6-06-06, 8:55 am

For Immediate Release: June 5, 2006 Contact: Sue Udry 301-565-4050 David Swanson 202-329-7847 Gael Murphy 202-412-6700 http://www.unitedforpeace.org   United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) has organized a coalition of organizations, all of which are asking their members to phone their U.S. Representatives on Wednesday, June 7, to urge them to sign a Discharge Petition that would force, for the first time, a full and open debate on Iraq on the floor of the House of Representatives.    Participating organizations include: AfterDowningStreet.org, American Friends Service Committee, Backbone Campaign, Code Pink, DC for Democracy, Democracy Rising, Democrats.com, Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns, NETWORK - A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, Peace Action, Progressive Democrats of America, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, Win Without War, and 20/20 Vision.   The Discharge Petition, H. Res. 543, currently has 122 signatures, including five Republicans.  If 218 Congress Members sign it, a bill on the Iraq War will be forced to the floor, and a 17-hour debate will ensue, with the time evenly split between parties, and with an 'open rule,' meaning that all amendments can be offered, debated, and voted on.    The Congressional Out of Iraq Caucus and peace activists began promoting the Petition over six months ago as a way to force members of Congress to discuss a range of proposals on the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.  Debate in the House has been stifled by leadership that does not want to discuss alternatives to President Bush's 'stay the course' policy in Iraq. The Petition was filed on November 9, and Members were able to begin signing it seven legislative days later.   Following six months of pressure for a debate, and mounting bad news from Iraq, Majority Leader John Boehner (R., Ohio) announced on May 2nd that the House would hold a debate, possibly before Memorial Day.  Other Republicans resisted, however, and no debate has yet been held.  On May 25, the Chicago Tribune reported that Boehner was still committed to holding a debate, but quoted Congressman Ray LaHood (R., Ill.) as saying, in opposition to the idea: 'It doesn't take a political mental giant here to figure it out; Why would we want to have a 24-hour or a 60-hour debate on the thing that's pulling our party down and pulling the president down? It's a bad idea.'   'Our members think it would be a great idea for Congress to discuss our disastrous Iraq policy and to search for solutions which have apparently evaded the Bush Administration,' said Susan Udry, Legislative Coordinator for UFPJ.  'In light of revelations about Haditha, and as we grow closer to the 2,500th U.S. casualty, Congress has a moral imperative to bring the U.S. occupation of Iraq to an end.'   The peace groups phoning Congress on Wednesday fear that Boehner and others may choose to hold a tightly-controlled debate framed by supporters of the war.  Citizens phoning in will be demanding a lengthy bipartisan debate with an open rule, which will allow Members to propose their plans to bring the troops home.  Citizens will be encouraging their Representatives to work to that end by signing the Discharge Petition and asking their colleagues to do the same.   'We don't need an election-year stunt,' said Leslie Cagan, National Coordinator of UFPJ.  'We need a real debate, open to all proposals, and forcing our representatives to go on the record.  It's outrageous that we have not yet had so much as a debate on the issue that Americans tell pollsters is their top concern.  Congress never authorized an enduring occupation of Iraq and has never discussed it.  Congress never authorized the construction of permanent bases in Iraq or their use in threatening new wars – and they have never even discussed it.  The recent reports of war crimes in Haditha, Ishaqi, and elsewhere suggest that the occupation is becoming something far worse.  The American people deserve to have these matters debated by those we have elected to represent us, and that is what we will be demanding on Wednesday in tens of thousands of phone calls.'