Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America

Call for US Aid for Development, Democracy and to Fight Poverty

Congress is currently poised to send hundreds of millions of additional dollars for helicopters, planes and other equipment to Mexico.  CRLN's partners in Washington, including the Latin America Working Group (LAWG), and in Mexico tell us that military hardware isn't the solution to Mexico's challenges--and it avoids acknowledging the United States' responsibility for spiraling drug violence.

In May 2009, seventy Mexican human rights leaders and organizations wrote to the US Congress urging an end to US military support and instead calling for aid to support democracy, development and to fight poverty - addressing the root causes of violence and building long lasting change.  To read the letter, click here.  

Act Now! 

LAWG is urging the CRLN network to contact our legislators and help shape this new aid to Mexico--which is being considered as part of the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Bill for Iraq and Afghanistan.  Contact your member this week, as members from the Senate and House Appropriations Committees come together to reconcile the differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill.

If you don't know who your Members of Congress are, go to http://www.congress.org/ and type in your zip code to find out.  Below is a list of IL Members of Congress, their foreign policy staffers and their phone numbers.  When you call, ask to speak with the foreign policy aide. If he or she is unavailable, please leave the following message on his or her voicemail:

"My name is _____.  I live in (city neighorhood or town).  I am calling because I am concerned about the assistance to Mexico included in the Iraq supplemental appropriations bill.  Given the worsening human rights record in Mexico, any and all assistance directed to Mexican security forces must include meaningful human rights safeguards-which I am concerned may be left out of the supplemental bill. U.S. assistance should not encourage or fund a role for the Mexican armed forces in domestic law enforcement. The United States can best help by cleaning up our own house, including the dedication of serious resources to expand high-quality drug treatment and evidence-based prevention programs in the United States, and to expand and improve measures to control the "iron river" of arms and ammunition flowing across our borders to the drug cartels.  Can I count on Rep/Sen ___________ to advocate for significant human rights safeguards on U.S. assistance to Mexico in the Iraq supplemental?  Can I also count on him/her to commit to dedicating more resources to drug prevention and treatment here in the U.S.? Please let me know. My number is ___________."

Let us know what you hear back from your Members of Congress!

Illinois Representatives of the 111th Congress 

Bobby Rush (D-1^st) -Speak with John Marshall, 202-225-4372

Jesse Jackson (D- 2^nd) ­ -Speak with Charles Dujon, 202-225-0773

Dan Lipinski (D- 3^rd ) -Speak with Brian Oszakiewski, 202-225-5701

Luis Gutierrez (D-4^th) -Speak with Virginia Zigras, 202-225-8203

Mike Quigley (5^th) - Speak with Sean O'Brien, 202-225-4061

Peter Roskam (R-6^th) -Speak with Steven Moore, 202-225-4561

Danny Davis (D-7^th) -Speak with Charles Brown, 202-225-5006

Melissa Bean (D-8^th) -Speak with Liz Jurinka, 202-225-3711

Jan Schakowsky (D-9^th) -Speak with Nina Besser, 202-225-2111

Mark Kirk (R-10^th) -Speak with Richard Goldberg, 202-225-4835

Debbie Halverson (R-11^th) -Speak with Justin Cajindos, 202-225-3635

Jerry Costello (D-12^th) -Speak with Dan McCarthy, 202-225-5661

Judy Biggert (R-13^th) -Speak with Griffin Foster, 202-225-3515

Bill Foster (R-14^th) -Speak with Peter Judge, 202-225-2976

Timothy Johnson (R-15^th) -Speak with Jen Mascho, 202-225-2371

Donald Manzullo (R-16^th) -Speak with Nien Su, 202-225-5676

Phil Hare (D-17^th)-Speak with Kemi Jemilohun, 202-225-5905

Aaron Schock (R-18^th) -Speak with Steve Shearer, 202-225-6201

John Shimkus (R-19^th) -Speak with Greta Hanson, 202-225-5271

Illinois Senators

Senator Dick Durbin - speak with Chris Homan, 202-224-2152

Senator Roland Burris - speak with Cynthia Dorsey, 202-224-2854

For more information, contact Danielle Wegman at dwegman@crln.org or 773-293-2964.  For information on CRLN's Encuentros delegation to Mexico - Tortillas and Trade - click here.