When I read the MA newsletter yesterday, I commented about the growing power of the propeace movement. With a Bill in the Senate, it is crucial that we extend our influence there in the 2006 elections. What is more, with 60 sponsors already signed on to the House Bill, we can mobilize the human resources necessary to bring the propeace agenda to the Senatorial candidates' debate. Following are two lists of Senators who are up for re-election in 2006. The first listing is alphabetical by name and the second is by state. (Bold indicates Senator Mark Dayton, the author of the Senate Bill.)

Alphabetical List

Bingaman, Jeff (D-NM)
Burns, Conrad (R-MT)
Byrd, Robert C. (D-WV)
Cantwell, Maria (D-WA)
Carper, Thomas R. (D-DE)
Chafee, Lincoln D. (R-RI)
Clinton, Hillary Rodham (D-NY)
Conrad, Kent (D-ND)
Corzine, Jon S. (D-NJ)
Dayton, Mark (D-MN)
DeWine, Mike (R-OH)
Ensign, John (R-NV)
Feinstein, Dianne (D-CA)
Frist, Bill (R-TN)
Hatch, Orrin G. (R-UT)
Hutchison, Kay Bailey (R-TX)
Jeffords, James M. (I-VT)
Kennedy, Edward M. (D-MA)
Kohl, Herbert H. (D-WI)
Kyl, Jon L. (R-AZ)
Lieberman, Joseph I. (D-CT)
Lott, Trent (R-MS)
Lugar, Richard G. (R-IN)
Nelson, Ben (D-NE)
Nelson, Bill (D-FL)
Santorum, Rick (R-PA)
Sarbanes, Paul S. (D-MD)
Snowe, Olympia J. (R-ME)
Stabenow, Debbie A. (D-MI)
Talent, Jim (R-MO)
Thomas, Craig (R-WY)

List by State

Kyl, Jon L. (R-AZ)
Feinstein, Dianne (D-CA)
Lieberman, Joseph I. (D-CT)
Carper, Thomas R. (D-DE)
Nelson, Bill (D-FL)
Lugar, Richard G. (R-IN)
Kennedy, Edward M. (D-MA)
Sarbanes, Paul S. (D-MD)
Snowe, Olympia J. (R-ME)
Stabenow, Debbie A. (D-MI)
Dayton, Mark (D-MN)
Talent, Jim (R-MO)
Lott, Trent (R-MS)
Burns, Conrad (R-MT)
Conrad, Kent (D-ND)
Nelson, Ben (D-NE)
Corzine, Jon S. (D-NJ)
Bingaman, Jeff (D-NM)
Ensign, John (R-NV)
Clinton, Hillary Rodham (D-NY)
DeWine, Mike (R-OH)
Santorum, Rick (R-PA)
Chafee, Lincoln D. (R-RI)
Frist, Bill (R-TN)
Hutchison, Kay Bailey (R-TX)
Hatch, Orrin G. (R-UT)
Jeffords, James M. (I-VT)
Cantwell, Maria (D-WA)
Kohl, Herbert H. (D-WI)
Byrd, Robert C. (D-WV)
Thomas, Craig (R-WY)

If your Representative to the House is already signed on as a sponsor to the House Bill, please do what you can to address the Senatorial candidates in your state. Please remember that this is a multi-partisan effort; there are approachable Republicans and conservative Democrats. Find out your Senatorial candidates' stand on the DoP and vote accordingly.

If you feel that your Senator or Representative is unapproachable or inevitable (e.g. unopposed), or if (s)he is not up for re-election this year, take steps to empower yourself to speak directly to him/her from a position of strength about sponsorship - or at least support. Talk to your friends, write letters and postcards to Congresspeople and media, make phone calls, circulate petitions, sponsor forums, etc. Sponsorship is not the only way your Congresspeople can help to bring the propeace agenda to the discussion table. Ask your contrary Congressperson if (s)he would be willing to call for a hearing in committee about the legislation. Perhaps constituents who are reluctant to petition for a "yeah" vote would sign a petition for a hearing.

In summary, it is important to keep the connections we established and the spirit we generated at The Peace Alliance conference open and alive. Try to keep the propeace agenda on the front burner all year long and not just at election time or at conference time. May we all find the necessary inner resources to be successful in this very important work.