Action Alert - Co-Sponsors Needed for Stop Outsourcing Security Act (SOS)

January 26, 2010

No Private Armies – NoPrivateArmies.org
CONTACT: Mary Shesgreen and Dan Kenney, Co-Coordinator, No Private Armies
Chicago, Illinois
dkenney53@hotmail.com / 815-793-0950

Citizens’ Oversight Projects Committee – CitizensOversight.org and StopBlackwater.net
CONTACT: Raymond Lutz, COPS Coordinator
San Diego County, California
raylutz@citizensoversight.org/ 619-447-3246

Blackwater/Xe Watch – xewatch.info
CONTACT: Christian Stalberg, Coordinator
Raleigh, North Carolina
cstalberg@xewatch.info

Within the next two weeks Jan Schakowsky (Rep-IL) will reintroduce the “Stop Outsourcing Security Act,” to responsibly phase out the use of private security contractors for functions that should be reserved for U.S. military forces and for government personnel. Bernie Sanders (Sen-VT) will be concurrently introducing a companion bill into the Senate.

We need your help. Please contact your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and urge them to sign on as original co-sponsors of this bill.

As Rep Schakowsky said in her letter to her fellow members of the house, “In 2009, the U.S. government employed well over 20,000 armed private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there is every indication that these figures will continue to rise in 2010. These men and women are not part of the U.S. military or government. They do not wear the uniform of the United States, though their behavior has, on numerous occasions, severely damaged the credibility and security of our military and harmed our relationship with other governments.”

Rep. Schakowsky’s bill recognizes that with our military already so very overtaxed that it will take time to eliminate the use of private contractors for functions that should be reserved for U.S. military personnel. Her bill is also in keeping with the recommendations made in July of 2009 by the U.N. Working group on the Use of Mercenaries.

This bill puts our government back on the path of restoring military functions to the U.S. military. “The legislation would prohibit the use of private military contractors for military, security, law enforcement, intelligence, and armed rescue functions unless the President tells Congress why the military is unable to perform those functions. It would also increase the transparency over any remaining security contractors by increasing reporting requirements and giving Congress access to details about large contracts.”

Contact your representatives as soon as you can by phone or in person. Urge them to do what is right for our democracy and return what is inherent responsibilities of our government to our government. Encourage them to be part of ending our dangerous dependency on these for profit shadow armies.

For more support information use the contact info above.

Read the text of the bill from the 110th Congress: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-4102

Thank You for taking a stand for democracy.

Members signed on so far:

So far we have: Hinchey, Grijalva, Mc Govern, Stark, Baldwin, G. Moore, B. Lee, Woolsey, Gonzalez, Ellison, Filner, and J. Hall

Here is a letter ready for you to send to your representative. Just copy and paste this into a letter, an email or contact forms on your representative's website.

Dear Representative: Within the next two weeks, Jan Schakowsky (Rep-IL) will reintroduce the “Stop Outsourcing Security Act,” to responsibly phase out the use of private security contractors, such as Blackwater, for functions that should be reserved for U.S. military forces and for government personnel. Bernie Sanders (Sen-VT) will be concurrently introducing a companion bill into the Senate. → Please sign on as an original co-sponsor of this bill. As Rep Schakowsky said in her letter to her fellow members of the house, “In 2009, the U.S. government employed well over 20,000 armed private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there is every indication that these figures will continue to rise in 2010. These men and women are not part of the U.S. military or government. They do not wear the uniform of the United States, though their behavior has, on numerous occasions, severely damaged the credibility and security of our military and harmed our relationship with other governments.” Rep. Schakowsky’s bill recognizes that with our military already so very overtaxed that it will take time to eliminate the use of private contractors for functions that should be reserved for U.S. military personnel. Her bill is also in keeping with the recommendations made in July of 2009 by the U.N. Working group on the Use of Mercenaries. This bill puts our government back on the path of restoring military functions to the U.S. military. “The legislation would prohibit the use of private military contractors for military, security, law enforcement, intelligence, and armed rescue functions unless the President tells Congress why the military is unable to perform those functions. It would also increase the transparency over any remaining security contractors by increasing reporting requirements and giving Congress access to details about large contracts.” Thank you for becoming a co-sponsor of this bill. Sincerely,

STEPS TO TAKE

It is very important for you to take a moment to help us with this campaign! We can't do this alone.

• Highlight the text in the letter above (click mouse and the beginning and drag to the end, then let up.)
• Right-Click - select "copy"
• Click to open a new window to aqcuire contact information for your representatives: CLICK HERE
• Click on their "email" link and then fill the the information.
• Paste (right-click + Paste) the letter into the message box.
• Click send to the senator or representative.
• Fill out the form below and tell us who you have contacted, and how.
• If you are able to contact more than 4, submit multiple forms.
• THANKS

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Action Completed List

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Name	Zipcode	Reps Contacted, How
Raymond Lutz	92020	Bob Filner Called, Email; Duncan Hunter Called, Letter; ; ;
Ray Lutz	92020	Senator Diane Feinstein Email; Rep. Duncan D. Hunter Email; ; ;
christian stalberg	27541	David Price Email; Mel Watt Email; ; ;
JoAnn JOnes	87825	Jeff Bingaman Email; Tom Udall Email; Rep. Harry Teague Email; ;
JoAnn JOnes	87825	Jeff Bingaman Email; Tom Udall Email; Rep. Harry Teague Email; ;
marilyn moore	61107-1425	Dick Durbin Email; Roland Burris Email; Don Manzullo ; ;
Madeline Simon	55425	Senator Al Franken Called; Senator Amy Klobuchar Called; ; ;
Virginia Velez	98110	Sen Maria Cantwell Email; Sen Patty Murray Email; Rep Jay Inslee Email; ;
Dara Albert	80817	Senator Mark Udall Email; Senator Michael Bennet Email; Rep. Diana DeGette Email; Rep. Jared Polis Email;