Actions

July 22nd through August 7th, Operation House Call

Operation House Call is a daily vigil of military families in Washington DC. From June 22 to July 28, on every day that Congress was in session, members of Military Families Speak Out stood across from the Capitol, at the corner of New Jersey and Independence Avenues, with combat boots representing US troops and shoes representing Iraqis who have died since June 15, 2006 - the day Congress voted to "stay the course" in Iraq and the day the 2,500th troop death occured. Beginning on July 31, MFSO members will move over to the Senate side, setting up outside the Russell Senate Office Building near Constitution and Delaware Avenues. When Congress goes on recess on August 4th, military families will continue to pressure their Senators and Representatives in their home states and districts.

For more information, see Operation House Call.

ON GOING

End the War in Iraq Act of 2005

On November 4, 2005, Representative James McGovern introduced a strong piece of legislation that would stop funding for the deployment of U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq. The bill allows Defense Dept. funds to be used only to provide for the safe and orderly withdrawal of all troops, consultations with other governments, NATO and the UN regarding international forces, and financial assistance and equipment to either Iraqi security forces and/or international forces. The bill will not prohibit or restrict non-defense funding to carry out reconstruction in Iraq.

HR 4232 prohibits funds appropriated or otherwise made available under any provision of law from being obligated or expended to deploy, or continue to deploy, U.S. Armed Forces to the Republic of Iraq.

MFSO is working to gain support for this bill. Please call your Representative. The Congressional Switchboard will connect you to your Representative's office: 202-224-3121.

When you call, you can say:

Since President Bush is refusing to take steps to end the quagmire in Iraq, Congress must. I want my Representative to be a part of the solution by voting for H.R. 4232.

To see HR 4232.

Bring Our National Guard Home

We believe that the California National Guard would better serve our citizens by helping with California-based emergencies. As Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma have shown, the ability of this country to protect its citizens during a natural disaster is severely compromised. As an essential part of emergency response, our National Guard is needed here at home. In case of earthquakes, floods, nuclear accident, and other disasters, we want our Natioanl Guard available for immediate response.

Therefore, we are actively working to gain support for Assemblyperson Loni Hancock's AJR 36.

Student Privacy Protection Act

Where children are concerned, it's time to make it a family decision (not a federal mandate) to release our home phone numbers and home addresses to military recruiters.

US Representative Mike Honda’s Student Privacy Protection Act does just that. It makes a simple change to No Child Left Behind ensuring schools release private information to military recruiters only if families request it, rather than the other way around.

Therefore, we are actively working to gain support for Rep. Mike Honda's H.R. 551.

To tell Congress that you support H.R. 551, click here.