MONDAY, JULY 14, 2008
Final Push Needed on Jubilee Act in the Senate! (July 14, 2008)
Debt relief helps give children like these access to education. Photo: Kathy Hoyt
[The Nicaragua Network has received this urgent letter from the Jubilee USA Network, of which we are a member.]
Dear Supporter,
For the past two years, together, we have been working to win passage of the Jubilee Act - the most significant piece of debt legislation in the US since the days of Jubilee 2000. You can learn more about the bill at our website at www.jubileeusa.org
You have been with us on that journey - from introduction of the bill, to passage of the bill by a bi-partisan majority in the US House in April, to passage just last month by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
But the journey is not yet over. We have made great progress this year, but we are now down to the wire. The full Senate must pass the Jubilee Act (S. 2166), and we have just over 2 weeks to go until Congress goes on a long summer recess. Our best hopes for passage of the bill in this Congress are in the next few weeks.
Please call your Senator(s) today and urge them to co-sponsor the Jubilee Act if they have not already. Adding more Senators as co-sponsors will help build political momentum for passage.
If your Senators have both co-sponsored (this is true if you live in Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Connecticut, or Oregon), you can still help. Please call to thank them and urge them to do what they can to ensure the bill passes the full Senate. You can see a full list of co-sponsors here.
Do you live or have contacts in Louisiana, Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia or Oklahoma? If so, we need you to take even more action: Jubilee USA has identified these seven states as being key advocacy hot spots that can help catapult the Jubilee Act through the Senate. If you are located in one of these key states, please contact danielle(at)jubileeusa.org or 202-783-0214 to learn more ways you can help.
For everyone, here are specific steps as to how you can take action today:
1. Find out who your Senator is by selecting your state from the drop down menu at www.senate.gov (upper right corner).
2. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.
3. Ask to be connected to your Senator's office. The receptionist will answer. Introduce yourself as (your name), a constituent from (city, state).
4. You will be connected with the staff person (or their voicemail). If one or both of your Senators has not yet co-sponsored the bill (SEE LIST OF CO-SPONSORS HERE)
Say:
"I am calling to urge Senator ________ to co-sponsor the Jubilee Act (S. 2166), which was passed by the House in April and by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 24th. The Jubilee Act has bipartisan support and would expand debt cancellation for 24 additional impoverished countries, provided they meet criteria to ensure that the money is used for poverty reduction. Do you know Senator _________'s position on the Jubilee Act?"
OR if both of your Senators have already co-sponsored (only the case if you live in Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Connecticut, or Oregon), you can say:
"I am calling to thank Senator ________ for co-sponsoring the Jubilee Act (S. 2166), which was passed by the House in April and by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 24th. The Jubilee Act has bipartisan support and would expand debt cancellation for 24 additional impoverished countries, provided they meet criteria to ensure that the money is used for poverty reduction. I am calling to ask Senator ___ to follow up on his support by doing everything he/she can to make sure the Jubilee Act passes the full Senate!"
(You can stop there, or add an additional sentence about why this issue is important to you).
5. Be sure to thank the receptionist when you are finished.
When you are done, email me at danielle(at)jubileeusa.org with the results of your call. This will enable us to register your Senator's support/opposition and follow up with the office if necessary. Please let us know if you have any questions! Feel free to email or call us at 202-783-0214. You can also get detailed background info on the Jubilee Act at www.jubileeusa.org.
Thanks again for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Danielle Pals
Advocacy Fellow
Labels: Archives