Just had one of our Government Affairs people run over. He’s confirming that the vote on the Biden-Lugar Amendment will happen today.
If you have not called your senators, you must now – 202-224-3121. Because this funding determines expenditures for the entire year, losing this fight will make every other fight that much more difficult. (Up-to-date list of senators cosponsoring the amendment here.)
The call is easy to make, all you need to tell your Senators’ office is:
You are constituent and a ONE member
You want them to support the Biden-Lugar amendment to restore $4.1 billion to the international affairs budget, to match the president’s budget request.
The momentum is really starting to build. We’ll be following developments throughout the day on the blog. We expect the Senate to vote on the legislation, which would restore $4.1 billion for the international affairs budget, today or tomorrow.
If you don’t see both of your state’s senators below then, call them – at 202-224-3121 – now
Sen. Biden (D – DE)
Sen. Bingaman (D – NM)
Sen. Bond (R – MO)
Sen. Boxer (D – CA)
Sen. Brown (D – OH)
Sen. Cantwell (D – WA)
Sen. Cardin (D – MD)
Sen. Clinton (D – NY)
Sen. Coleman (R – MN)
Sen. Collins (R – ME)
Sen. Corker (R – TN)
Sen. Dodd (D – CT)
Sen. Dole (R – NC)
Sen. Durbin (D – IL)
Sen. Feingold (D – WI)
Sen. Feinstein (D – CA)
Sen. Hagel (R – NE)
Sen. Isakson (R – GA)
Sen. Kerry (D – MA)
Sen. Mikulski (D – MD)
Sen. Leahy (D – VT)
Sen. Levin (D – MI)
Sen. Lugar (R- IN)
Sen. Martinez (R – FL)
Sen. Menendez (D – NJ)
Sen. Obama (D – IL)
Sen. Schumer (D – NY)
Sen. Smith (R – OR)
Sen. Snowe (R – ME)
Sen. Sununu (R – NH)
Sen. Vitter (R – LA)
Sen. Voinovich (R – OH)
The list of senators sponsoring the Biden-Lugar Amendment continues to grow. See the latest list below.
We expect the Senate to vote on the legislation, which would restore $4.1 billion for the international affairs budget, today or tomorrow.
If you don’t see both of your state’s senators below then, call them – at 202-224-3121 – now.
Sen. Biden (D – DE)
Sen. Bond (R – MO)
Sen. Brown (D – OH)
Sen. Burr (R – NC)
Sen. Cantwell (D – WA)
Sen. Coleman (R – MN)
Sen. Collins (R – ME)
Sen. Corker (R – TN)
Sen. Dodd (D – CT)
Sen. Dole (R – NC)
Sen. Durbin (D – IL)
Sen. Feinstein (D – CA)
Sen. Hagel (R – NE)
Sen. Isakson (R – GA)
Sen. Kerry (D – MA)
Sen. Leahy (D – VT)
Sen. Levin (D – MI)
Sen. Lugar (R- IN)
Sen. Martinez (R – FL)
Sen. Menendez (D – NJ)
Sen. Obama (D – IL)
Sen. Smith (R – OR)
Sen. Snowe (R – ME)
Sen. Sununu (R – NH)
Sen. Voinovich (R – OH)
Some excerpts from Senator Biden’s remarks this afternoon as he introduced the Biden-Lugar Amendment. Check here for updates on the senators signed on so far.
“Mr. President, I have an amendment I would like to offer at this time for myself and Senator Lugar. We are joined by Senators Durbin, Smith, Dodd, Sununu, Menendez, Martinez, Kerry, Snowe, Levin, Collins, Obama, Voinovich, Leahy, Corker, and Hagel. Our amendment builds on similar work done by Senator Feinstein – we all share the same goals.
Mr. President, my amendment restores the full amount of the President’s request – $39. 5 billion – to the international affairs budget.
Last week two distinguish former senior military officers, General Anthony Zinni and Admiral Leighton Smith, came before the Foreign Relations Committee to tell us that we must reorder our nation’s priorities to protect our national security.
With more than fifty of their fellow former flag officers behind them, they are calling for a new emphasis on smart power – using our nation’s diplomatic and economic resources to protect our interests.
Defense Secretary Gates has made the same point absolutely clear, and I quote: “having robust civilian capabilities could make it less likely that military force will have to be used in the first place…
Our amendment has the support of the One Campaign, Interaction, the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign, and many other groups.”
The latest list of co-sponsors for the Biden-Lugar Amendment to restore $4.1 billion to the international affairs budget below.
Call 202-224-3121 to urge your senators to sign on.
Sen. Biden (D – DE)
Sen. Bingaman (D – NM)
Sen. Brown (D – OH)
Sen. Burr (R – NC)
Sen. Cardin (D – MD)
Sen. Coleman (R – MN)
Sen. Collins (R – ME)
Sen. Corker (R – TN)
Sen. Dodd (D – CT)
Sen. Dole (R – NC)
Sen. Durbin (D – IL)
Sen. Feinstein (D – CA)
Sen. Hagel (R – NE)
Sen. Isakson (R – GA)
Sen. Kerry (D – MA)
Sen. Leahy (D – VT)
Sen. Levin (D – MI)
Sen. Lugar (R- IN)
Sen. Martinez (R – FL)
Sen. Menendez (D – NJ)
Sen. Mikulski (D – MD)
Sen. Obama (D – IL)
Sen. Smith (R – OR)
Sen. Snowe (R – ME)
Sen. Sununu (R – NH)
Sen. Voinovich (R – OH)
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