To: Sen. Robert Menéndez (NJ-1)
Demand Sen. Menendez stop endorsing criminalization of free speech
Sen. Menendez is one of 13 Senate Democrats co-sponsoring a bill, the Israel Anti-Boycotting Act (S.720), that subjects Americans who advocate such boycotting, or even request information about boycotting Israel, to penalties of up to $1 million and 20 years imprisonment while those who rally support for and donate to Israel remain upstanding citizens. See ACLU 7/17/17 letter to Senate www.aclu.org/letter/aclu-letter-senate-opposing-israel-anti-boycott-act. On August 1st NY Sen. Kiersten Gillibrand withdrew her endorsement of the bill in response to protests from her constituents, and your opposition to Sen. Menendez's co-sponsorship can cause the same response by him. That his website omits any mention of S.720 or the Israel Anti-Boycotting Act, and that his staff refuses to respond to any questions or requests for information about his co-sponsorship attests to Sen. Menendez's awareness of the bill’s repugnancy. Log onto his website and begin to repeatedly call, email and fax your demand that he withdraw co-sponsorship of the bill.
Why is this important?
Defeating this bill is critical to the protection of our First Amendment rights. It criminalizes free speech and non-violent political activism that is fundamental to American democracy. That Democrats are endorsing this anti-democratic legislation is contemptible. The failure of almost all of these senators to even acknowledge sponsorship or the existence of S.720 on their websites attests to their awareness of the bill's repugnancy. Find the co-sponsors at www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/720/cosponsors