How come you won't sign the Pledge for Peace?
Eddie Bernice Johnson is a member of the US House of Representatives from Texas' 30th Congressional district. In her Fall 2007 newsletter to constituents, her office notes what the House has been doing regarding the illegal war on page two of the eight page newsletter:
Defending Our Country
* require benchmarks and progress report requirements for the war in Iraq -- Signed into Law
* support timetables to bring our troops home from Iraq -- Vetoed by the President
* provide critical support for veterans, military health care and military readiness -- Signed into Law
* provide the largest increase in support for veterans' services in history -- Passed the House
* require quality care for our wounded warriors -- Passed the House
If Johnson supports a timetable for withdrawal enough to note it was "Vetoed by the President," why won't she sign the Peace Pledge that 90 other members of the House of Representatives already have?
Here's how that apparently 'controversial' letter to the Bully Boy reads:
Seventy House Members wrote in July to inform you that they will only support appropriating additional funds for U.S. military operations in Iraq during Fiscal Year 2008 and beyond for the protection and safe redeployment of our troops out of Iraq before you leave office.
Now you are requesting an additional $45 billion to sustain your escalation of U.S. military operations in Iraq through next April, on top of the $145 billion you requested for military operations during FY08 in Iraq and Afghanistan. Accordingly, even more of us are writing anew to underscore our opposition to appropriating any additional funds for U.S. military operations in Iraq other than a time-bound, safe redeployment as stipulated above.
More than 3,744 of our brave soldiers have died in Iraq. More than 27,000 have been seriously wounded. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed or injured in the hostilities and more than 4 million have been displaced from their homes. Furthermore, this conflict has degenerated into a sectarian civil war and U.S. taxpayers have paid more than $500 billion, despite assurances that you and your key advisors gave our nation at the time you ordered the invasion in March, 2003 that this military intervention would cost far less and be paid from Iraqi oil revenues.
We agree with a clear and growing majority of the American people who are opposed to continued, open-ended U.S. military operations in Iraq, and believe it is unwise and unacceptable for you to continue to unilaterally impose these staggering costs and the soaring debt on Americans currently and for generations to come.
House Reps continue to sign on which is why it's now at 90 signatures. What in that letter does not jibe with the measures Johnson is trumpeting to the voters in her district?
Or does she just enjoy being listed with a lot of losers she's honestly far better than?
Who knows? But page eight encourages her district to "Contact Us" at:
Washington
1511 Longworth Building
Washington, DC 20515
Office: 202-225-8885
Fax: 202-226-1477
Dallas
3102 Maple Avenue, Suite 600
Dallas, TX 75201
Office: 214-922-8885
Fax: 214-922-7028
October 10th, Rebecca noticed that Eddie Bernice Johnson hadn't signed on. After Rebecca noticed it, Common Ills community members living in that district began to take notice. Thank you to Dallas for providing scans of the newsletter.