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WiLL Voices Opposition to War Resolution
By: Erica Swanson
"As members of Women's Action for New Directions and the Women Legislators' Lobby, we urge our Congressional delegation to oppose any resolution concerning Iraq that does not require arms inspections and all other possible diplomatic solutions. We hope that Congress will give only limited authority to the president to wage war on Iraq. We cannot sacrifice common sense in order to be thought of as patriotic."
Massachusetts state representatives Ellen Story, Carol Donovan, Anne Paulsen, Patricia Jehlen, Kay Kahn, Patricia Haddad,
Ruth Balser, and Alice Wolf and state senators Cynthia Creem, Pamela Resor, and Susan Tucker met with Senator John Kerry's (D-MA)
and Senator Ted Kennedy's (D-MA) offices and wrote the letter (excerpted above) which was published in The Boston Globe.
WiLL members from all over the country have been contacting their congressional delegations, speaking at rallies and public events,
and issuing press statements against the Bush administration's "blank check" war resolution. As state legislators charged with providing
for the basic needs of their constituents, WiLL members have encouraged Congress to consider the multifaceted costs of a war against Iraq
and the impact that a $100 billion war would have on already-lean state budgets.
After the vote, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), minority whip and WAND/WiLL champion, was on the campaign trail in Maine,
where she met state senator Mary Cathcart, who personally thanked her for her floor speech against the president's war resolution.
Legislators who spoke out against the resolution also include: state senator Toni Harp, CT; state representative Velma Veloria, WA;
state representative Pam Jochum, IA; state representative Pan Godchaux, MI; and state senator Shelia Kuehl, CA.
ACTION:
by Denisse Guerrero, Washington, DC Intern Momentum and grassroots efforts for ratification of the Treaty for the Rights of Women (formally known as CEDAW) remained strong this fall. In an October 8 press conference, senators Biden (D-DE) and Boxer (D-CA) of the Foreign Relations Committee expressed their continued commitment to the treaty, but noted that the Senate schedule may not allow time for the treaty to be debated. We must not give up hope, however; these next few months are essential in educating senators about the importance of CEDAW. Call your senators (202-224-3121) and tell them that this treaty is too important to be ignored! (More information on CEDAW found here.)
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