pitol's history. To everyone who attended an event in DC or your hometown, thank you for making it a success!

If you missed last week's rallies, there is still plenty for you to do. Nationwide acts of civil disobedience are set to begin the first week of February; read below to find out how to get involved! We also have an update on legislation that is moving through Congress and we discuss the potential of a US war on Iran. Read below for these highlights:

TAKE ACTION! CONGRESS: ARE YOU READY TO BE OCCUPIED?

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

IS BUSH PLANNING AN ATTACK ON IRAN?

TAKE ACTION! CONGRESS: ARE YOU READY TO BE OCCUPIED?

In a pushback against members of Congress who refuse to vote NO on Bush's war funding, people across the country are organizing acts of civil disobedience for the months of February and March. These campaigns, led by The Occupation Project and Declaration of Peace, will begin the first week of February 2007 with occupations at the local offices of Representatives and Senators who refuse to pledge to vote against additional war funding. For those who choose not to do civil disobedience, we encourage you to keep pressuring your member of Congress by calling, emailing and lobbying-- and by gathering VotersForPeace pledges. Contact us at action @ votersforpeace.org and we'll provide all of the tools you need to show your member how many Peace Voters are in your area!

The Occupation Project campaign is timed to begin when President Bush presents his funding request to Congress on Monday, February 5th. During the following month of hearings and debates on the appropriations, local actions will pressure members of Congress who have not yet commited to voting NO. The Declaration of Peace campaign will then culminate on the weekend of March 19th, marking the fourth year of our occupation of Iraq.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

We know that the majority of Americans oppose the escalation and want US troops out of Iraq, but Congress still isn't listening. The Senate is now rallying behind a non-binding resolution led by Sen. Warner (R-VA) that opposes the escalation but vows to protect Bush's funding for the war. This is the wrong direction for Congress and the wrong direction for our country. Congress says that they wouldn't have enough votes to pass anything more than this, but that just tells us that they aren't voting with their constituents in mind. Send an email to your member of Congress today to tell them what's on your mind: Vote NO on Bush's war funding request!

There are still many more comprehensive resolutions and bills that are being presented in Congress. Please contact your members of Congress as frequently as possible to encourage them to support the following resolutions that would oppose an escalation of troops, block future funding, provide reparations and training in Iraq and start an immediate withdrawal of US troops, and oppose a strike on Iran.

IS BUSH PLANNING AN ATTACK ON IRAN?

As debate on Iraq intensifies in Congress, President Bush is again raising the specter of a US attack against Iran. Sen. Kennedy (D-MA) is so concerned that he asked Constitutional experts at a hearing last week what powers Congress had to prevent Bush from such an attack. Fortunately, the Constitution provides that the President must get authorization from Congress before going to war.

However, the President is beginning to do an end run around the Constitution by building a case, based on weak evidence or even falsehoods, that Iran is to blame for insurgent attacks on US soldiers in Iraq. Watch this report for more details on these false claims.

The scenario is uncomfortably similar to how we got mired in Iraq on false pretenses. While Iran's second-in-command President Ahmedinejad's belligerent rhetoric mirrors Bush's, the US has refused Iran's request for negotiations for the past 26 years, including last year. Further there is a broad call for regional diplomacy - from the bi-partisan Iraq Study Group, political leaders and policy experts, as well as the American and Iranian people.

In response to these concerns, "No Attack on Iran" coalitions are forming nationwide. This week VotersForPeace participated in a well-attended DC meeting with a broad range of political perspectives represented. The cause that brought them together? Preventing a US attack on Iran. In our next e-blast, we'll include a copy of a letter to Congress and the President which argues that a war with Iran would be a disaster for US national interests.

Sincerely,

Linda Schade

Executive Director

VotersForPeace.US