U.S. Congress getting 'SMART'?
There is so much bad news from the US Congress-- the long history of rolling over to the administration on the whole war-mobilization effort; trade barriers that hurt low-income nations; blanket support for the Israeli government; etc etc-- that it's great to be able to highlight a few really good things that seem to be happening there.
One is the new climate in which the Democrats and even some leading Republicans in the Senate are seeking to hold the administration accountable for the Abu Ghraib tortures and many other misdeeds in Iraq. Even our own senior Senator from here in Virginia, the generally hawkish and very powerful John Warner, seems to be acting sensibly on some of these issues.
Thanks, Senator! Keep it up!
But there's more good news from Capitol Hill, too...
I was just over at the website of the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL). They have information about a great-looking legislative iniative called the "Sensible, Multilateral American Response to Terrorism (SMART) Security Platform for the 21st Century" that is gathering a little steam in the House. This bill needs and deserves our support.
If you're a US citizen, do please check it out, and do what you can to urge your representative to support it. (If he or she already does, write and thank them for having done so.)
According to FCNL's website, the SMART Security bill:
- articulates the need for a new U.S. security policy based on preventing acts of terrorism, strengthening international cooperation and the rule of law, reducing weapons proliferation and promoting disarmament, and addressing the root causes of terrorism and other deadly conflict.
Rep. Woosley introduced the bill to the House International Relations Committee back in mid-March. Since then, it has gained 43 cosponsors-- 42 of them, like her, Democrats, and also the Independent, Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
43 cosponsors is a start... but it's by no means yet enough!
The FCNL site has portals to lots more good information about the SMART Security bill. On their homepage, click on the "Legislative Action Center", then on the blue tab there for "Issues and Legislation", then on the sub-tab for "Current Legislation".
The SMART Security bill is the second item on that list. If you click there, you can more details of the bill and the up-to-date list of cosponsors. You can check the position on the bill of your representatives, by zipcode.
H'mmm, interesting to see how many of these SMART Security people are of the female variety...
If you go back to the blue tab for "Elected officials" and put your zipcode in there, you can find out a LOT more information about the general voting record of your senators and congressional representative-- plus, get contact details so you can tell them what YOU want them to do.
Personally, I found it fairly depressing the check the record of my senators, and my congressperson, the turncoat Virgil Goode... Apart from the good stands that Warner has taken on a handful of key issues, as noted above.
But in general, we really do need to KNOW how well or badly these people may be representing us in the nation's capital, so then we can get out and do something about it this November! I have a permanent link to the FCNL site on the JWN sidebar, so we can all check it easily from time to time.
(It would be nice if they had their own 'Comments' or 'Suggestions' box there at their site... But I'll pass on to them any Comments about it that you want to post here.)