Happy 4th! Celebrate Independence by Taking Part in Week 18 of Our Letter Writing Campaign

by Kathy Drasky

Published July 03, 2009 @ 09:48AM PT

The 4th of July can be a bittersweet holiday for LGBT Americans. We do not enjoy the full realm of life, liberty and happiness provided by our Constitution. Being shut out from basic rights that others enjoy here in the Land of the Free is painful and frustrating. Knowing that many of our friends have been forced to live in exile because of unfair immigration laws -- or endure long and heartbreaking separations from their spouses doesn't exactly leave one feeling festive and ready to go out and watch the fireworks.

So -- here's what you can do to celebrate Independence utilizing the rights we do have -- like freedom of speech. Take part in Week 18 of Out4Immigration's Letter Writing Campaign. Our four targets this week and their staffers are listed below. And for a sample letter and more instructions (if you're new here), please read the other letter writing posts below.

Sen. Robert Casey (PA)
393 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6324
Toll Free: (866) 802-2833
Fax: (202) 228-0604

Staffers
bryn_mcdonough@casey.senate.gov
morna_murray@casey.senate.gov

Sen. Arlen Specter (PA)
711 Hart Building
Washington , DC 20510
Main: 202-224-4254
Fax: 202-228-1229

Staffers
JJ_Wilson@specter.senate.gov
Hannibal_Kemerer@specter.senate.gov

Rep. Rick Boucher (VA-9)
2187 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-3861
202-225-0442(fax)

Staffers
chris.davis@mail.house.gov

Rep. Pedro Pierluisi (Puerto Rico)
1218 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2615
Fax: (202) 225-2154

Staffers
Jonathan.Thessin@mail.house.gov
Geenae.Rivera@mail.house.gov

Week 17 -- Letter Writing Campaign

by Kathy Drasky

Published June 22, 2009 @ 10:39AM PT

Last week we added another co-sponsor to the Uniting American Families Act, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL-2), bringing the total number of co-sponsors in the House to 112. The Out4Immigration letter writing campaign continues to work -- many of you saw that Rep. Jackson had signed onto the Reuniting Families Act (RFA) and wrote him to remind him about UAFA. Thanks -- it worked!

Now we move on to Week 17. Our four targets, their staffers and a sample letter are all below.

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
269 Russell Office Building
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510-2202
Phone (202) 224-6221
Fax (202) 224-1388

Staffers
kaye_meier@levin.senate.gov
jackie_parker@ levin.senate.gov

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
503 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
ph (202) 224-4654
Fax (410)962-4760

Staffers
julia_frifield@ mikulski.senate.gov
mario_cardona@ mikulski.senate.gov

Rep. Stephen Cohen (TN-9)
1005 Longworth House
Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3265
Fax: (202) 225-5663

Staffers
David.Greengrass@mail.house.gov
Brittany.Johnson@mail.house.gov

Rep. Mel Watt (NC-12)
2304 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC
20515-3312
Tel. (202) 225-1510
Fax (202) 225-1512

Staffers
Jason.Everett@mail.house.gov
Alyssa.Gowens@mail.house.gov

Please remember, after sending your fax AND your e-mails to the staffers, be sure to mail your handwritten letter  to the members of Congress we are targeting. In the era of electronic communication and social media, handwritten letters are still a very effective means of reaching our members of Congress, and should be used as the final finishing touch of our weekly efforts.

SAMPLE LETTER

[Today's Date]

Dear [Senator][Represent ative] [Staffer] ,

I am writing to you to ask for [your] [ Congresswoman/ man.....] support by becoming a co-sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA; S. 424/H.R. 1024) sponsored in
the Senate by Sen. Patrick Leahy and in the House by Rep. Jerrold Nadler.

I am part of a group called Out4Immigration. [I am] [I know people who are] directly affected by the current unfair immigration policies in this country that deny gay and lesbian Americans in same-sex binational relationships the right to sponsor their permanent partner to live with them in the United States.

As you may be aware, these Americans in loving and committed relationships are often forced to make heartbreaking decisions to maintain their relationship. More often than not, these include having to leave the United States in order to be with the person they love. These American citizens are forced to give up careers, leave behind
aging parents and young adult children who rely on them and leave a community which benefits from their ongoing and active participation.

The Uniting American Families Act simply seeks to provide gay and lesbian U.S. citizens and permanent residents the right to sponsor their partners for immigration. It includes the same process and penalties as applied in heterosexual sponsorship applications. By co-sponsoring the UAFA you are showing your dedication to equality and the belief that no American should be forced to choose between their country and the person they love.

Thank you for your time on this important matter. I hope that
[your] [Congresswoman/ man ...] name will be added to the list co-sponsors on this bill and support the UAFA in any discussions concerning Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Respectfully,

[NAME]
[ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL]
Out4Immigration
www.out4immigration.org

Two More UAFA Co-Sponsors in the House

by Kathy Drasky

Published June 16, 2009 @ 04:44PM PT

We have two more co-sponsors of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) in the House!

Rep Quigley, Mike [IL-5] - 6/15/2009

Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] - 6/15/2009

This brings the total to 111. Let's keep the momentum going. See below post for this week's targets and if you haven't contacted them yet, please do.

Also -- if you are just joining the Out4Immigration Letter Writing Campaign -- you can read through the posts here to see our targets from previous weeks. To see who has signed on and who still needs a reminder, go to:

[House co-sponsors] http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HR01024:@@@P

[Senate co-sponsors] http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:SN00424:@@@P

Week 16 -- Letter Writing Campaign

by Kathy Drasky

Published June 15, 2009 @ 07:14AM PT

It's working! Thanks to all of you who are taking part in the Out4Immigration Letter Writing Campaign to gain additional co-sponsors for the Uniting American Families Act. We have a LOT to accomplish this summer -- and so we kick off Week 16 of our campaign by upping the number of Representatives and Senators we target to 4 per week.

Remember to write your letters (draft copy below) and FAX and snail mail it to the Congressperson/Senator's office. Then email requests to their staffers. All the contact info you need is below.

This week we will be contacting:

Senator Herb Kohl (WI):
330 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5653
Fax: (202) 224-9787

Staff members for Senator Kohl:
molly_harris@kohl.senate.gov
chad_metzler@kohl.senate.gov
 
Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-35):
2344 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2201
Fax: (202) 225-7854

Staff members for Rep Waters:

kathleen.sengstock@mail.house.gov
andrea.martin@mail.house.gov

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-16):
102 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3072

Staff members for Rep Lofgren:

ryan.clough@mail.house.gov
eleen.trang@mail.house.gov
 
Rep. Charles Gonzalez (TX-20):
303 Cannon House Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515-4320
Tel: (202) 225-3236
Fax: (202) 225-1915

Staff members for Rep Gonzalez:
angela.manso@mail.house.gov
julie.hart@mail.house.gov

[Today's Date]

Dear [Senator][Represent ative] [Staffer] ,

I am writing to you to ask for [your] [ Congesswoman/ man.....] support by becoming a co-sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA; S. 424/H.R. 1024) sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Patrick Leahy and in the House by Rep. Jerrold Nadler.

I am part of a group called Out4Immigration. [I am] [I know people who are] directly affected by the current unfair immigration policies in this country that deny gay and lesbian Americans in same-sex binational relationships the right to sponsor their permanent partner to live with them in the United States.

As you may be aware, these Americans in loving and committed relationships are often forced to make heartbreaking decisions to maintain their relationship. More often than not, these include having to leave the United States in order to be with the person they love. These American citizens are forced to give up careers, leave behind aging parents and young adult children who rely on them and leave a community which benefits from their ongoing and active participation.

The Uniting American Families Act simply seeks to provide gay and lesbian U.S. citizens and permanent residents the right to sponsor their partners for immigration. It includes the same process and penalties as applied in heterosexual sponsorship applications. By co-sponsoring the UAFA you are showing your dedication to equality and the belief that no American should be forced to choose between their country and the person they love.

Thank you for your time on this important matter. I hope that [your] [Congresswoman/ man ...] name will be added to the list co-sponsors on this bill and support the UAFA in any discussions concerning Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Respectfully,

[NAME]
[ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL]
Out4Immigration
www.out4immigration .org

3 More UAFA Co-Sponsors in the House

by Kathy Drasky

Published June 11, 2009 @ 08:51AM PT

Great news! Three more co-sponsors of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA, H.R. 1024) in the House. This brings our total to 108.

Rep Miller, Brad [NC-13] - 6/10/2009
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] - 6/10/2009
Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1] - 6/10/2009

If you have a moment today, please send these supporters a note of thanks -- and ask them to ask their colleagues who have not yet signed on to join in on this important immigration and civil rights legislation.

Next week -- we'll be changing the Out4Immigration letter writing campaign to target 4 members of Congress. We want to make sure we get our message out to everyone we can over the summer, so that when Congress reconvenes after Labor Day, and takes up Comprehensive Immigration Reform, the UAFA has more co-sponsors than ever.

Keep up the good work everybody! We are making change!

Week 15 -- Letter Writing Campaign

by Kathy Drasky

Published June 08, 2009 @ 07:38AM PT

Every week, Out4Immigration targets two members of Congress who we think understand and support our issue, but haven't signed on to co-sponsor the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) yet. We are encouraged in knowing that several of the Congresspeople and Senators we have written to signed on as co-sponsors soon after we wrote to them!

This week we are contacting:

Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)

We are increasing our efforts by e-mailing and faxing letters to staffers of these two Senators. We have revised the letter below so that it can be universally emailed, faxed and snail-mailed to staffers as well as to the Senators. The addresses and a draft letter - which you can edit, if you like - are below.

Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
United States Senate
154 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1903
Phone: 202-224-5344
Fax: 202-224-1946

Staff members for Senator Olympia Snowe:

Ron LeFrancois, Legislative Director
ron_lefrancois@snowe.senate.gov

Amy Pellegrino, Legislative Aide
amy_pellegrino@snowe.senate.gov

Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
United States Senate
413 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1904
Phone: 202-224-2523
Fax: 202-224-2693

Staff members for Senator Susan Collins:

Shaw Sprague, Legislative Aide
shaw_sprague@collins.senate.gov

Priscilla Hanley, Legislative Aide
priscilla_hanley@collins.senate.gov

Please remember, after sending your fax AND your e-mails to the staffers, be sure to mail your handwritten letter to the Senators we are targeting. In the era of electronic communication and social media, handwritten letters are still a very effective means of reaching our members of Congress, and should be used as the final finishing touch of our weekly efforts.

[Today's Date]

Dear [Senator] [Staffer] ,

I am writing to you to ask for [your] [ Congesswoman/ man.....] support by becoming a co-sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA; S. 424/H.R. 1024) sponsored in
the Senate by Sen. Patrick Leahy and in the House by Rep. Jerrold Nadler.

I am part of a group called Out4Immigration. [I am] [I know people who are] directly affected by the current unfair immigration policies in this country that deny gay and lesbian Americans in same-sex binational relationships the right to sponsor their permanent partner to live with them in the United States.

As you may be aware, these Americans in loving and committed relationships are often forced to make heartbreaking decisions to maintain their relationship. More often than not, these include having to leave the United States in order to be with the person they love. These American citizens are forced to give up careers, leave behind
aging parents and young adult children who rely on them and leave a community which benefits from their ongoing and active participation.

The Uniting American Families Act simply seeks to provide gay and lesbian U.S. citizens and permanent residents the right to sponsor their partners for immigration. It includes the same process and penalties as applied in heterosexual sponsorship applications. By co-sponsoring the UAFA you are showing your dedication to equality and the belief that no American should be forced to choose between their country and the person they love.

Thank you for your time on this important matter. I hope that
[your] [Senator's _______] name will be added to the list co-sponsors on this bill and support the UAFA in any discussions concerning Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Respectfully,

[NAME]
[ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL]
Out4Immigration
www.out4immigration.org

3 More UAFA Co-Sponsors in the House

by Kathy Drasky

Published June 05, 2009 @ 03:07PM PT

Great news! This morning we got three new co-sponsors of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA, H.R. 1024) in the House. That brings our total there to 105.

The three new co-sponsors are:

Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1]
Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6]
Rep Meeks, Gregory W. [NY-6]

Both Rep. Kennedy and Rep. Pallone were targets of the Out4Immigration Letter Writing Campaign, run by our volunteers Gina and Tom -- so please give them a round of applause and yourself a pat on the back for sending your letters, faxes and emails. They are working -- yes, they are really working.

To thank the Reps. for supporting us, click on the links above for their contact details. You can also ask them to ask their colleagues to join us in this historic cause for equal immigration rights and civil rights for all.