SOA AMENDMENT WINS! SOA AMENDMENT WINS! Posted for SHARE Foundation by Partners Across Borders, St. Cloud, MN
On July 30, 1999 the House of Representatives voted yes (230 to 197) to an amendment introduced by Representatives Moakley (D-MA) and Scarborough (R-FL) that would cut all funding destined for the School of the Americas from the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. This amendment will cut the $2 million dollars from the International Military Education and Training (IMET) account which funds the SOA's scholarship program, essentially eliminating the funds to send students to the School. A note from Tom Howarth,a grassroots SHARE supporter and partner in advocacy: "Very good news on the School of the America's with the House voting with Rep. Moakley 230-197 to cut funding for the SOA. Rep. Jim McGovern gave an excellent floor speech.
The vote was a very interesting mix of Democrats, moderate Republicans like Connie Morella, and, I think most importantly, conservative Republicans led by Moakley's co-sponsor Joe Scarborough (R-Fla)."
CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO WORKED SO HARD ON THIS ISSUE!!
Please be sure to thank your Representative if he or she voted yes on the Moakley-Scarborough Amendment to close the School of the Americas. (See list below.)
Representatives who Voted Yes on Moakley-Scarborough Amendment:
| Abercrombie | DeLauro | Jackson (IL) | Meek (FL) | Sanders |
| Ackerman | Dicks | Jackson-Lee (TX) | Meeks (NY) | Sanford |
| Allen | Dixon | Jefferson | Menendez | Sawyer |
| Andrews | Doggett | Johnson (CT) | Metcalf | Scarborough |
| Baird | Dooley | Johnson, E.B. | Millender-McDonald | Schaffer |
| Baldacci | Doyle | Jones (OH) | Miller (FL) | Schakowsky |
| Baldwin | Duncan | Kanjorski | Miller, George | Scott |
| Barcia | Ehlers | Kaptur | Minge | Sensenbrenner |
| Barrett (WI) | Engel | Kelly | Mink | Serrano |
| Becerra | English | Kennedy | Moakley | Shays |
| Bensten | Eshoo | Kildee | Moore | Sherman |
| Berkley | Etheridge | Kilpatrick | Moran (KS) | Slaughter |
| Berman | Evans | Kind (WI) | Moran (VA) | Smith (MI) |
| Biggert | Ewing | Kleczka | Morella | Smith (NJ) |
| Blagojevich | Farr | Klink | Nadler | Smith (WA) |
| Blumenauer | Fattah | Kucinich | Neal | Stabenow |
| Boehlert | Filner | LaHood | Nussle | Stark |
| Boehner | Foley | Lampson | Oberstar | Strickland |
| Bonior | Forbes | Lantos | Obey | Stupak |
| Bono | Ford | Largent | Olver | Talent |
| Borski | Frank (MA) | Larson | Owens | Tancredo |
| Boucher | Franks (NJ) | LaTourette | Pallone | Tauscher |
| Brady (PA) | Gejdenson | Lazio | Pascrell | Taylor (NC) |
| Brown (FL) | Gephardt | Leach | Pastor | Thompson (CA) |
| Brown (OH) | Gibbons | Lee | Paul | Thompson (MS) |
| Camp | Gilchrest | Levin | Payne | Thurman |
| Campbell | Gonzalez | Lewis (GA) | Pelosi | Tierney |
| Capps | Goode | Lipinski | Peterson (MN) | Towns |
| Capuano | Gordon | LoBiondo | Petri | Traficant |
| Cardin | Green (TX) | Lofgren | Phelps | Udall (CO) |
| Carson | Greenwood | Lowey | Pomeroy | Udall (NM) |
| Chabot | Gutknecht | Lucas (KY) | Porter | Upton |
| Clay | Hall (OH) | Luther | Price (NC) | Velazquez |
| Clayton | Hastings (FL) | Maloney (CT) | Pryce (OH) | Vento |
| Clement | Hayworth | Maloney (NY) | Quinn | Walsh |
| Coble | Hefley | Manzullo | Ramstad | Wamp |
| Conyers | Hill (IN) | Markey | Rangel | Waters |
| Costello | Hilliard | Mascara | Regula | Watt (NC) |
| Coyne | Hinchey | Matsui | Rivers | Waxman |
| Crowley | Hinojosa | McCarthy (MO) | Rodriguez | Weiner |
| Cummings | Hoeffel | McCarthy (NY) | Roemer | Weller |
| Danner | Holden | McGovern | Rothman | Wexler |
| Davis (IL) | Holt | McInnis | Rush | Weygand |
| DeFazio | Hooley | McKinney | Sabo | Woolsey |
| DeGette | Hulshof | McNulty | Salmon | Wu |
| Delahunt | Inslee | Meehan | Sanchez | Wynn |
The next challenge is to retain the Moakley-Scarborough Amendment in the final version of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill that comes out of the House-Senate conference committee. The amendment to close the SOA is not included in the Senate version of the bill and therefore it is of vital importance that we begin to contact those members of Congress who will be on the conference committee and urge them all to keep the amendment in the final version of the Foreign Operations Bill. Below is a list of the Senators and Representatives who will most likely be on the conference committee, which will probably meet in September. Please call or write letters to these members of Congress, especially if you are one of their constituents.
Call: The U.S. Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121. An operator will answer the phone and can give you the number of the office you would like to reach.
Send letters to:
| The Honorable [insert Senator's name here] United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 |
The Honorable [insert Representative's name here] United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 |
Senators most likely to be on Conference Committee
Stevens (R-AK), Chair Appropriations Committee
Byrd (D-WV), Ranking Member, Appropriations Committee
McConnell (R-KY), Chair of Foreign Operations Subcommittee
Specter (R-PA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Shelby (R-AL)
Bennett (R-UT)
Campbell (R-CO)
Bond (R-MO)
Leahy (D-VT), Ranking Member of Foreign Operations Subcommitee
Inouye (D-HI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Harkin (D-IA)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Representatives most likely to be on Conference Committee
Young (R-FL), Chair of Appropriations Committee
Obey (D-WI), Ranking Member of Appropriations Committee
Callahan (R-AL), Chair of Foreign Operations Subcommittee
Porter (R-IL)
Wolf (R-VA)
Packard (R-CA)
Knollenberg (R-MI)
Kingston (R-GA)
Lewis (R-CA)
Pelosi (D-CA), Ranking Member of Foreign Operations Subcommittee
Lowey (D-NY)
Jackson (D-IL)
Kilpatrick (D-MI)
Sabo (D-MN)