Tell Our Senators: We All Deserve Full Equality

Tell Our Senators: We All Deserve Full Equality	Take Action!
Help Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment by 2015
Tell Our Senators to Lift the Time Limit from the ERA   Please join our call for equality! PDA members will be lobbying with our sister United for Equality coalition members in the Senate Wednesday and Thursday this week. We need your support! Your calls will help raise awareness for the visits. See below for background information, a call-in script, and tips for a successful call.   PDA stood up for equality with our allies   National Director Tim Carpenter said, "We strongly endorse Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin's Resolution [HJ Res 47] to 'remove the deadline for ratification and clarify that upon ratification by three additional states, the Equal Rights Amendment will be added to the United States Constitution.'" PDA National Board Member Rep. Woolsey said: "It is with great pride that I stand with this bipartisan group in support of the long-overdue Equal Rights Amendment..... Here’s the text of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment, 'Section 1: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.' Replace the word 'sex' with 'race', and there would not be a single dissenting vote in the entire United States Congress."   Please call during working hours through July 1st. You can follow up in about a week, and ask if your Senators have made any decision yet. For a direct line to your Senators, use this action alert. Tips for a Successful Call   Ask to speak with the Senator's staffer working on constitutional and/or women's issues. If that person is unavailable, ask to leave a message on their voice-mail. Note: It's critically important to stress that you're calling to support a resolution removing the time limit from the ERA, not the "start over" new ERA legislation. Please limit your remarks to this issue only. Include your own experiences which pertain to the ERA. MORE INFORMATION: See: United4Equality.com and U4E's Facebook page.

Making History! ERA Lobby Days--this Weds. and Thurs.

Please join us in the Senate office buildings this Wednesday and
Thursday to lobby for quick ratification of the ERA.

We'll meet in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Basement Cafeteria at
10 AM
(Closest Metro Stop: Union Station on the Red Line)

Even if you can't make it, please share this email with all your
progressive local lists, contacts, feminists and ERA supporters.

United for Equality (U4E) is organizing meetings with Senators and their
staffers this week to gain a sponsor and cosponsors for HJ Res 47, the
measure to lift the time limit from the ERA. 47 would allow ratification
of the ERA upon the votes of three state legislatures.

38 states are required, and 35 have already voted to ratify. Rep. Tammy
Baldwin 47, and there are currently about 2 dozen cosponsors in the
House. U4E and coalition member Progressive Democrats of America set up
a national call-in effort this week, with people from all around the
country calling their Senators to express support for 47. We'll cover
all the key Senators' offices.

Even if you didn't make the training session, you can still join the
effort! No one will be thrown in over their head!

We'll meet ahead of time to prepare. By the time we start lobbying,
we'll all be ready to make history.

We'll have talking points, and folders to give Senators and staffers.
We'll work in teams of 3 or more.

People lobbying for the first time will be teamed with experienced
lobbyists.

Please contact Carolyn Cook: ccook@united4equality.com to RSVP for one
or both days. Even if you can't RSVP, please show up!

Senator Kerry wants to hear from YOU!

Senator Kerry wants to hear from YOU!

Comment on this post and forward this link far and wide...thank you!

http://www.pdamerica.org/blog/view/from-senator-john-f-kerry/

We really need to step up comments...Senator Kerry and his staff are
watching this closely.

http://www.pdamerica.org/blog/view/from-senator-john-f-kerry/

SENATE LOBBY DAY Thursday, June 30

United 4 Equality coalition to host SENATE LOBBY DAY for HJ Res. 47

Capitol Hill, Thursday, June 30, 2011 from 10am - 5pm.

Training offered. Paired up in teams. Interested in joining us?

Email info@united4equality.com with your name, # in group, lobbying
experience if any, and phone #.

No experience necessary. Feminist Passion and purpose highly desirable!

We'll have ERA cheat sheets for volunteers and materials packets for
distribution to Senators!

Come on out and join history-in-the-making! Goal: Senate introduction of
our bill a.s.a.p!

Please share with ALL your feminist, equality-loving contacts!

Healthcare NOT Warfare in the Senate.

Healthcare NOT Warfare in the Senate.

Last Push--Deadline 5 PM ET Monday!

Dear Friend,

On Tuesday, June 7, PDA joined our friends, National Nurses United/California Nurses Association (NNNU/CNA) in a hugely successful rally and lobby day in Washington. Over 2,000 people attended the rally in the morning, before dozens of citizen lobbyists headed to the Hill to meet with Democratic senators or their aides.

We delivered our letter, asking for a significant troop withdrawal from Afghanistan beginning in July and to support Sanders' single-payer bill (S. 915)—signed by more than 16,000 peace advocates—to all the members of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Although we fell short of our goal to collect 25,000 signatures by June 7, the Senate is still considering the Defense Authorization Act, and we're still actively seeking more signers. At our meeting with Sen. John Kerry, we promised to deliver 10,000 more signatures on June 21. We're close to reaching that goal, but your signature can put us over the top and beyond. Click here to help us surpass our goal.

Thank you to our friends at NNU/CNA, U.S. Labor Against the War, Labor Campaign for Single Payer Healthcare, Healthcare-NOW!, CODEPINK, RootsAction, and United for Peace and Justice, who also circulated the letter among their members.

A special thank you to PDA Advisory Board member Thom Hartmann, who featured Healthcare NOT Warfare co-chairs Donna Smith and Norman Solomon on his June 8 program. Watch it here!

If you have already signed the letter, thank you. Please ask your like-minded friends and family members to sign it, too. If you haven't signed it yet, please sign here and pass this along. (Remember to delete the "unsubscribe" link at the very bottom of your forward before sending.)

We're closer than we've ever been to ending the war in Afghanistan, and the issue of spiraling healthcare costs is still unaddressed. The time is ripe for Healthcare NOT Warfare. Please help us top our goal.

In solidarity,

Tim Carpenter for PDA

Help bring our message of Healthcare NOT Warfare to the Senate

Help bring our message of Healthcare NOT Warfare to the Senate
Sign the Letter PDA is bringing to the Senate Democratic Caucus

Prominent peace and justice advocates have signed this letter. Please add your signature by completing the form below. The letter was delivered to the Senate as part of the June 7 Rally with the Nurses and Citizens Lobby Day with over 16,000 signatures. We will continue to gather even more signatures as the Senate debate continues.

To: The Honorable Senators of the Democratic Caucus
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Democratic Senators,

We, the undersigned, express our support for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Afghanistan Withdrawal Resolution, introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee and passed on February 26, 2011.

We support the American Health Security Act of 2011 (S.915), sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, which will move us to a single-payer healthcare system.....

To read more and sign, please click this link: http://bit.ly/senate-letter

Then, please send this email to all your contacts, friends and lists.

To go the extra mile, post the following on your Facebook page:

Still going! Sign the Letter to Senators for Healthcare NOT Warfare! PDA will keep taking your signatures to the Hill to demonstrate strong support for our values--peace and expanded, improved Medicare for all.  Share this with all your Facebook friends, on email, etc. Thank you! http://bit.ly/senate-letter

You're invited to help make history TOMORROW!

Reminder: you're invited to join us TOMORROW to prepare for our Lobby 4
Equality June 29, 2011
(Please share this email with all equality advocates and feminists you
know.)

We're working to gain ratification for the the Equal Rights Amendment
which states:

"Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any state on account of sex."

Join Montgomery County NOW, Maryland NOW, Progressive Democrats of
America, Montgomery County Progressive Alliance and friends who are
teaming up to lobby Congress in support of House Joint Resolution 47 (HJ
Res 47) under the leadership of United 4 Equality, LLC :
http://www.united4equality.com

SCHEDULE:
1. LOBBY TRAINING Saturday, June 18th 4:30pm - 6:30pm
Saigonese Restaurant 11232 Grandview Avenue Wheaton, MD 20902-4632
(a few blocks from the Wheaton Metro stop, red line)

This is an inexpensive, good restaurant. People can get tea or coffee
or a dessert--or nothing.

INSTRUCTOR Andrea Miller, PDA's National Deputy Field Director has
graciously offered to host our lobby training this Saturday at no cost
to attendees. Andrea is a seasoned organizer and former Congressional
candidate from Virginia. She will be speaking at the National NOW
Conference next weekend in Tampa and will prepare us for our big day in
two weeks.

FACILITATOR Mike Hersh, PDA, MCPA and MC NOW, will discuss plans for
upcoming events and ways we can all support the ERA 2015 campaign effort.

2. CONFERENCE CALL (time and date TBA) to discuss and finalize plans,
instructions for lobbying.

3. LOBBY DAY / CALL-IN DAY Wednesday, June 29 Senate Office Bldgs 10am
- 6pm
If you cannot make the training session, you can still join the lobby
day effort! We'll meet ahead of time at the Senate Office Bldgs. to
prepare you. By the time we start lobbying, we'll all be ready to make
history.

BACKGROUND:
"47" is an exciting, new strategy developed by an MC NOW member and
founder of United 4 Equality, LLC, Carolyn Cook, urging Congress to
remove any time limit for ratification of the 1972 Equal Rights
Amendment. Her proposal avoids "starting over" (that would require 326
representatives, 67 senators and 38 states to pass).

Instead, "47" safeguards victories previously won in Congress and 35
states to end sex discrimination under the Constitution and ensures that
a path to equality exists in perpetuity for the final three states
needed. It is imperative as corporations seek 2012 candidates willing to
do their bidding that citizens recognize the advantages in establishing
equal rights for all under law.

Updates on the ERA: Thanks to the hard work and leadership of United for
Equality, we're gaining more House cosponsors. This week, feminist
advocate, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, joined Maryland's Chris Van
Hollen and Donna Edwards, and DNC Chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz,
Keith Ellison, Dennis Kucinich, and others on "47". Congresswoman Tammy
Baldwin introduced the bill in March.

We are currently seeking a Senate sponsor for introduction. Prime
targets are Al Franken and Lisa Murkowski among others. Lobby Day will
target the Senate Judiciary Committee where Ben Cardin sits. Of course
we won't forget to visit our own Barbara Mikulski to ask her to back HJ
Res 47.

REMEMBER: No one will be thrown in over their head! We'll work in teams
of 3 or more. People lobbying for the first time will be teamed with
experienced lobbyists. We will gather at the Senate Office Buildings 10
am on Wednesday, June 29th. We hope to cover all the key Senators'
offices. We'll have talking points, and folders to give Senators and
staffers.

Hope to see you there tomorrow, and / or June 29th!

Mike

express your support for healthcare not warfare

Sign the Letter to the Senate Democratic Caucus

sign here: http://www.pdamerica.org/forms/sign/Sign-Letter-Senate-Democratic-Ca

Prominent peace and justice advocates have signed this letter. Please add your signature. The letter was delivered to the Senate as part of the June 7 Rally with the Nurses and Citizens Lobby Day with over 16,000 signatures. We will continue to gather even more signatures as the Senate debate continues.

Please sign the letter here: http://www.pdamerica.org/forms/sign/Sign-Letter-Senate-Democratic-Ca

To: The Honorable Senators of the Democratic Caucus
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Democratic Senators,

We, the undersigned, express our support for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Afghanistan Withdrawal Resolution, introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee and passed on February 26, 2011.

We support the American Health Security Act of 2011 (S.915), sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, which will move us to a single-payer healthcare system.

The resolution and Sanders' S.915 express the intent of the Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign, which is to eliminate unnecessary military spending and redirect those funds to meet the very real need for comprehensive health coverage for all.

The vast majority of Americans are facing economic hardship brought on by policies that have favored the elite over working families. Foreclosures, high unemployment, bankruptcies, and loss of equity, savings, and pensions, accompanied by the rising costs of food, education, gasoline, and energy, have impacted the lives of most Americans.

While much of this problem was created on Wall Street and the failure of regulatory bodies to protect us, we recognize that the spiraling costs of healthcare and continuing to fight a war of choice in Afghanistan are responsible for a significant portion of the national debt and the hardships many Americans face.

With two major spending bills facing the Senate—the Defense Authorization Act and the 2012 budget—we encourage Senate Democrats to offer amendments that will cut unnecessary military spending and redirect those funds to providing healthcare for all and preserving and expanding Social Security and Medicare.

As peace and justice advocates, we expect our Democratic Senators will follow the lead of the Party that elected them and act in compliance with the will of the majority of U.S. citizens by taking necessary steps to begin a significant drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, beginning in July, as dictated in the DNC Resolution. In addition, we ask that Democratic Senators move to contain the spiraling costs of healthcare and address the 47 million Americans currently lacking access to healthcare by co-sponsoring the American Health Security Act of 2011.

In kind regards,

[your name] if you sign the letter here: http://www.pdamerica.org/forms/sign/Sign-Letter-Senate-Democratic-Ca