From: Christic Institute <christic@igc.apc.org>
Subject: CUANES Congressional Alert 8-24-92
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 19:08:09 GMT

/* Written  1:59 pm  Aug 27, 1992 by cuanes in cdp:carnet.alerts */
/* ---------- "CUANES Congressional Alert 8-24-92" ---------- */


 CUANES - CONGRESSIONAL ALERT  8-24-92

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED ON MILITARY AID TO EL SALVADOR


The following information comes from Washington, D.C. from the
National Agenda for Peace in El Salvador and the Central America
Working Group.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me: Kathy
Howell, CUANES phone: 708-475-7980; fax: 708-475-1122; e-mail:
cuanes

Senators Dennis Deconcini (D-AZ) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) are
circulating a "Dear Colleague" letter to Senator Leahy (D-VT),
chair of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee,
designed to influence the language of the Foreign Aid
Appropriations bill on El Salvador.

The letter calls for the "transfer of all military assistance
requested for FY 93 to the Demobilization and Transition to Peace
Fund."  It also urges "long range economic and development aid to
fund those reconstruction programs that arise from the
consultative process envisioned in the peace accords. . .with
particular emphasis given to those organizations which have
demonstrated their ability to assist the poorest in El Salvador."

As you probably know, the Senate recessed last Wednesday night,
and will not return until September 8th.  When they return,
Senator Leahy's subcommittee will take up the Foreign Aid
Appropriations bill.

The National Agenda for Peace worked with DeConcini and Specter's
offices to produce this letter in order to demonstrate to Sen.
Leahy the breadth of support for a policy of demilitarization and
reconciliation for El Salvador.  If this letter gathers enough
signatures, Senator Leahy and the Senate Democratic leadership
will take that support into consideration when judging how far to
push on this issue in September.  This is why we need to collect
as many signatures as possible on this letter between now and
Labor Day.  The signatures of swing votes, Republicans in
particular, are particularly important.

***Sen. Leahy's staff is aware of the letter and supports it.
This is important in case some Senators express concerns about
confronting Leahy.***

Local activists in every state should contact their Senators'
offices and urge the Senators to sign the DeConcini/Specter letter
on El Salvador.  Senators should be in their home states for most
of this period.

It is likely that some activists will be told that the Senator
cannot act on this letter until after Labor Day when Congress
comes back into session.  This is not true.  The staff member will
either have to track down the Senator to get his or her approval
or in some cases the chief of staff will have the authority to
approve it and sign the Senator's name.  Of course, Senators
running for reelection should be easier to get.

The following are the key swings that we are targeting to sign
this letter:

ALABAMA: Shelby; GEORGIA: Fowler, Nunn; IOWA: Grassley; KANSAS:
Kassebaum: LOUISIANA: Johnstone, Breaux; MAINE: Cohen; MINNESOTA:
Durenberger; MISSOURI: Danforth; NEW HAMPSHIRE: Rudman; NEW YORK:
D'Amato;  NEW MEXICO: Domenici;  NORTH CAROLINA: Sanford;
OKLAHOMA: Boren; OREGON: Packwood; RHODE ISLAND: Chaffee; SOUTH
CAROLINA: Hollings; SOUTH DAKOTA: Pressler;  TENNESEE: Gore;
TEXAS: Bentsen;  VIRGINIA: Robb, Warner.

To sign on to the letter, Senator's offices need to call Dean Gloy
in Senator DeConcini's office at (202) 224-4521.

*****************************************

***PLEASE remember, that ALL Senators are important; the above
list includes only those key swing votes to be targeted to sign
this "Dear Colleague" letter.

***ALL Senators should be contacted as soon as possible. Senate
action on the FY 1993 Foreign Aid Appropriations Bill (HR 5368)
will most likely come before the Senate Subcommittee on Foreign
Operations, the full Senate Appropriations Committee, and will
move on to the Senate floor for consideration in early-to-mid
September.

***IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that every Senator be asked by
constituents to support the transfer of all FY93 military
assistance for El Salvador to the Demobilization and Transition
Fund.

Please forward any responses, letters, etc. you receive to me or
to the National Agenda for Peace in El Salvador and the Central
America Working Group, both in Washington, D.C. Please let us know
even if the Senator refuses to sign the Dear Colleague letter or
will not support the funds transfer.  All the information gathered
through the "Dear Colleague" process and constituent contacts will
be used to develop a swing list for the floor vote.

Both the National Agenda and the CAWG have legislative hotlines:
National Agenda:  202-544-3057;  Central America Working Group:
202 543-2282


THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO PEACE WITH JUSTICE IN EL SALVADOR


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