Kucinich to Introduce Gaza Ceasefire Resolution - Who Will Co-sponsor?

The war in Gaza continues, largely because the Bush Administration has
continued to oppose, in practice, an immediate ceasefire. With each
day that passes without a ceasefire, more innocents are killed.

Representative Dennis Kucinich plans to introduce a resolution in the
House soon calling for an immediate ceasefire. There are a number of
whereases in the draft, recounting the human toll of the war and the
blockade, but the punchline is very simple:

Resolved, That the House of Representatives calls on the
Government of Israel and representatives of Hamas to implement an
immediate and unconditional ceasefire and to allow unrestricted
humanitarian access in Gaza.

"A resolution has co-sponsors," a Kucinich staffer once said. It's
great that Dennis is on the floor of the House telling the truth. But
it's terrible for the prospects of changing disastrous U.S. policies
towards the Palestinians for Dennis to be standing alone. Who will
co-sponsor the Kucinich ceasefire resolution?

So far the original cosponsors include John Conyers, Keith Ellison,
Maurice Hinchey, Marcy Kaptur, Jim McDermott, Nick Rahall, Diane
Watson, and Lynn Woolsey.

When the House voted on AIPAC's resolution endorsing the war, five
people voted no: Dennis Kucinich, Gwen Moore, Ron Paul, Nick Rahall,
and Maxine Waters. Twenty-two Democrats voted "present," including
many who had spoken strongly against the resolution and/or against the
war: Neil Abercrombie, Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, John Dingell,
Donna Edwards, Keith Ellison, Sam Farr, Raul Grijalva, Maurice
Hinchey, Hank Johnson, Carolyn Kilpatrick, Barbara Lee, Betty
McCollum, Jim McDermott, George Miller, Jim Moran, John Olver, Donald
Payne, Loretta Sanchez, Pete Stark, Diane Watson, and Lynn Woolsey.

On July 19, 2006, Kucinich introduced a resolution calling for an
immediate ceasefire in Lebanon. That resolution was co-sponsored by:
Neil Abercrombie, Tammy Baldwin, Wm. Lacy Clay, Emanuel Cleaver, John
Conyers, Danny Davis, Peter DeFazio, Lloyd Doggett, Bob Filner, Raul
Grijalva, Maurice Hinchey, Michael Honda, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Marcy
Kaptur, Carolyn Kilpatrick, Barbara Lee, Betty McCollum, Jim
McDermott, Cynthia McKinney, Gregory Meeks, George Miller, Gwen Moore,
James Moran, John Olver, Major Owens, Nick Rahall, Charles Rangel,
Bobby Rush, Louise Slaughter, Hilda Solis, Pete Stark, Nydia
Velazquez, Maxine Waters, and Lynn Woolsey.

On July 25, 2006, Sheila Jackson-Lee introduced a bill calling for an
immediate ceasefire in Lebanon. That received 18 co-sponsors: John
Conyers, Elijah Cummings, Danny Davis, Lloyd Doggett, Al Green, Raul
Grijalva, Maurice Hinchey, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Marcy Kaptur, Dale
Kildee, Carolyn Kilpatrick, Dennis Kucinich, Jim McDermott, Gwen
Moore, John Olver, Nick Rahall, Diane Watson, and Lynn Woolsey.

If everyone listed above who is currently a Member of Congress
co-sponsored the Kucinich resolution, the resolution would have about
fifty sponsors. And that would be a good start. It would give a very
different message to this Administration and the next - and to the
world - than five people voting no on the AIPAC resolution. And it
would encourage other Members of Congress to take a first step away
from the disastrous policies that Congress has been supporting.

Of course every Member of Congress should be hearing from their constituents.

But, if your Member of Congress is on the above list, you have a
special responsibility to act now to ask your Representative to
co-sponsor the Kucinich resolution. You can use the link
here for calling
and the link
here for writing
.

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