Please call US House members and Senators on the three Iraq War related amendments that will be voted on in the House Thursday May 15 and sent to the Senate - probably to Byrd's appropriations committee. The AFSC provides a toll free number for non partisan work on budget priorities that fund human needs, not war. Call 800 473-6711 and ask to be connected to your representative.

Please call your Representatives and Senators and ask them to vote No on amendment one - no strings funding for Iraq War, and vote YES on amendments two and three - timelines for withdrawal and increases in domestic programs including new veterans educational funding. See below for details.

Amendment 1: Funding for Iraq to go through the inauguration of the next president - no strings attached

Amendment 2: Setting terms and conditions for Iraq operations:

Amendment 2 attaches conditions to funds provided by the other amendment for U.S. troops in Iraq. Among the conditions are those which:

• Allow appropriated funds to be used to plan for and execute the redeployment of US forces from Iraq.
• Require that redeployment begin within 30 days of enactment with a goal of completion within 18 months.
• Prohibit the deployment to Iraq of any unit that is not 'fully mission capable' consistent with existing DOD policy.
• Prohibit extending the deployment in Iraq of U.S. forces beyond deployment time periods established in DoD policy.
• Prohibits the deployment to Iraq of U.S. forces that have not spent sufficient time between deployments "dwell time" at home station.
• Prohibit the use of interrogation techniques not authorized in the Army Field Manual.
• Prohibit establishing permanent bases in Iraq.
• Prohibit any agreement with the Government of Iraq committing the United States to deploy its forces in defense of Iraq or concerning the number or mission of U.S. forces in Iraq that is not in the form of a treaty subject to Senate ratification or otherwise specifically authorized by Congress.
• Prohibit any agreement with the Government of Iraq that would subject U.S. military personnel to the jurisdiction of Iraqi criminal courts or punishment under Iraqi law.
• Require that assistance to Iraq be provided in the form of a dollar-for-dollar match with the Iraqis. This is the functional equivalent of a 50 percent loan for Iraq reconstruction funding and ensures that the Iraqis provide funding up front.
• Require that the President complete an agreement with Iraq so that United States Armed Forces operating in Iraq pay no more for fuel than the discounted price at which the Government of Iraq is providing fuel for domestic Iraqi consumption.
• Extend the statute of limitations on criminal and civil statutes in cases involving fraud during wartime including in Iraq and Afghanistan from 3 years to 5 years.
• Amend the federal criminal code to prohibit profiteering and fraud involving a contract or the provision of goods or services in connection with a mission of the U.S. Government overseas. (This provision is identical to H.R. 400 which passed the House last year 375-3.)
• Expand the jurisdiction of the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act -- which only extends U.S. federal criminal jurisdiction to felony crimes committed overseas by contractors working for the Defense Department -- to include contractors working for any US government agency.

Amendment 3: Funding urgent domestic and international priorities:

• Enhanced educational benefits for veterans (GI Bill) and related administrative costs.
• Extended unemployment compensation and related administrative costs.
• Fully offset provision blocking seven Administration Medicaid regulations that will increase the cost of health care. (This provision is identical to H.R. 5613 which passed the House two weeks ag349-62.)
• Provisions increasing contractor accountability and closing fraud loopholes.
• The President's requested funding level for State Department, USAID, and Justice Department operations and programs overseas.
• Increased funding over the President's request for international food aid.
• Increased funding over the President's request to fully fund military quality of life initiatives, such as BRAC requirements, military child care centers, and military hospital construction.
• The President's requested funding level for Louisiana levees.
• Sufficient funding to address urgent programmatic shortfalls acknowledged by the Administration, including increased costs for the Bureau of Prisons, due to increasing incarceration costs and growing inmate population, and decennial census cost overruns.

NOTE: Within this amendment, the only provisions that would not be "offset" by reductions elsewhere within the President's overall request are the costs associated with the GI bill (which is regarded as an additional cost of the war) and extended unemployment insurance, which is necessary to ease the stress caused by the economic downturn on those who have been hit the hardest, and which will stimulate our economy with related activity.