Contact the Foreign Policy Staffer in Washington DC Office of Your U.S. Representative!
U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) has extended the deadline for signatures to the Congressional “Dear Colleague” addressing ongoing human rights violations against Afro-indigenous communities in Honduras until Wednesday, January 23 at 5 pm.
The letter highlights the need for full accountability including a Congressional investigation into the 11 May 2012 murders of Afro-indigenous civilians in a violent U.S. DEA drug raid gone wrong in Ahuas, Honduras. Thanks to your calls, thirty five members of Congress have signed the letter so far. Please contact the members below to help us reach our goal of 50 signers!
Final Target Prospects to Sign On Before our New Deadline of Wednesday @ 5 pm – (BOLD=CBC):
- Marcia Fudge (OH) – Clifton Williams, FP, 202.225.7032 clifton.williams@mail.house.gov (New Chair of CBC) – Neuroth? Anyone else?
- Pastor (AZ), Ed Pastor (AZ) ** – Beth Ann Saracco, Doug Gascon, FP,202.225.4065 BethAnn.Saracco@mail.house.gov – Dana
- Henry Waxman (CA) – Travis Moore, HR, Zahava Goldman, FP, 202.225.3976; Lisa Pinto – DD – Cole, Dana
- Edolphus Towns (NY) – Lars Hydle, FP 202.225.5936 – Stokan, Raymond
- Elijah E. Cummings (MD) – Lucinda Lessley, FPlucinda.lessley@mail.house.gov Stokan, McCurdy
- Donna F. Edwards (MD) Chris Schlosesser, chris.schloesser@mail.house.gov – Stokan
- Peter Welch (VT) – Kathryn Becker, FP, 202.225.4115 Kathryn.Becker@mail.house.gov – WFP, Raymond
- G. K. Butterfield (NC) * – Kyle Parker, FP, 202.225.3101 – WFP-SE
- Earl Blumenauer (OR) – Michael Harold, FP, 202.225.4811 Michael.Harold@mail.house.gov, – Callman, WFP-NW
- Suzanne Bonamici (OR), Replaced David Wu Carly Katz, 202.225.0855 Carly.Katz@mail.house.gov – Callman, WFP-NW
- Gwen Moore (WI) * – Chris Goldson, DC, Jessica Caravazos, Dstr – Grunow
- Alcee L. Hastings (FL) – Gonzalez – Spriggs
- John Garamendi (CA) – Annie Gillman, FP, 202.225.1880Annie.Gillman@mail.house.gov – Dana, Dale
- Lois Capps (CA) – Adriane Casalotti, FP, 202.225.3601 Adriane.Casalotti@mail.house.gov – Cole
- Jim McDermott (WA) – Jessica Lee, FP, 202.225.3106 – WFP-NE, SEATTLE people, where are you?
- Ben Luján (NM)** -Andrew Jones, LD, 202.225.6190Andrew.Jones@mail.house.gov– Cole
- Steve Cohen (TN) – Marilyn Dillihay, CoS/FP, 202-225-3265 – Memphis – Bartlett, WFP-SE
- Chellie Pingree (ME) – Nora Bisharat, FP, 202.225.6116 Nora.Bisharat@mail.house.gov – WFP-NE, Stokan
- David E. Price (NC) – Asher Hildebrand, LD/FP, 202.225.1784 – (Chapel Hill) – WFP-SE
All of these Reps have previously signed both the McGovern and Schakowsky Honduras human rights letters, except for the 4 with * (they signed one of the two). You may have additional prospects you are working on.
Please call the foreign policy aide in your Rep’s DC office. The Congressional Switchboard number is (202) 224- 3121
(To identify your rep, type in your zip code this website – upper right corner): http://www.house.gov/representatives
Ask to speak with the aide who handles foreign policy and use the script below. If the foreign policy aide is not is not available, ask to leave a message on his/her answering machine. Be sure to ask for the name of foreign policy staffer so you can follow up.
Script: “My name is _____. I am a constituent in (town / city neighborhood). I am calling to ask Rep. _____ to sign the Hank Johnson letter in support of Afro-indigenous human rights in Honduras. Has Rep. ____ seen this letter? Can I count on him/her to sign on? Please call me this week at (your phone number) to let me know if you have seen the letter, and if Rep_____ will sign it. Thank You.”
In your phone conversation or email request, highlight that you are: concerned about ongoing human rights violations against Afro-indigenous communities in Honduras and lack of a full investigation into alleged abuses by Honduran security forces and the role of DEA in the May 11 incident that led to the tragic death of four indigenous villagers.
To sign on to the letter, the legislative staffer who handles foreign policy must call or email Sascha Thompson in Rep. Johnson’s office to inform her.
Let us know if your rep agrees to sign on, jenny@friendshipamericas.org.
Thank you for taking action on behalf of the human rights of Afro-indigenous communities in Honduras.
Jenny Atlee
Friendship Office