Friends, we believe the following Urgent Action from EPIC on the pending war with Iraq is worthy at this time.  Look for other efforts in the next few days.

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URGENT ACTION
Before President Bush gives his State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 28th, we need you to call your Representative and urge them to sign on to the Brown-Kind Letter!  Call your congressperson now at the Capital Switchboard at 800-839-5276 or this week via the Capitol switchboard at 202-225-3121.  Do so even if they supported the War Resolution last fall. They must sign the letter by the close of business Thursday, January 23rd. To find the name of your congressperson go to http://www.house.gov/

BACKGROUND
As an effort to move our nation away from war, REP. SHERROD BROWN (D-OH) and RON KIND (D-WI) are circulating a sign-on letter in the House of Representatives that urges President Bush to commit to the procedure outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 1441. The BROWN/KIND LETTER specifically urges the president to announce his commitment to 1441 in the upcoming State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Of the 48 Members of Congress who have signed the letter so far, 9 actually voted for the Bush war resolution last fall. This letter reflects what could, with enough signatures, become a powerful position in Congress, uniting both those that voted for the president's resolution, and those who voted against.

Members of Congress must sign the letter by close of business Thursday, January 23rd. The letter will be sent to the President on Friday, January 24. On January 27, Dr. Hans Blix, the UN's chief weapons inspector will deliver a report to the Security Council concerning inspection efforts in Iraq. The State of the Union address is currently scheduled for the following day. It is imperative that as many Representatives as possible sign this letter in order to ensure that its message is as powerful as possible.

ACT NOW!  Urge your Representative to sign the Brown-Kind Letter.  Even if your Representative voted for the War Resolution last fall, call them.  Let them know that the letter represents an emmerging consensus among Reps who voted for and against the Bush war resolution.  Mention names like Reps Wexler, Kind and Crowley as just some of the Members who voted for the Bush resolution and who also signed on to the letter.

Time is running out, so please call now!

See below for the full text of the letter and list of signers.

SIGNERS OF THE BROWN-KIND LETTER
* indicates Rep. voted for Bush War Resolution

List of signers:
Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)*
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL)*
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)

Additional Signers (as of 4 PM EST, January 21, 2003):
Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
Rep. Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Rep. Ted Strickland (D-OH)
Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY)
Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY)
Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY)*
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA)
Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN)
Rep. F. Allen Boyd (D-FL)*
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA)*
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA)
Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA)
Rep. James Moran (D-VA)
Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
Rep. S. Tubbs Jones (D-OH)
Rep. Diane Watson (D-CA)
Rep. David Price (D-NC)
Rep. William Clay (D-MO)
Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA)*
Rep. Ed Case (D-HI)
Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC)
Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL)
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL)
Rep. Jesse Jackson (D-IL)
Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA)*
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)
Rep. John Olver (D-MA)
Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA)
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY)
Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA)
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Rep. James McGovern (D-MA)
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA)
Rep. Michael McNulty (D-NY)*
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)*

TEXT OF THE BROWN-KIND LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH
Dear Mr. President,

On November 8, 2002, the United Nations Security Council unanimously endorsed a resolution designed to force Iraq to give up any weapons of mass destruction. We believe the U.S. should make every attempt to achieve Iraq's disarmament through diplomatic means and with the full
support of our allies, in accordance with the process articulated in UN Security Council resolution 1441.

The UN resolution calls for a tough new weapons inspection regime; it requires the government of Iraq to provide inspectors with immediate, unimpeded, unconditional, and unrestricted access, and requires that Iraq permit inspectors to interview officials, scientists, and other individuals as necessary to fulfill the mandate of the resolution. This is an inherently difficult task requiring patience and perseverance.

The report scheduled to be given by Chief UN weapons inspector Dr. Hans Blix and Director General Mohamed EI Baradei on January 27, 2003 will assess whether the United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) comprehensive mission is proceeding in the unobstructed and effective manner necessary to realize the aims of UN Security Council resolution 1441. We encourage your Administration to sufficiently weigh future decisions regarding Iraq on the assessment given by UNMOVIC/IAEA, including additional inspection time and resources as appropriate. Your commitment to working through the UN Security Council and your vocal support for resolution 1441 are critical to UNMOVIC/IAEA's eventual success.

In addition, we respectfully urge you to use the opportunity provided in the upcoming State of the Union Address to offer assurances both to the American people and the international community that the United States remains committed to the diplomatic approach and comprehensive inspections process agreed to in UN Security Council resolution 1441.

Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

(signers listed above)

Education for Peace in Iraq Center
1101 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003 USA
Tel.: 202.543.6176
Fax: 202.543.0725
http://epic-usa.org
epicenter@igc.org