SOA Watch Update: Call Congress to Close School of the Assassins

School of the Americas Watch
http://www.SOAW.org | 202-234-3440 | Click to subscribe

SOA Watch Legislative Update

On February 19-20, constituents from hundreds of congressional districts from around the country attended the SOA Watch lobby training and took part in our Lobby Day 2007

The national SOA Watch Lobby Day is part of an effort to lobby Congress in support of legislation that would suspend training and investigate the former U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA), renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC).

On June 9, 2006, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) introduced an amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill that would have cut funding for the SOA/WHINSEC. While the amendment failed by a 15 vote margin, the close vote indicated the power of grassroots lobbying to influence key leaders in one of the most conservative Congresses in recent memory.

Thirty-four Representatives who opposed the amendment lost their seats in the 2006 mid-term elections, heightening the prospect of closing the school with a vote in the 110th Congress. The bill, which will have a new number assigned in late March, is expected to be re-introduced this Spring. The deadline for introductory co-sponsors is March 22nd.


Contact your member of Congress today and urge her/him to sign-on to the bill now!

- On Monday, February 19 the SOA Watch Legislative Working Group hosted a lobby training to prepare supporters for their congressional visits with talking points, legislative history of the bill to suspend operations at the SOA/WHINSEC and a complete list of Representatives for their respective districts.

- In the early morning of Tuesday, February 20; before making their congressional visits, SOA Watch activists gathered at the Capitol South Metro Station in Washington, D.C. to raise their voices against a U.S. foreign policy which advocates military solutions to social and economic problems.

Supporters began making their visits as early as 9 am and continued throughout the day, over 200 office visits were made and over 20 representatives have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill to cut funding for the SOA/WHINSEC!

The Lobby Day was a great success for the movement and we closed the day by once again gathering at the Capitol South Metro with the Puppetistas and our friends and supporters.

Thank you all for taking part in the 2007 Lobby Day and National Call-In Day!
Now, it is up to all of us to keep up the pressure on Congress.

Find out how you can continue to lobby for the bill to close down the SOA/WHINSEC.

Read more about the SOA Watch Lobby Days

Make a Donation to SOA Watch to support our efforts in closing the SOA/WHINSEC.

For more information, contact our legislative coordinator Pam Bowman or at (202) 234-3440.