ADVISORY: Peace-in organizer heads to D.C. to lobby Rep. Matsui

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Contact: Cres Vellucci, Coalition to End War, 916-996-9170

ATTN: NEWS DESK

Sacramento anti-war advocate who helped plan
52-day peace-in at Rep. Matsui's office heads
to D.C. to lobby lawmaker about Iraq War

SACRAMENTO – One of the organizers who orchestrated an 11-week "peace-in" –
the longest sit-in yet over the Iraq War – at the office of Rep. Doris
Matsui, D-Sacramento to protest Matsui's vote for more funding for the war,
left for Washington D.C. Wednesday to lobby the lawmaker in person with the
anti-war group CodePink.

"The majority of people in this country, and certainly Rep. Matsui's
district, want the war ended now, not in 18 months. Yet Congress keeps the
war going by handing over more money," said Sacramento Coalition to End the
War organizer Maggie Coulter.

"Rep. Doris Matsui and the Democratic leadership would like us to believe
that they have made a major step to end the war. But they are just
continuing the war. Since Matsui voted on March 23 to continue the war
for another 18 months, more than 100 U.S. troops have died, and hundreds
more wounded. And an estimated 2,550 more Iraqi men, women and children
have died in this insane, horrific war," said Coulter.

The Sacramento Coalition to End the War 11 week sit-in at Matsui's
district office started January 8, ended on March 22 with nearly two dozen
people reading the names of the dead for 8 hours inside Matsui's office.
Seven people were arrested. Matsui issued a statement earlier in the day
that she intended to vote to continue the war – the House and Senate
versions both include provisions which would leave an unspecified number
of troops in Iraq indefinitely.

"Although President Bush is threatening to veto any supplemental funding
bill with timelines, we expect Congress to delay the end of the war any
more than they already have by caving in to avoid a Bush veto," said
Coulter, adding that Matsui and congressional leaders could, instead, if
there is a veto, do what they should have done in the first place, end
this war by ending the funding.

"Congress has the power to end this war AND to bring the troops home. The
best way to protect the troops is to bring them home. The Democratic
leadership has not been trying to end this war; they have been trying to
extend it to at least the 2008 elections. The blood from this war is now
on their hands and will continue to be until the do what the people want
and end it. This is the message I am taking to Doris Matsui in D.C.," said
Coulter.
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