FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2010
Local PDA Chapter Joins Nationwide Protests in Opposition to $33 Billion War Supplemental
Progressive Democrats Sonoma County, the local chapter of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), to hold noon hour “Brown Bag Lunch Vigil” in front of Rep. Lynn Woolsey’s Santa Rosa office to stop the escalation and funding for war.
We thank Rep. Woolsey for signing on to support HR 2454, calling for an exit strategy from Afghanistan & HR 3699, prohibiting any increase in the number of U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan.
Further, we call on Rep. Woolsey to publicly commit to voting “No” on any bills that fund wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Yemen, and to publicly urge her colleagues and the House leadership to make the same commitment.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
12 PM – 1 PM
Office of Rep. Lynn Woolsey
1101 College Avenue
Santa Rosa , CA 95404
Progressive Democrats Sonoma County is the Sonoma County chapter of Progressive Democrats of America, a grassroots PAC that works both inside the Democratic Party and outside the party, in movements for peace and justice. More info: www.pdsonoma.org and http://pdamerica.org
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 17, 2010
Washington, DC
PROTESTS NATIONWIDE OPPOSE $33 BILLION TO ESCALATE AFGHAN WAR
Liberal Groups Invite Tea Parties to Join Them
Washington DC—In 100 congressional districts all over the country, people will be protesting on Wednesday at their local congress members’ offices, urging them to commit to voting against $33.5 billion for escalating the war in Afghanistan, and to do so even if lots of other items are included in the bill. Currently an additional $30 billion is included to cover foreign aid, compensation for discrimination claims, and disaster relief.
Organizations participating include Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), WarIsACrime.org, Democrats.com, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, Healthcare Now, US Labor Against the War, Labor for Single-payer, United for Peace and Justice, the Backbone Campaign, and CodePINK. They have been holding Brown Bag Vigils on the third Wednesday of the month since January.
Invited to participate are tea party activists and anyone else who objects to unjustifiable government spending.
Brownbaggers are asking members of the House to publicly commit to voting No on any bills that fund wars, and to publicly urge their colleagues and the House leadership to make the same commitment. This position necessarily includes opposition to the proposed $33 billion supplemental expected in the coming days to fund an escalation of the war in Afghanistan.
Congress members’ commitments are tracked at http://defundwar.org
National director of PDA Tim Carpenter said “There is no solution in Afghanistan that does not include the United States leaving. We can leave before expending more blood and treasure and before generating more anger and hostility, or after. A handful of congress members are speaking out and urging their colleagues to vote No, regardless of what lipstick is applied to this pig of a bill. That’s the kind of leadership this country needs. There is far too much silence in Washington and around the country. These vigils aim to break that silence. Anyone who does not speak out now cannot credibly claim to oppose reckless or harmful government spending.”
Complete information on past and upcoming Brown Bag Vigils is available online: http://tinyurl.com/brownbagvigil, including videos: http://youtube.com/pdamerica , and photos: http://flickr.com/photos/pdamerica .
Progressive Democrats of America was founded in 2004 to transform the Democratic Party and our country. We seek to build a party and government controlled by citizens, not corporate elites—with policies that serve the broad public interest, not just private interests. PDA is a grassroots PAC operating inside the Democratic Party, and outside in movements for peace and justice; our inside/outside strategy is guided by the belief that a lasting majority will require a revitalized Democratic Party built on firm progressive principles.
For over two decades, the party declined as its leadership listened more to the voices of corporations than those of Americans. PDA strives to rebuild the Democratic Party from the bottom up—from every congressional district to statewide party structures to the corridors of power in Washington, where we work arm in arm with the Congressional Progressive Caucus. In just five years, PDA and its allies have shaken up the political status quo—on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Medicare for all, voter rights, accountability, and economic and environmental justice.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Laura Bonham, PDA Communications Coordinator laura@pdamerica.org
Phone: 435-336-2123
Tim Carpenter, Executive Director tim@pdamerica.org
Toll Free: 877-239-2093
