Last Chance for Congressional Amicu

[sbillenness@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Last Chance for Congressional Amicus Brief

NEW ENGLAND BURMA ROUNDTABLE

Last Chance for Congressional Amicus Brief

October 14, 1999
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1.	Last Chance for Congressional Amicus Brief
2.	Current Tally
3.	Talking Points for Your Letter or Phone Call
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1.	Last Chance for Congressional Amicus Brief

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15th is the last day for lobbying Members of Congress to
sign on to the amicus brief in support of the Massachusetts Burma Law. 

In Congress, our most notable late addition is Ben Gilman, Republican chair
of the House International Relations Committee.  

In order to sign on to the amicus brief in support of the Massachusetts
Burma Law, Members of Congress must send a letter to Professor Robert
Stumberg by that date.

Please contact - or contact again - your Members of Congress. Explain the
urgency of the OCTOBER 15th deadline. Remember you can call the Capitol
Switchboard toll-free at (888) 449-3511 or at (202) 224-3121. Suggested
talking points for your phone call or faxed letter are below.

Don't know your U.S. Representative or U.S. Senators? Check:
<http://thomas.loc.gov/> for your Member's names and contact information.
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2.	Members of Congress Signed on to Amicus Brief as of October 14 (pm)

37 	Supreme Court to Date
50 	Goal
26 	Previous Congressional Amicus Brief

Rep. Neil Abercrombie, HI
Rep. David Bonior, MI
Rep. Sherrod Brown, OH
Rep. Michael Capuano, MA
Rep. Eva Clayton, NC
Rep. William Delahunt, MA
Rep. Danny Davis, IL
Rep. Peter Defazio, OR
Rep. Lane Evans, IL
Rep. Barney Frank, MA
Rep. Benjamin Gilman, NY
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, IL
Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., IL
Rep. John Lewis, GA
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, OH
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, OH
Rep. Tom Lantos, CA
Rep. James McGovern, MA
Rep. Cynthia McKinney, GA
Rep. Martin Meehan, MA
Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, CA
Rep. George Miller, CA
Rep. Joseph Moakley, MA
Rep. Jerry Nadler, NY
Rep. Richard Neal, MA
Rep. John Olver, MA
Rep. Thomas Petri, WI
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, FL
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, CA
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, CA
Rep. Bernie Sanders, VT
Rep. Ted Strickland, OH
Rep. John Tierney, MA
Rep. James Traficant, OH
Rep. Tom Udall, AZ
Rep. Henry Waxman, CA
Sen. Paul Wellstone, MN
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3. Talking Points For Your Fax or Phone Call

If you do call, always ask for the Member's aide who covers foreign policy.
Be prepared to leave a brief message in the aide's voicemail. Ask the aide
to call you back and leave your phone number.

Impress on the aide that Friday, October 15 is the deadline for signing on
to the amicus brief.

Suggested Talking Points/Sample Letter

Start your letter: "Dear Representative ________" or "Dear Senator
__________" as appropriate.

I am writing to urge that you sign on an amicus brief to be filed with the
U.S. Supreme Court in support of the Massachusetts Burma selective
purchasing law.

The deadline for signing on to this amicus brief is FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15th.
To sign on, you must contact Professor Robert Stumberg - the coordinator of
this amicus brief - at Georgetown University at (202) 662-8603.

[Describing yourself, identify yourself as a constituent and member of your
local community, as well as your interest in Burma.]

On June 22, 1999, the Boston Federal Appeals Court struck down the
Massachusetts Burma Law. Sponsored by state rep. Byron Rushing, this law
effectively barred companies that do business with the Burmese military
junta from receiving state procurement contracts. On September 17, the
Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly filed its Petition for Certiorari
and supporting brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking the court to review
the case of the Massachusetts Burma Law.

How Massachusetts - or any state -spends its tax dollars is matter for the
citizens of Massachusetts and their elected officials. It is a violation of
state sovereignty and local democracy for the federal government or
corporations to try to micro-manage state or local spending.

Inspired by the anti-apartheid campaign, Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace
Prize laureate and leader of the Burmese democracy movement, has called for
economic sanctions on Burma to press the ruling military junta to restore
democracy in that country. She has described selective purchasing laws -
such as the Massachusetts Burma Law - as an effective way of supporting the
Burmese democracy movement.

I urge you to offer your support in defending the Massachusetts Burma Law.
I specifically urge you to sign on the amicus brief by Members of Congress
in support of the petition filed by Massachusetts on September 20 asking
the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case. To do this, please contact the
coordinator of the amicus brief, Professor Robert Stumberg at (202)
662-9603 or <stumberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>.

I look forward to your support on this critical issue. Please call or write
back and tell me what action you intend to take.

***************

Please send copies of your letter to:

Simon Billenness
New England Burma Roundtable 
c/o Trillium Asset Management, 711 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 423-6655, x225
(617) 482-6179 - fax
sbillenness@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.trilliuminvest.com

Pofessor Robert Stumberg
Harrison Institute for Public Law
Georgetown University Law Center
111 F Street, NW  -  Suite 102
Washington, DC  20001-2095
Phone 202-662-9603
Fax 202-662-9613
stumberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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