Can you sign on to this letter?/Can you us at 4:30 PM on March 20 at the Sarbanes' office in Towson?

Can you sign on to this letter?/Can you us at 4:30 PM on March 20 at the Sarbanes' office in Towson?

Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore/Fund Our Communities, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218

Rep. John Sarbanes

600 Baltimore Ave.

Suite 303

Baltimore, MD 21204



Re: Put America Back to Work/Speak out against drone strikes



March 20, 2013



Dear Congressperson Sarbanes:



Members of the Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore are voters, and supporters of Progressive Democrats of America. We're writing to urge your support for legislation to promote economic growth and lower the deficit through fair budget policies and job creation, as well as to protect voting rights and end the War in Afghanistan.



Specifically, we call upon you to support:



The “Back To Work Budget” (offered as an Amendment to the Ryan Budget Act) proposed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus which would create nearly 7 million jobs and reduce our deficit by $4.5 trillion over 10 years in a fair, balanced way by investing in infrastructure and medical research, by putting teachers and firefighters back to work, and by closing loopholes including those for oil companies and private jets.



The Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act (H.R. 1000) which would “Establish the National Full Employment Trust Fund to create employment opportunities for the unemployed.”



The Responsible End to the War in Afghanistan Act (H.R. 200) would require that all funds for operations in Afghanistan shall be expended only for the safe withdrawal of all Armed Forces and Department of Defense contractor personnel from Afghanistan.



The Voter Empowerment Act (H.R. 12) would simplify and modernize the voting process, offering equal access for every citizen.

Finally, we are seeking an end to the use of killer drone strikes, which we believe to be illegal and unconstitutional. On March 11, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, along with Reps. Conyers, Ellison, Grijalva, Edwards, Honda, Holt, and McGovern, sent a letter to the White House requesting the full, unclassified release of information surrounding the Administration’s done policy. Could you send a similar letter?

Rep. Lee, Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Peace and Security Task Force said of the letter, “It is far past time that the White House openly discuss the drones program. The President has full reign to protect the United States as Commander in Chief, but Congress has a vital oversight role in this issue, and we cannot shy away from those responsibilities. We have to protect the checks and balances that are at the heart of our democracy.”

The letter cites several concerning factors of the Administration’s drone policy including, “An unbounded geographic scope; unidentified ‘high-level; officials with authority to approve kill-lists; a vaguely defined definition of whether a capture is “feasible,” an overly broad definition of the phrase “imminent threat,” which re-defines the word in a way that strays significantly from its traditional and legal meaning.”

We look forward to your response. And when you are ready, we would like to meet with you, preferably in Baltimore. But if necessary, we will travel to your D.C. office. Thank you for your time and attention.



Peace,



Max Obuszewski, on behalf of Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore/Fund Our Communities

325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 410-366-1637





Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs