Dear MoveOn member,A few months ago, I visited the Za'atari Refugee Camp in Jordan, the largest Syrian refugee camp and home to about 80,000 people.
It is hard to describe with words what I saw. The camp was full of women and young children who fled Syria in fear for their lives. While I was there, I saw children as young as six years old digging trenches in the sand for raw sewage. I saw young boys and girls being kept home from school to do hard labor because the meager wage is the only way their families could afford to eat. And I heard stories of young girls sold into marriage so the rest of the family could afford to live in this perpetual state of despair. I saw desperation and want emanate from every corner of the camp.
This isn't just a humanitarian crisis, it has real national security implications. If we don't help feed and shelter these refugees, extremists like ISIS will. For years, I've called upon the United States to increase humanitarian aid to improve the conditions in refugee camps to help other nations bear the burden of displaced persons, and take in more refugees here at home. Finally, there is momentum growing to step up and meet this challenge.
Over the next two weeks, the U.S. Senate will consider a bipartisan request for $1 billion in emergency funding to provide humanitarian relief to Syrian refugees, and it is CRITICAL that you make your voice heard on this issue.
I know my colleagues take calls from constituents seriously, so make the call and tell Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow you support emergency appropriations to provide humanitarian relief to Syrian refugees, and to please co-sponsor Senate Bill 2145, the Middle East Refugee Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act.
Here's where to call:
Senator Gary Peters
Phone: (202) 224-6221
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Phone: (202) 224-4822
Then, please report your call by clicking here:
Our nation has a long tradition of providing safe haven to refugees fleeing tyranny, violence, and persecution. We welcomed more than 200,000 refugees during the Balkan Wars, 700,000 refugees from Cuba, and more than 700,000 refugees from Vietnam.
We are a VERY generous nation, always have been, but there is a double standard in our foreign policy today.
When America sets a military objective, we allocate every single dollar we need to accomplish that mission. But when it's a humanitarian objective, we only put in a share and expect others to fill the gap. That approach comes at a very real human cost in the region, and ultimately, to our credibility around the world.
That's one of the reasons I've led the effort to articulate a progressive vision for America's role in the world—one that exercises smarter power and influence by leaning into the world with something other than the pointed edge of the sword. Because the truth is, failing to invest in humanitarian programs can be just as dangerous to U.S. national security interests as failing to invest in military operations when they are necessary. As I've rolled out this new foreign policy direction, I've been grateful for the passionate feedback I've received from MoveOn members and for our steadfast partnership.
That's why I'm asking you to make your voice heard today. I know my colleagues will be waiting to see which way the calls come in on this issue. Pick up the phone and tell Sens. Peters and Stabenow to support legislation providing emergency humanitarian relief to help Syrian refugees.
Here's where to call:
Senator Gary Peters
Phone: (202) 224-6221
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Phone: (202) 224-4822
Then, please report your call by clicking here:
With the civil war persisting in Syria, many families have been in these camps for two or three years, and I can tell you from my experience there, this is nowhere anyone would want to live. This explains why so many refugees are giving up on the camps and fleeing for Europe. They see no end to the civil war, and with little real humanitarian assistance on the way to make life in camps better, they flee, often risking their own lives and the lives of loved ones.
Thank you for standing with me on this issue.
Every best wish,
Senator Chris MurphyWant to support our work? MoveOn member contributions have powered our work together for more than 17 years. Hundreds of thousands of people chip in each year—which is why we're able to be fiercely independent, answering to no individual, corporation, politician, or political party. You can become a monthly donor by clicking here, or chip in a one-time gift here.
This email was sent to Matt Love on November 13, 2015. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
Posted by: matt love <mattlove1@gmail.com>
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