Urge Members of Congress to Support McGovern-Farr Letter on Colombia Aid
October 25, 2007

We need you to take action today in one last effort to get the best possible aid package for Colombia! Reps. McGovern and Farr are currently circulating an important letter to Rep. Nita Lowey, chairwoman of the Foreign Operations subcommittee. The letter urges her to insist upon the best provisions in both the House and Senate bills, resulting in a final aid package that includes the most aid possible for rural development, victims, and strengthening the judicial system, the least aid possible for fumigations and the Colombian military.

In a visit to Washington last week, Defense Minister Santos lobbied lawmakers hard to maintain current levels of military aid. Meanwhile, the Bush Administration is not backing off its unprecedented threat to veto the entire foreign aid bill over a dispute on family planning.

With all the pressure to maintain current aid levels, it's important to call your representative today (or by November 8) and ask them to sign the McGovern-Farr letter to Chairwoman Lowey. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to be connected to your representative's office.

When you call, ask to speak with the foreign policy aide. Here is a sample script for your call:

"I am a constituent calling to encourage Rep. ______________ to sign the McGovern-Farr letter to Chairwoman Lowey, which urges her to insist upon the House and Senate provisions that increase aid for victims, alternative development, and the judicial system during upcoming conference negotiations. With recent reports linking Colombia's security forces to the killing of innocent civilians, it's critical that the final foreign aid bill reflects these new priorities. If your boss would like to sign on to this letter, contact Cindy Buhl in Rep. McGovern's office, or Marc Hanson with Rep. Farr."

In other Colombia news, our executive director, Lisa Haugaard, recently participated in an international mission investigating allegations of extrajudicial killings committed by Colombian security forces. Concerned about these cases, congressional committees have decided to continue to freeze $55 million in military aid. Click here to read the statement by U.S. human rights groups.

In recent weeks, the Afro-Colombian resolution in the House has gained some serious momentum! With eleven members of the Foreign Affairs committee now on board, the resolution is set to move to the House floor. However, to ensure the resolution's passage, more support is needed. If your representative has not signed on, call today and ask them to support H. Res. 618. Click here to see a full list of co-sponsors.