Urgent Action Alert on Massachusett (r)

[dohrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Update:  This amendment passed yesterday (Thursday) by a vote of 356 to
64.  Many thanks to all who expressed support.  Stay tuned in coming weeks
for a similar effort in the Senate.

Larry Dohrs




On 23 Sep 1997 sbillenness@xxxxxxxx wrote:

> TELL YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO SUPPORT AN AMENDMENT THAT DEFENDS THE
> MASSACHUSETTS BURMA LAW
> 
> September 23, 1997
> 
> A bipartisan group of US Representatives have moved an amendment in
> Congress that would help support the Massachusetts Burma selective
> purchasing law. 
> 
> It is expected that the amendment will be moved AND voted on in Congress on
> Wednesday, September 24.
> 
> SO PLEASE CALL ON TUESDAY AND EARLY WEDNESDAY!
> 
> BACKGROUND
> 
> Six Members of Congress (Sanders, Rohrabacher, Stearns, Defazio, Ney, Brown
> and Dellums) plan to move an amendment to Commerce-State-Justice
> Appropriations Bill that would help defend state and local laws from the
> World Trade Organization.
> 
> The amendment cuts $1 million from the US Commerce Department budget. The
> amendment reallocates the $1 million to the US Trade Representative's
> office (USTR) "for the express purpose of better equipping [the USTR] to
> identify and defend current national, state, local, tribal, territorial or
> DC laws adversely affected by international trade and investment agreements." 
> 
> This amendment puts additional explicit pressure on the USTR to defend the
> Massachusetts Burma selective purchasing law from the challenge by the
> European Commission and the Japanese government at the World Trade
> Organization. Modeled on a previous South Africa anti-apartheid law, the
> Massachusetts Burma law effectively bars state agencies from buying goods
> or services from companies that do business in Burma.
> 
> If this amendment is successfully attached to the Appropriations bill in
> the House of Representatives, the action will move to the Senate where, it
> is hoped, a similar amendment will be moved.
> 
> WHAT TO DO
> 
> 1. Call your US Representative at (888) 723-5246 (toll-free) or (202) 224-3121
> 
> 2. Ask for the Congressional aide responsible for trade and/or foreign policy
> 
> 3. Ask the aide to ensure that the Member supports the
> Sanders-Rohrabacher-DeFazio-Ney-Brown-Dellums amendment to the
> Commerce-State-Justice Appropriations Bill (HR2267)
> 
> 4. Explain that the bill transfers $1 million to the office of the US Trade
> Representative to identify and defend state and local laws threatened by
> the World Trade Organization
> 
> 5. Explain that you are calling specifically to defend the Massachusetts
> Burma law and that you support the enactment of similar Burma laws in your
> home town and state
> 
> 6. Be prepared to give your name, address and phone number proving that you
> live in the Congressman's or Congresswoman's district
> 
> And most importantly?
> 
> 7. Even if you obtain a commitment of support, call EVERY DAY to discover
> if the amendment came to a vote that day and how the Representative voted
> on it
> 
> THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!
> 
> Email me and let me know how your Members of Congress responded.  I will
> report back on the results of the vote and what we can do next.
> 
> Simon Billenness
> * for the New England Burma Roundtable *
> Franklin Research & Development
> 711 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA 02111
> (617) 423-6655 x225
> (617) 482 6179 fax
> sbillenness@xxxxxxxx
> =============================================
> 
>