Act Now: Intl. Ceasefire Campaign

We received this e-mail from our Weekly Action Coalition partner, Thoughts of an Average Woman.

Dear friends,

Right now a tragedy is unfolding in the Middle East. Thousands of innocent civilians have been killed or wounded in the bombings in Lebanon, Palestine and Israel and the death toll is rising every day. If the US, Syria or Iran get involved, there is a chance of a catastrophic larger war. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has called for an immediate ceasefire and the deployment of international troops to the Israel-Lebanon border, and been strongly supported by almost every world leader. This is the best proposal yet to stop the violence, but the US, the UK, and Israel have refused to accept it. I have just signed a petition calling on US President Bush, UK Prime Minister Blair, and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert to support Kofi Annan's proposal. If millions of people join this call, and we advertise our views in newspapers in the US, UK, and Israel, we can help pressure these leaders to stop the fighting.

Go to the link here and sign up now!

With hope,

C

Stop Coastal Drilling and Other Give Aways to Big Oil

The high price of gas and election year politics have put Florida's coastal areas at great risk of environmental degradation. For the first time in over a decade, the bipartisan consensus to spare coastal areas from drilling has broken down. The House passed a bill ending the moratorium last month, and the Senate is set to vote this week. The Weekly Action Coalition urges you to contact your Senator to oppose opening our precious coastal areas to oil drilling.

SF Chronicle

(07-24) 04:00 PDT Washington -- The Senate is expected to decide this week whether to open vast areas off the coast of Florida to oil and gas drilling, a debate with billions of dollars in energy royalties at stake that could affect the ability of coastal states like California to prevent drilling off their shores.

Senate Republicans want to allow drilling in Lease Area 181, a portion of the eastern Gulf of Mexico south of Florida's Panhandle that is believed to contain one of the nation's largest untapped reserves of oil and natural gas. Proponents claim that opening the new area could help rein in the high energy prices consumers are paying and reduce America's dependence on foreign sources...

(E)nvironmentalists and many California officials are worried (that) the bill, if approved, could be merged with a more sweeping House measure approved last month that would end the quarter-century federal ban on drilling off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and offer states lucrative financial incentives to approve oil and gas exploration.

"It is too early to speculate about what the final Senate bill will look like and what compromise, if any, can be reached in conference," said Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, a leading opponent of drilling in the House. "I would submit that any expansion of offshore drilling is a step in the wrong direction because it continues to enable our addiction to fossil fuels rather than pursuing efforts to reduce consumption and develop alternative energy sources."

California's two Democratic senators -- Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer -- had joined with New Jersey's two Democratic senators to stop the bill, until they received assurances it would not harm their states' coasts. But Senate Republican leaders decided to put the measure on the fast track, despite the threat of a filibuster led by drilling opponents. Key votes on the drilling measure are expected as soon as Wednesday.

From Save Our Environment.org

Dear Senator:

As your constituent, I urge you to protect America's Gulf coast and oppose S. 2253, sponsored by Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman. The Domenici-Bingaman bill would allow oil and gas leasing and drilling in millions of acres off of Florida's Gulf coast in an area known as Lease Sale 181.

Florida's coast is a complex mosaic of sea grasses, wetlands, bays, estuary systems, beaches and dunes, and offshore drilling is simply not compatible with the quality of life and economy this fragile ecosystem supports. That is why both Florida senators, Senators Martinez and Nelson, are opposed to S. 2253.

Finally, there is not much oil and natural gas thought to be in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. At current rates of consumption, Florida's coast probably contains less than four months of oil and only six month's worth of natural gas.

Obviously, we cannot drill our way out of our energy problems. There is simply not enough oil and natural gas off of Florida's Gulf coast, certainly not enough to reduce prices or make America energy independent.

We strongly urge you to vigorously oppose - and not sign on as a cosponsor - S. 2253, the Domenici-Bingaman bill, and oppose any attempt to lift the moratorium for offshore drilling off of our coasts. Instead of promoting drilling projects that harm our coasts and do nothing to solve our energy problems, we urge you to support energy projects that promote energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Thank you for your consideration.

Send to your Senator.

Background:

House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) sent the following letter to his colleagues today, explaining his opposition to H.R. 4761, the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act, which will be before the House tomorrow:

Dear Colleague:

On Thursday, the House is scheduled to vote on H.R. 4761, the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act. I urge you to oppose this bill. Even if you support off-shore drilling, you might want to think twice about this measure. Here are some of the aspects of the bill you may not be aware of:

· The bill makes it far easier for states to allow drilling than to prevent it. A one-time state petition can open a state’s waters to oil drilling for good, but a petition to bar oil drilling requires several different petitions for each area and they have to be renewed every five years. If a state misses a deadline, the area is open for drilling permanently.

· The bill limits states’ abililty to review specific oil drilling activities once drilling is allowed and limits states’ ability to block pipeline construction.

· The bill makes every other use of coastal waters subordinate to oil drilling. Federal agencies could not take any actions under any law that could conceivably interfere even with future oil drilling.

· The bill allows the Secretary of the Interior to threaten states with a loss of funding if Congress passes any law that restricts oil drilling in any way.

· The bill eliminates many environmental reviews and public participation requirements for oil leases to be issued and for exploration and drilling activities.

· The bill significantly weakens the requirements to mitigate any activities that would harm the environment.

· The bill creates three new mandatory spending programs and would worsen the federal deficit by giving states more than half of all drilling revenues. States now get 27 percent of revenues from drilling that is close to state waters.

Few Members or staff have had time to read this complex, 147-page bill because it is being rushed to the floor for no reason. As of 11:30 this morning, the bill was still being rewritten through a manager’s amendment. This is no way to legislate.

We should not be increasing the deficit and making unprecedented changes in environmental law without even a chance to read what we are voting on. I urge you to oppose this bill.

Sincerely,

Sherwood Boehlert
Member of Congress

Keep Racist Extremists Out of the U.S. Military

Dear Southern Poverty Law Center Supporter,

I want to make sure you are aware of the latest threat uncovered by the Center's Intelligence Project.

We've just issued a report documenting how the U.S. military, under pressure to meet manpower goals for the war in Iraq, relaxed standards to weed out racist extremists.

Center President and CEO Richard Cohen delivered a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld calling for a zero-tolerance policy regarding racist extremism in the U.S. military.

Read the report and the letter.

Twenty years ago, the Center's work prompted the Defense Department to issue the first regulations aimed at white supremacists in the military. Please help us convince Secretary Rumsfeld that he must again address this issue and put a stop to racist activity in our armed forces.

Send him a letter, asking for a zero-tolerance policy toward racist extremism in the military.

Donald H. Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld:

The Southern Poverty Law Center’s report of July 7, 2006, documented mounting evidence that military recruiters and commanders, under intense pressure to meet manpower goals with the country at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, relaxed standards to prohibit racist extremists from serving in the armed forces.

As someone who has a deep respect for our military and its traditions, I urge you to take the Center’s report seriously. As a Center supporter, I know its work is reliable.

Because hate group membership and extremist activity are antithetical to the values and mission of our armed forces, I urge you to adopt a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to white supremacy in the military and take all necessary steps to ensure the policy is rigorously enforced.


Sincerely,

Urge President Bush to Get More Involved in Working for Middle East Peace

c/o CfMEP

Mideast violence is escalating and your urgent advocacy of the Administration is needed. Make the following points in your call to the White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111.

Your Message:

1. I condemn the provocative raid and capture of Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah and their continued rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.

2. I urge the President to work with the United Nations to press Hezbollah and its supporters to stop attacks on Israel and to return the captive soldiers. I ask the President to cooperate with international diplomatic intervention efforts.

3. I appeal to the President to work with the Israeli government to restrain their use of military force. Israel’s retaliatory response, which has resulted in civilian deaths and destruction of infrastructure in Lebanon, has been disproportionate and weakens the Lebanese government.

4. I call on the President to help end the current Middle East violence and restore hope for Arab-Israeli peace.

Take Action to Support Stem Cell Research

This week's action comes to us care of the Alliance for Stem Cell Research.

Our nation's best opportunity to aggressively move stem cell research forward is here!

We've worked together over a year to make this happen and, in response to your efforts, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced this evening that HR 810: the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act will see a vote on the Senate floor before their August recess!

We're almost there!

In order to get this vital piece of legislation passed, please do two things:

• Contact your Senator and urge them to vote "Yes on HR 810"! Be sure to share with them why this research is so important to you.
• Forward this email on to your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers around the country and ask them to do the same!

HR 810 is the only piece of legislation before the Senate that will move stem cell research forward right now.

From now until the vote we need to be vigilant in putting pressure on the Senate to pass HR 810!

Let's celebrate Independence Day for stem cells!

Background:

Senate to Take Up Stem Cell Bill in July

c/o RCRC
Stem Cell Research
Embryonic Stem Cell Research Holds Unprecedented Hope

Millions of people suffer from diseases and injuries that could be treated if we have adequate research to develop new therapies. Human embryonic stem cell research has enormous potential for finding life-saving treatments for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, brain injury, stroke, heart disease, burns, and spinal cord injuries.

Embryonic stem cells are derived from excess embryos, which were created for infertility treatments and will be discarded once treatment is discontinued. Stem cells have the ability to divide indefinitely in culture and can develop into most of the specialized cells and tissues of the body such as muscle cells, nerve cells, liver cells and blood cells. Using stem cells could reduce the dependency on organ donation and transplantation.

Reply on Voting Rights Act

Dear (Weekly Action Coalition Member)

Thank you for contacting me regarding the renewal of the Voting
Rights Act (VRA) of 1965's temporary provisions. I am happy to
hear from you.

I strongly support the renewal of the Voting Rights Act. Prior to
the Voting Rights Act of 1965, many states employed various
methods to deter or prevent minorities from voting, despite the 15th
and 20th Amendments to the Constitution, which gives all
Americans regardless of race, color, or condition of servitude the
right to vote. Tactics used to deny African Americans the right to
vote included literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation, threats, and
violence. The VRA is monumental legislation that addresses these
issues by prohibiting voting discrimination based on race. Most of
the key provisions of the VRA, such as Section 2, which prohibits
the use of voting practices that discriminate against racial
minorities, are permanent.

However, there are temporary provisions in the law set to expire on
August 6, 2007. The two most important temporary provisions are
Sections 5 and 203. Section 5 requires federal "preclearance"
before jurisdictions with a history of discriminatory practices
(called "covered jurisdictions") can make changes to voting
procedures. Section 203 requires that certain states and
jurisdictions provide language assistance to voters who are
illiterate or not fluent in English.

I agree that it is important these provisions are renewed. These
protections are vital to ensure the progress we have made in
eliminating voting discrimination is not undone. Furthermore,
although the VRA has ended the most overt forms of voting
discrimination, such as poll taxes, minorities still face other forms
of voting rights discrimination. There have been numerous cases
over the years in which the VRA has been employed to combat this
discrimination. Controversies like those surrounding the 2000 and
2004 elections only reinforce the need for strong voter protections.
Furthermore, with over 1000 objections to changes in voting
practices, it is clear there are still jurisdictions where voting rights
will be threatened without the temporary provisions. Please be
assured that I believe voting is a vital to ensuring that all voices are
heard and will support legislation that protects and strengthens the
VRA.

Again, thank you for sharing your views. Your opinion matters to
me. If I can be of service to you in any other way, please do not
hesitate to let me know. As a result of the anthrax incidents, all
mail sent to Congress is first irradiated. This process causes
significant delays. To ensure the fastest response, I encourage all
constituents who have access to the internet to contact me through
my website at http://tammybaldwin.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Tammy Baldwin
Member of Congress

1022 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2906

www.tammybaldwin.house.gov