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Dear AFSC Friend, 

The House of Representatives will vote as soon as tomorrow  (Thursday, May 8) on an additional $162.6 billion for the war and occupation in Iraq.

Sadly, the bill includes $66 billion for fiscal year 2009. This means the funds for the occupation will keep flowing well into the next administration, allowing the new president to continue the war and occupation with little or no accountability to Congress until next spring.

At a time when money is urgently needed in our communities, the new bill would bring the total for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to $859 billion. By including fiscal year 2009 (FY09) funding, the House leadership is effectively taking the war off the congressional agenda for the rest of this year. This might be our last opportunity to stop war funding during this Congress and presidency.  

Your call today is crucial.

Call your representative at 202-224-3121.  (If you don't know your representative, use our directory.)

Please join the American Friends Service Committee and the entire United for Peace and Justice coalition by calling your Congressperson today.

Background
On Monday evening, the House leadership crafted a plan that will keep the war going into the next president's first term. They plan to bring a $162.6 billion war funding bill to the floor for a vote on Thursday, May 8.

In addition to the funding bill, they will vote separately on two other measures. One will provide billions for unemployment benefits and veterans education benefits. The other measure addresses war policy, including a goal for troop withdrawal by December 2009, troop readiness requirements, and bans on permanent bases in Iraq and torture.

Impact of War on the Iraqi People
The U.S. war/occupation in Iraq has taken hundreds of thousands of lives, devastated families and ripped apart the infrastructure of Iraq. One striking fact is that more than 4.7 million Iraqis (in a nation of 27 million people) have been displaced by war and occupation. It is the world's fastest growing refugee crisis, and represents the largest refugee flow in the Middle East since the displacement of Palestinians in 1948. View our website for more information.

Thank You!
My deep thanks for all your support for peace in Iraq.  During last month's Tax Day call-in, Congress received more than 700 calls to defund the war and fund vital human needs.  We need to keep showing Congress that we're committed to a new path in Iraq, one that starts when we stop a continuing war and occupation.

Peace,

Peter Lems
For AFSC’s Wage Peace Campaign

P.S. For more about war funding and alternative options, see our one-minute web movie, "One Day = $720 Million."