March 3rd, 2008 - OurPledge.org (AADG)  Permalink  View & Add Comments

ACTION: Concerning S.RES.455 - Please call and leave a message TODAY

[Please call! Adapted from a Friends Committee on National Legislation action alert:]

S. Res. 455, a resolution “Calling for peace in Darfur” is rapidly gaining momentum but needs more cosponsors.

Currently, S. Res. 455 has 25 co-sponsors; Congressional staffers and activists are aiming for 50 co-sponsors to show broad support for this resolution. There is only a short window of time to plug in with Senators and urge them to cosponsor this important legislation as the Senate Congressional Leadership would like to ‘hotline’ S. Res. 455 on Monday. (Hotlining is a procedure to quickly move legislation to the Senate floor for a vote.)

Advocacy groups and activists could best help by urging Senators to co-sponsor S. Res. 455. Senator’s can be contacted via the Capitol switchboard: 202–224–3121.

In brief, S. Res. 455 urges:
- support from all parties for a ceasefire;
- cooperation from Khartoum regarding the full deployment of UNAMID;
- broad representation from Darfur’s civil society at a future round of peace talks;
- unity among rebel groups to help end the conflict; and
- support for the CPA.

The full text of the legislation is available here.

The original sponsor of S. Res. 455 is Senator Durbin (IL). Current co-sponsors include: Senators Allard (CO), Biden (DE), Boxer (CA), Brownback (KS), Burr (SC), Chambliss (GA), Coleman (MN), Feingold (WI), Feinstein (CA), Hagel (NE), Klobuchar (MN), Lautenberg (NJ), Leahy (VT), Lieberman (CT), Menendez (NJ), Mikulski (MD), Obama (IL), Schumer (NY), Snowe (ME), Specter (PA), Sununu (NH), Voinovich (OH) and Whitehouse (RI).