As a global leader playing an active role promoting democracy, the US should also step in to provide assistance when those who have no choice must flee. A generation ago my family left Vietnam as refugees when I was nine-years-old. Before us, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese “boat people” survived the horrors of starvation, pirates, and storms in search of freedom. Had the US not welcomed us, we may have suffered a similar fate as the Syrian refugees. Today my sisters and I are proud contributors in the US economy, raising our own families to pursue the American Dream. I believe no one escaping the horrors of war should be subject to death and despair. Please give these innocent families a chance to pursue a decent life.

As Rosh Hashana approaches, we must remember and act on the words "Never Again."

As immigrant Americans, we would like to influence our government's response to this humanitarian crisis.

Irresponsibly, the national Republican Party has made opposition to the Iran nuclear agreement negotiated by Secretary of State Kerry and our European allies a litmus test of Republican Party loyalty, like opposition to the Affordable Care Act, opposition to raising taxes on the extremely wealthy, and opposition to modest cuts in the bloated Pentagon budget. Senator Susan Collins now faces a choice on the Iran agreement: to act responsibly, consistent with her reputation as a moderate and independent Republican, and support the agreement, knowing that if Congress were to kill the agreement, the international inspection system on Iran’s nuclear program would collapse, international sanctions on Iran would collapse, and the U.S. and Iran would be on a path towards an unnecessary and costly war; or comply with the loyalty demands of the Republican Party establishment and belie her reputation as an independent and moderate Republican, and vote to kill the agreement. Senator Angus King and Representative Chellie Pingree support the agreement. [1] The Bangor Daily News has urged Senator Collins to choose the responsible path and support the Iran agreement. [2] Add your voice for responsible policy by signing our petition. References: 1. http://bangordailynews.com/2015/08/19/politics/angus-king-george-mitchell-make-case-for-iran-nuclear-deal/ 2. http://bangordailynews.com/2015/08/31/opinion/editorials/susan-collins-should-choose-the-responsible-path-on-iran/

Senator Ben Cardin has disappointed many Marylanders by opposing President Obama's peace deal with Iran that would prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons for 15 years. He also said he will be introducing *new* legislation that will undermine the peace deal. In May 2015, he introduced an amendment that supported illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. We need a Senator who can be independent from Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government by voting for peace instead of continuous wars and occupations in the Middle East. Currently liberal superstars Rep. Donna Edwards and Rep. Chris Van Hollen are running for the US Senate from Maryland in 2016. Unfortunately they cannot both win. Whichever one of these Congresspeople doesn't prevail in 2016 will make an excellent replacement for Ben Cardin in 2018.

Maryland Democratic Senator Ben Cardin has announced [1] that he will join Chuck Schumer and Robert Menendez in opposing the agreement with Iran negotiated by President Obama, Secretary of State Kerry, and European leaders. Protecting the agreement is a key Democratic priority. Ben Cardin is currently the “Ranking Member" – the leader of Democrats – on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 38 Senate Democrats have said so far that they will support the agreement, ensuring that Republican attempts to kill the agreement in Congress will fail. [2] But unfortunately, this isn’t likely to be the last time that America will face a choice between diplomacy and war. When President Bush led the United States to war with Iraq under false pretenses in 2002-3, many Democrats in leadership positions played a key enabling role. It matters whether Democrats who enable Republican warmongering hold leadership positions. Like any American, Ben Cardin is entitled to his views; but if he supports Republican efforts to undermine diplomacy and provoke war with Iran, he is not entitled to lead Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee [3], has been a strong supporter of using diplomacy to resolve the nuclear dispute with Iran and prevent war. Urge Senator Murphy to run against Cardin for the Democratic leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/14/whip-count-where-the-senate-stands-on-the-iran-deal/ 2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/14/whip-count-where-the-senate-stands-on-the-iran-deal/ 3. http://www.foreign.senate.gov/about/committee-membership

Republican efforts to kill the Iran nuclear agreement have failed – they don’t have the votes to kill it. [1] This is a great victory for peace and diplomacy. Unfortunately, some Democrats, like Ted Lieu, now seem to think that they have a “pass” from progressives to vote against the agreement to appease pro-war special interest groups who spend a lot of money financing political campaigns. There is no pass. Progressives are keeping score. History has shown that Democrats who enable Republican warmongering once are likely to do so again – like Chuck Schumer, who voted for the Iraq war and is now one of only three Senate Democrats opposed to the Iran agreement. Urge Ted Lieu to stand with Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer in defense of the Iran agreement by signing our petition. 1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/14/whip-count-where-the-senate-stands-on-the-iran-deal/

Currently The United States is expected to receive 1,400 to 2,000 Syrian refugees for the year 2015, and 5,000 to 8,000 in 2016. There are over 4 million refugees that have fled Syria and this number grows everyday. While neighboring countries in the Middle East and The EU have reluctantly taken in refugees, they often find themselves in either inhumane conditions or stuck in the bureaucratic web of Europe's immigration debate . No one is better equipped to assist the Syrian people more than The United States of America. Our nation has a singular tradition of support and opportunity for all those seeking a better life, be it temporary or permanent. We have the heart, and we have the resources. Our nation's citizens are good people and will help in every way we can. Our country has proven it's heart time and time again, and now at this most crucial moment we should answer the call once more. Thank you.

after seeing pictures of the little Syrian boy dead on the beach my family and I are sad that America had something to do with this.

Dismissing the Iran Deal as "not good enough" is misguided. It lacks rationale, sense, and leads to the conclusion that Representative Meng is trying to sabotage the extraordinary diplomatic achievement with Iran, and the rest of the P5+1. Support diplomacy and common sense thinking - we will NOT reach a "better" deal and any belief in that is a fallacy.

The Washington Post has reported that 34 Democratic Senators have committed to support the Iran nuclear deal, meaning that Republican efforts to kill the deal have failed. [1] This is a crucial victory for peace and diplomacy. But that still leaves the question of what kind of people we want to lead the Democratic Party. This isn’t likely to be the last time that America faces a choice between war and diplomacy. In 2002, key Democratic leaders like Chuck Schumer voted for Bush’s Iraq war, even though international diplomatic efforts to avoid war had not run their course. Today, even though Chuck Schumer is one of just two Senate Democrats opposing the Iran deal, some people still think Schumer should be the next leader of Senate Democrats. Alan Grayson wants to be a Democratic Senator. But The Hill lists him as one of just two House Democrats “Leaning No” on the Iran deal. [2] His Democratic Senate primary opponent, Rep. Patrick Murphy, has come out in support of the deal. [3] Florida’s Democratic Senator, Bill Nelson, supports the deal. [4] But Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is chair of the Democratic National Committee [5], is “unclear/undecided,” according to The Hill. [6] Urge Grayson and Wasserman Schultz to join Sen. Nelson and Rep. Murphy in backing diplomacy, not war, by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/14/whip-count-where-the-senate-stands-on-the-iran-deal/ 2. http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/250261-the-hills-whip-list-house-dems-divided-on-iran-deal 3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/patrick-murphy-iran-deal_55e49fa9e4b0b7a96339d960 4. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/14/whip-count-where-the-senate-stands-on-the-iran-deal/ 5. http://blogs.rollcall.com/218/debbie-wasserman-schultz-iran-deal-position/ 6. http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/250261-the-hills-whip-list-house-dems-divided-on-iran-deal

I do not want to see any more soldiers die or suffer injuries. Too many innocent women, and children have died as collateral damage. We have many problems within our own borders which need to be solved, such as unemployment, homelessness, hunger, and crime. Let us address these problems instead of looking toward yet another war.