oil and gas operations.
Tell Governor Warner to veto this bill and stand up for Virginia's and our nation's coasts, economy and heritage.
http://uspirg.org/uspirg.asp?id=791&id3=USPIRG&id4=ES
Oppose Writing Intolerance into the Constitution
Some members of the radical right are aggressively campaigning to amend the U.S. Constitution to deny the right to marry to same-sex couples in committed relationships. The proposed amendment (H.J. Res 56/S.J. Res 26) could also invalidate all state and local domestic partnership laws and nullify civil rights protections based on marital status.
Today we look back, almost disbelieving, on the time when many Americans did not tolerate marriage between Catholics and Protestants and between people of different races. Unfortunately, our laws continue to deny a basic right to marry to two adults simply because they are gay or lesbian. Now, some want to write that discrimination into the U.S. Constitution.
Gay Americans serve in the military, keep our communities safe as firefighters and police officers, staff our hospitals, build our cities, and pay taxes. Denying gay couples the right to marry takes away legal rights in pensions, health insurance, hospital visitations and inheritance that other committed couples enjoy.
Take Action! Oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment!
http://www.aclu.org/LesbianGayRights/LesbianGayRights.cfm?orgid=n&ID=9977&c=101&MX=2007&
amp;H=1
Sign Petition TODAY: Possible AgJOBS Vote to Occur Soon!
AgJOBS may come for a vote in Congress shortly. Help farmworkers by urging your Congressmembers to cosponsor and vote for the bill when it comes to the floor.
AgJOBS (S. 359/H.R. 884) would allow undocumented farm workers to earn the right to permanently stay in this country by continuing to work in agriculture. With broad bipartisan support, AgJOBS (S. 359/H.R. 884) is a comprehensive bill negotiated by the UFW and the agricultural industry.
Last year, thanks to your help, there were 63 co-sponsors in the Senate. The bill reintroduced last month already has 43 Senate co-sponsors. Help us reach our goal of more than 60 co-sponsors! Send the message that we will not let the AgJOBS vote be denied this year!
The people who put the food on our table are often faced with fear and intimidation because many employers use the threat of deportation to ensure their silence.
Undocumented farm workers share the values that many of you do--they want to provide for their families and to live without fear. They could earn the opportunity over time through AgJOBS.
Sign this petition TODAY and urge your Congressmembers to enact AgJOBS!
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/agjobspetition/
Repeal the HEA Drug Provision
Since the Higher Education Act (HEA) Drug Provision took effect in 2000, more than 160,500 students have been delayed or denied financial aid because of drug convictions. On March 9, 2005, 56 members of the United States House of Representatives introduced the Removing Impediments to Students' Education (RISE) Act, which if passed into law will fully repeal the federal aid ban for individuals with drug convictions.
Your help is needed to build on this momentum to get this bill passed.
http://ga0.org/campaign/heahouse/
Support the Captive Primate Safety Act
The Captive Primate Safety Act, introduced by Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Rob Simmons (R-CT) as H.R. 1329, prohibits interstate and foreign commerce in nonhuman primates (chimpanzees, monkeys, lemurs and others) for the pet trade.
Nonhuman primates cannot be kept humanely in private homes. As they grow, their strength and aggressive tendencies can become dangerous. Sadly, many nonhuman primate pets end up abused or neglected. Additionally, nonhuman primates can spread dangerous diseases such as herpes-b, yellow fever, monkey pox, Ebola and Marburg virus.
Because of the health risks, importing nonhuman primates for the pet trade has been illegal since 1975. Some states already prohibit private ownership of nonhuman primates as pets, but since these animals are often moved between states for the pet trade, federal legislation is needed to curb this interstate commerce.
Please take action now and ask your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor The Captive Primate Safety Act.
http://hsus.ga4.org/campaign/US_2005_primates_pets
Tell Congress - Put Emergency Responders First
As several years have passed since September 11th, federal support for first responder grant programs are falling.
The rhetoric from our elected officals does not match the reality. In addition, much of the funding has been waylaid by complicated formulas that direct funds to states, which then have to dole them out to individual communities.
This is a nationwide problem that puts us all at risk in the event of another terrorist attack or natural disaster, if not fixed immediately.
Tell Congress to act quickly and provide funding for our first responders. We must protect all of our first responders - police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel - so they can protect us.
http://www.fixtheradios.org/campaign/fund/
Military Free Zone
Please sign this petition to keep the military from going after student's private records!
I strongly believe in a voluntary military and think involuntary recruitment is unfair and un-American!
I believe in keeping all student's information private and do not support military recruiters having access to any information without seeking permission from the students, parents/guardians of these students.
I support changing the recent No Child Left Behind Legislation sec 9528 that currently gives all military recruiters access to students' private information!
http://www.militaryfreezone.com/petition
Operation Truth's Petition to President Bush
We, the undersigned, urge you to read Operation Truth's "After-Action Review," a report on the Iraq War composed entirely of unedited and uncensored feedback from the Troops who were there.
It is an invaluable and unprecedented source of information on the gritty details of our presence in Iraq and the daily concerns for our men and women in uniform. The troops offer positive comments as well as criticisms.
Regardless of politics, we must support the Troops and address their concerns. They are consummate professionals who have done the job they were asked to do without hesitation. They now need the Administration to support them in return, on issues such as mental health care, armor shortages and funding for Veterans' care.
http://www.optruth.org/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=userPetitions&lna
v=2
Defend Your Right to Dance
In Flint, Michigan the police recently raided a popular nightclub and arrested or ticketed everyone in the club, including people who did not have drugs. The stated reason for the tickets: some people in the nightclub used drugs; therefore everyone in the club should pay the price. Contact the Flint political establishment and tell them this is wrong!
http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=25203&MS=flintrave-aa
These and over 275 other action alerts are archived at http://shetquaker.blog-city.com/