The ACLU has written to Congress urging opposition to pending bills that seek to criminalize advocacy of boycotts against Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The ACLU warned that proponents of the bills are "seeking additional co-sponsors," and explained that the bills would "punish individuals for no reason other than their political beliefs." [1] MoveOn has joined the ACLU's opposition to the bills. "Regardless how you feel about BDS, Congress must reject action to criminalize free speech and peaceful protest. The Democrats in House and Senate must say no to H.R. 1697/S. 720," MoveOn said. “Free speech and peaceful protest are integral to democracy." [2] S.720 & H.R.1697 would erase the distinction in U.S. law between Israel and Israeli settlements in the West Bank and make it illegal for U.S. companies to boycott or otherwise discriminate against Israeli settlements in the West Bank based on calls by the United Nations or the European Union. [3] Moreover, the legislation would prohibit Americans from “requesting the imposition of any boycott by a foreign country against a country which is friendly to the United States.” This could be interpreted to prohibit supporting sanctions against Saudi Arabia for its attempts to push Yemen into famine, or for its support of extremist groups, or for prohibiting women from driving, since Saudi Arabia is inexplicably claimed by many in Washington to be "friendly to the United States.” [4] Urge your Senators and Representative to join the ACLU and MoveOn in opposing these unconstitutional bills by signing our petition. References: 1. https://theintercept.com/2017/07/19/u-s-lawmakers-seek-to-criminally-outlaw-support-for-boycott-campaign-against-israel/ 2. http://forward.com/fast-forward/377452/moveonorg-calls-on-progressives-to-kill-anti-bds-bill/ 3. https://peacenow.org/WP/wp-content/uploads/pending-BDS-Conflation-bills-in-Congress.pdf 4. https://thinkprogress.org/free-speech-senators-israel-boycott-felony-d99b2ee5a14d

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed has announced a plan to remove the governorate of Hodeida from the Yemeni civil war. The plan includes a ceasefire for the port, including the halt of any attacks on the port by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates [UAE]. [1] The UN-recognized Yemeni government and Egypt have reportedly announced their support for the plan, but the United States, a key party to the conflict because of its refueling of Saudi and UAE warplanes bombing Yemen [2], has not yet publicly stated its support. As Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy has said, "The Saudis simply could not operate this bombing campaign without us. Their planes can't fly without US refueling capacity." [3] Urge Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the UN, to publicly state US support for the UN Envoy's plan to save Hodeida and Yemen from famine by signing our petition. References: 1. https://www.yemenpeaceproject.org/blog-x/2017/7/18/un-special-envoy-releases-details-of-plan-for-hudaydah 2. https://theintercept.com/2017/07/13/u-s-doubled-fuel-support-for-saudi-bombing-campaign-in-yemen-after-deadly-strike-on-funeral/ 3. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/24/534236954/yemen-now-faces-the-worst-cholera-outbreak-in-the-world-u-n-says

On July 14, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to prohibit U.S. military participation in the Saudi-UAE war in Yemen, when it passed the Davidson and Nolan amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act [NDAA]. [1] U.S. media largely failed to cover these House votes. This partly reflects misplaced media priorities - if they had been votes concerning Trump's relationship with Russia, U.S. media would have covered them obsessively - but also reflects that these prohibitions were adopted by voice vote, without a roll call forcing Members to attach their names to their votes. Contested votes draw more attention from the media. Urge House Members to use the Department of Defense Appropriation to force roll call votes on the Davidson-Nolan prohibitions against U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41278-us-house-votes-to-block-us-participation-in-saudi-war-in-yemen

The Trump administration is starting the process to renegotiate NAFTA. But will it fight for a trade deal that benefits people and protects healthy food and the environment? The U.S. Trade Representative has to release its plan to renegotiate the agreement this summer. It's seeking public input -- but you only have four days left to send your comment! Help us reach 20,000 comments telling the U.S. Trade Representative: No bad trade deals to replace NAFTA!

On July 14, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to prohibit U.S. participation in the Saudi-UAE war in Yemen, when it passed the Davidson and Nolan amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act [NDAA]. [1] The Davidson [R-OH] amendment prohibits U.S. military action in Yemen not authorized by the 2001 AUMF [2]. U.S. participation in the Saudi-UAE war in Yemen is not targeting Al Qaeda or ISIS and is not authorized by the 2001 AUMF. Davidson's amendment would block the U.S. refueling of Saudi and UAE warplanes bombing Yemen. The Nolan [D-MN] amendment prohibits the deployment of U.S. troops to participation in Yemen's civil war. [3] Nolan's amendment would block the U.S. refueling of Saudi and UAE warplanes bombing Yemen. Tell your representatives that you support the House actions and that U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen should end immediately by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/1766 2. http://amendments-rules.house.gov/amendments/DAVIOH_020_xml%20(7)712171724502450.pdf 3. http://amendments-rules.house.gov/amendments/NOLAN_046_xml712171116271627.pdf

Congress must reclaim its Constitutional responsibility to review and debate the AUMF and military operations overseas. This responsibility is essential to the balance of powers, to our national security, to our economic wellbeing and it is a responsibility owed to the great sacrifices made by American troops abroad and to the civilians caught in the crosshairs.

This week the House is considering amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act. The House Rules Committee will decide which amendments will get House floor votes. Amendments have been offered which would end U.S. refueling of Saudi warplanes bombing Yemen [1], ban the transfer of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia [2], and block U.S. weapons transfers to Saudi Arabia until it ends its blockade that is pushing Yemen into famine. [3] Representative Tom Cole [R-OK-4] is Vice-Chair of the House Rules Committee. [4] Rep. Cole has been outspoken on the need for Congress to debate and vote on matters of war and peace. Rep. Cole has been an outspoken supporter of the Barbara Lee [D-CA] amendment to sunset the 2001 authorization of the use of force to compel the House leadership to allow a debate and vote on a new AUMF. [5] Representative Michael Burgess [R-TX-26] is another Republican member of the House Rules Committee. [6] A doctor, he was the only Republican member of the Rules Committee who voted last year to bar the transfer of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia. [7] Urge Rep. Cole and Rep. Burgess to use their positions on the House Rules Committee to allow House votes on ending U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen by signing our petition. References: 1.http://www.rules.house.gov/amendments/Khanna_001_xml76171528582858.pdf 2.http://www.rules.house.gov/amendments/AMASH_011_xml77171056555655.pdf 3.http://www.rules.house.gov/amendments/KHANNA_002_xml76171529362936.pdf 4.https://rules.house.gov/committee-rules-members 5.https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/support-protect-repbarbarale?r_by=1135580 6.https://rules.house.gov/committee-rules-members 7.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/obama-heeding-close-house_b_10516480.html

We fly drones over seven predominately Muslim countries, killing many civilians who are no threat to us while talk of Muslim terrorists is all over the news. To me this is the most risky thing going on in the world. It breaks my heart that the majority of my taxes go to war and the military.

Yemen now faces the worst cholera outbreak in the world, due to the U.S.-aided Saudi-UAE war and blockade that have pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. "There's a U.S. imprint on every civilian death inside Yemen that's caused by the Saudi bombing campaign," Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said. "The Saudis simply could not operate this bombing campaign without us. Their planes can't fly without U.S. refueling capacity." [1] Congress can address this crisis by supporting amendments on the National Defense Authorization Act to prohibit the U.S. refueling of Saudi warplanes bombing Yemen [2], to prohibit the transfer of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia [3], and to block weapons transfers to Saudi Arabia until Saudi Arabia lifts its blockade that is pushing Yemen into famine. [4] Urge your Representative and Senators to back these amendments to attack U.S. aid for the Saudi war in Yemen by signing our petition. References: 1.http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/24/534236954/yemen-now-faces-the-worst-cholera-outbreak-in-the-world-u-n-says 2.http://www.rules.house.gov/amendments/Khanna_001_xml76171528582858.pdf 3.http://www.rules.house.gov/amendments/AMASH_011_xml77171056555655.pdf 4.http://www.rules.house.gov/amendments/KHANNA_002_xml76171529362936.pdf

Members of Congress applauded after the House Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly approved Rep. Barbara Lee's amendment that would revoke the overbroad 2001 law giving the president authority to undertake war against al Qaeda and its affiliates unless a replacement provision is created. [1] The bipartisan vote was a rebuke of President Trump's abuse of this authority to use military force in Syria and Yemen against groups not affiliated with al Qaeda without authorization from Congress. [2] Rep. Tom Cole, a Republican who supported Rep. Lee's amendment, said, "It’s time for leadership to wake up, and the administration to wake up, and send over a recommended AUMF, mark it up and take it to the floor. I don’t know any other way to get their attention because we’ve been talking about it for years." [3] Unfortunately, House Speaker Paul Ryan called Barbara Lee's amendment a "mistake" and threatened to strip it from the bill. [4] Urge your Representative and Senators to support and protect the Barbara Lee amendment to sunset the 2001 AUMF by signing our petition. References: 1. MSNBC, "Rep. Lee & Rachel Maddow Discuss AUMF Repeal Amendment," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDB4-eDD9fQ; http://thehill.com/policy/defense/340066-lawmakers-applaud-after-panel-approves-language-revoking-war-authority 2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-spending-bill-targets-military-authorization-in-rebuke-to-trump-on-syria-isis/2017/06/29/fe1ab982-5d05-11e7-a9f6-7c3296387341_story.html 3. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/06/29/ryan_effort_to_repeal_military-force_measure_a_mistake.html 4. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/06/29/ryan_effort_to_repeal_military-force_measure_a_mistake.html

To stop the air, land and sea blockade on Yemen, according to the United Nations, is causing the death and starvation of more than 3 million Yemeni people, including children.

Three prominent CNN journalists resigned on June 26 after CNN was forced to retract and apologize for a story linking a Trump ally to a Russian investment fund under congressional investigation. The CNN story had been based on a single anonymous source. An internal investigation by CNN management found that some standard editorial processes were not followed when the article was published. [1] Buzzfeed reported that CNN has now imposed strict new publishing restrictions for online articles involving Russia. [2] But as Glenn Greenwald noted at The Intercept, the problem is not limited to CNN: "CNN is hardly alone when it comes to embarrassing retractions regarding Russia. Over and over, major U.S. media outlets have published claims about the Russia Threat that turned out to be completely false - always in the direction of exaggerating the threat and/or inventing incriminating links between Moscow and the Trump circle. In virtually all cases, those stories involved evidence-free assertions from anonymous sources that these media outlets uncritically treated as fact, only for it to be revealed that they were entirely false. Several of the most humiliating of these episodes have come from the Washington Post... In sum, anything is fair game when it comes to circulating accusations about official U.S. adversaries, no matter how baseless, and Russia currently occupies that role. (More generally: The less standing and power one has in official Washington, the more acceptable it is in U.S. media circles to publish false claims about them, as this [3] recent, shockingly falsehood-ridden New York Times article about RT host Lee Camp illustrates; it, too, now contains multiple corrections.)" [4] Urge the Washington Post and the New York Times to review the standards of their Russia coverage by signing our petition. References: 1. http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/26/media/cnn-announcement-retracted-article/index.html 2. https://www.buzzfeed.com/passantino/cnn-russia-coverage-publishing-restrictions 3. http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/06/lee-camp-write-propaganda-ny-times-demonstrated-article.html 4. https://theintercept.com/2017/06/27/cnn-journalists-resign-latest-example-of-media-recklessness-on-the-russia-threat/