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More than 100 countries will be gathering this holiday season to continue working toward a global treaty to ban cluster bombs, but the U.S. will be conspicuously absent. Congress can help bring the U.S. in line with the emerging global consensus against the use of these weapons, which kill many civilians, by passing the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act (S. 594). This bill would effectively ban the use and export of the U.S.'s considerable cluster bomb arsenal.
In November, a call-in day to the Senate organized by FCNL and cosponsored by twenty state and national organizations helped gain three new cosponsors, Ben Cardin (MD), John Kerry (MA), and Ron Wyden (OR). Help keep the momentum going! Write your senators this holiday season, urging them to work for peace and prevent further harm to civilians from cluster bombs.
Here are some simple steps to follow.
- Print out this holiday postcard (PDF) on card stock, which you can find at any copy shop. You'll need to print the cards double sided. Cut the cards apart; there are 4 on every sheet.
- Sign the postcard, including your return address, or insert it into one of your own holiday greeting cards. Add a sentence or two of your own to personalize the message.
- Find the district office addresses of your senators using FCNL's online congressional directory. (We recommend sending to the district offices since senators will be home for the holidays.)
- Distribute the remaining cards to your family, friends, faith community, and co-workers and ask them to send them to their senators as well.
To Whom Should You Send the Cards?
- Do you live in California, Maryland, Massachusetts, or Vermont? Both your senators are already supporting this bill. You could send them a thank you note on the postcard, or write to your representative and urge her or him to cosponsor the companion bill in the House.
- Do you live in Iowa, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, or Wisconsin? One of your senators has already cosponsored, so please send a postcard to your other senator. Senators who need to hear from you are Charles Grassley (IA), Pete Domenici (NM), George Voinovich (OH), Gordon Smith (OR), Arlen Specter (PA), Jack Reed (RI), Patty Murray (WA), and Herb Kohl (WI).
- Do you live in any other state? You should send a postcard to both your senators asking them to cosponsor the bill.
More about Banning Cluster Bombs
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