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Senate Letter Calling for Increased 150 Budget

Help Build Support in the Senate

Last week we sent an Action Alert out about a House letter (Bereuter/Berman) calling on President Bush to increase the 150 account. We now need your help to build support for a similar letter in the Senate.

Senators Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) sent out a Dear Colleague today asking members of the Senate to sign on to a letter to President Bush urging him to support increased funding for the international affairs budget in his FY03 budget request.

PLEASE help by calling key Senate offices and urging them to sign on to this important letter. Members of the Senate must hear from their constituents about the importance of the International Affairs Budget. Email this Action Alert out to your full network. Let us know whom you have contacted. Also, please take a moment to thank Senators Sarbanes (202-224-4524) and Gordon Smith (202-224-3743), whom we worked closely with to organize this letter.

To make it easier for you, we have included:

1. List with emails and phone numbers of Select Senators (Note: Dear Colleague went to all 100 Senate Members)

2. Sample message (cut & paste as an email or use as talking points for a phone call)

3. Attached text of the letter to President Bush

Sample Message to Hill:

I am writing to urge you to sign on to the Sarbanes-Smith letter to President Bush urging an increase in the U.S. International Affairs Budget for FY 2003.

In the wake of the tragic events of September 11, the United States has been galvanized to address the security issues of the nation. While American policymakers appropriately focus on military defense and intelligence needs, we must also make full use of the range of diplomatic tools available to the United States. Long-standing U.S. international programs, currently under the 150 account, have played an integral role in protecting U.S. national security. U.S. international diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian programs have long worked to stabilize the world, strengthen weak democracies, and build market economies. Now more than ever, we must utilize all of our tools and resources, including the international affairs budget.

To sign on to the letter, Senate staff should contact Rob Epplin with Sen. Smith (224-3743) or Greg Aftandilian with Sen. Sarbanes (224-5011).

Selected Members of Senate to Contact:

George Allen (R-VA), 202-224-4024, senator_allen@allen.senate.gov
Max Baucus (D-MT), 202-224-2651, max@baucus.senate.gov
Joseph Biden (D-DE), 202-224-5042, senator@biden.senate.gov
Christopher Bond (R-MO), 202-224-5721, kit_bond@bond.senate.gov
Sam Brownback (R-KS), 202-224-6521, sam_brownback@brownback.senate.gov
Thomas Carper (D-DE), 202-224-2441, http://carper.senate.gov/Email_Form/email_form.html
Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), 202-224-2921, senator_chafee@chafee.senate.gov
Max Cleland (D-GA), 202-224-3521, www.cleland.senate.gov
Susan Collins (R-ME), 202-224-2523, senator@collins.senate.gov
Mike Dewine (R-OH), 202-224-2315, senator_dewine@dewine.senate.gov
Christopher Dodd (D-CT), 202-224-2823, senator@dodd.sentate.gov
Richard Durbin (D-IL), 202-224-2152, dick@durbin.senate.gov
Mike Enzi (R-WY), 202-224-3424, senator@enzi.senate.gov
William Frist (R-TN), 202-224-3344, senator_frist@frist.senate.gov
Judd Gregg (R-NH), 202-224-3324, mailbox@gregg.senate.gov
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), 202-224-5922, senator@hutchison.senate.gov
Tim Johnson (D-SD), 202-224-5842, tim@johnson.senate.gov
John Kerry (D-MA), 202-224-2752, john_kerry@kerry.senate.gov
Mary Landrieu (D-LA), 202-224-5824, senator@landrieu.senate.gov
Patrick Leahy (D-VT), 202-224-4242, senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
Joe Lieberman (D-CT), 202-224-4041, senator_liberman@liberman.senate.gov
Mitch McConnell (R-KY), 202-224-2541, senator@mcconnell.senate.gov
John McCain (R-AZ), 202-224-2235, john_mccain@mccain.senate.gov
Bill Nelson (D-FL), 202-224-5274, senator@billnelson.senate.gov
Jack Reed (D-RI), 202-224-4642, jack@reed.senate.gov
Arlen Specter (R-PA), 202-224-4254, www.specter.senate.gov
Olympia Snowe (R-ME), 202-224-5344, olympia@snowe.senate.gov
John Warner (R-VA), 202-224-6295, senator@warner.senate.gov

Text of Letter:

November xx, 2001

President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush,

In the wake of the September 11 attack on America, the United States has been galvanized to address the security issues of the nation. While your Administration and Congress appropriately focus on military defense and intelligence needs, we believe it is essential that we make full use of the range of diplomatic tools available to the United States.

One such tool is our U.S. international programs, currently under the 150 International Affairs Budget, which have played an integral role in protecting U.S. national security. U.S. international diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian programs have long worked to stabilize the world, strengthen weak democracies, and build market economies. They have extended the reach of American influence around the world and will play a critical role in forming international coalitions, combating weapons of mass destruction, fighting narcotics proliferation, responding to human catastrophes and refugee needs, and helping people build a future - all of which will be an integral part of the fight against global terrorism.

We are more convinced than ever that America must remain engaged in the world and utilize all of the tools and resources it needs to strengthen U.S. national security -- including the international affairs budget. As you prepare the FY 03 budget, we urge you to support increased funding for the international affairs budget, including the foreign operations portion. While only one percent of the federal budget, this small change makes a big difference in protecting and promoting America's national interests.

In the crucial weeks that lie ahead, we urge you and your Administration to include adequate funding for the international affairs budget, along with defense, intelligence, and domestic security needs, as an important component of our country's long-term, comprehensive national security response to the September 11 attack.

Sincerely,


Cc - The Hon. Mitch Daniels, Director, Office of Management and Budget The Hon. Colin Powell, Secretary of State


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Jason J. Gross Campaign to Preserve U.S. Global Leadership (202) 955-1204 p (202) 861-0811 f

via Ed Crane, Advocacy Coordinator, NPCA