Can you sign on to this letter?/Can you join us to deliver the letter on Jan. 15?

Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 Rep. John Sarbanes 600 Baltimore Ave. Suite 303 Baltimore, MD 21204 January 15, 2014 Dear Representative Sarbanes: Members of the Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore are voters and supporters of Progressive Democrats of America. We are writing to you to raise three issues. As citizen activists, we ask you first to oppose “Fast Track” authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and to vote against the TPP. We also ask you to oppose any cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) aka Food Stamps, and to vote in favor of fully funding SNAP, i.e. to reverse all previously enacted cuts. While we support giving, we strongly oppose special gifts to huge multinational corporations paid for by we the people. The TPP would have severe negative impact on the people. Members of Congress and trade officials report that the TPP is likely to • Send millions of jobs overseas and remove accountability from abusers. • Ban efforts to save jobs such as the "Buy America" campaign. • Block green job creation and other needed economic development. • Overrule local, state and federal laws and regulations, and strip away consumer, labor, and environmental protections. Please oppose “fast track” authority, and oppose the TPP whenever it comes up for vote. Also, demand withdrawal from the TPP process in favor of a transparent negotiating paradigm. During this holiday season, it’s a national tragedy that millions of Americans don’t have enough food to eat. Proposed cuts to SNAP are cruel, shortsighted, and make no sense economically. • Every $1 spent on SNAP returns $1.85 to the economy, and costs only $1.50 per meal. • Proposed cuts to SNAP would throw 40 MILLION hungry people off the program including working families, veterans, the elderly, disabled people and 7 million children. • In this wealthy nation, we should ensure everyone has adequate food to eat. • It's a disgrace that Congress would even consider cuts to basic nutrition programs. • SNAP promotes better health and farming practices while supporting farmers. Please oppose any cuts to SNAP, and vote to restore full funding to essential nutrition programs. Also, unless it contains provisions to fully restore funding for SNAP, we call upon you to join with Rep. Jim McGovern and the growing movement in Congress to vote against the Farm Bill. Third, we are seeking an end to the use of killer drone strikes, which we believe to be illegal and unconstitutional. We ask you to speak out against this assassination program, which ignores any veneer of due process. Consider as well a request for the full, unclassified release of information surrounding the administration’s drone policy. Rep. Barbara Lee, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Peace and Security Task Force, has reminded the president that he has full rein to protect the United States as Commander in Chief, but Congress has a vital oversight role in this issue. 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. We thank you for your consideration regarding these critically important issues, and look forward to ongoing discussion and engagement with you in the New Year. Happy Holidays! Peace, Max Obuszewski, on behalf of Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore/Fund Our Communities 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