As constituents of Congresswoman Barbara Lee, we are disappointed by her recent vote for an additional $40 billion for the war in Ukraine, thus funneling billions more taxpayer dollars to the Pentagon and war profiteers. While we realize some of the money was earmarked for humanitarian aid, we are still deeply concerned that continued weapons shipments only discourage a negotiated settlement. We deplore this vote mainly for two reasons: It is adding fuel to the fire in Ukraine. It will prolong the war, resulting in more Ukrainian and Russian deaths. It risks escalating and widening the war – up to and including nuclear war. The billions in US taxpayers’ dollars are desperately needed to address vital human needs at home, such as health care, housing, education, and the danger of climate change. In late January of this year, Congresswoman Lee issued a joint press release with Rep. Pramila Jayapal that said “there is no military solution to this crisis.” In March, following the Russian invasion and after voting for billions for Ukraine, Lee and Jayapal issued a joint statement cautioning: “Alongside this resolution, we must reaffirm the urgent need for diplomacy and de-escalation at this dangerous and unpredictable moment” ”support for diplomacy is the most direct means we have of trying to bring peace to Ukraine in light of continued fighting and mounting harm to Ukrainian civilians” “We must …work relentlessly toward de-escalation” Shortly after 9/11, Barbara Lee was the only member of Congress to vote against the Authorization for Use of Military Force, a blank check for endless war. At that time she said: “Some of us must say, let's step back for a moment. Let's just pause, just for a minute and think through the implications of our actions today, so that this does not spiral out of control.” But in May 2022, she voted in lockstep with every Democrat in Congress behind President Biden’s war policy without voicing such questions or concerns and without mentioning the need for diplomacy and de-escalation. As co-chair of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, Rep. Lee has fought for reducing the bloated military budget (calling for reductions of over 30%) and using that money to help meet the needs of poor and working people. But now she appears to be on board with massive and endless funding for the war in Ukraine. At the current rate, US government funds for the Ukraine war are four times the current budget to fight climate change. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, it would cost $20 billion to end homelessness in the United States. The increase in aid to Ukraine provided by Congress is staggering and now approaches Russia's entire military budget. It matches the escalatory rhetoric from the Biden Administration, which now says a US goal is to use the war in Ukraine to weaken Russia. We have supported Rep. Lee in the past in large part because of her opposition to the military-industrial complex and her advocacy for peace. We are deeply concerned about her stance lining up behind the forces of militarism, providing billions more to the war machine and putting us all at risk of a catastrophic war with Russia. We need to stop this war which is accelerating the advent of the 2 existential dangers we are facing. Nuclear War and Climate Change,

We believe that Rep. Huffman knows better, we cannot win peace without justice. He should reject the false promises of the Trump-negotiated “Abraham Accords” that only give weapon deals to undemocratic Arab regimes and diplomatic cover to Israel’s violations of international law. He therefore must rescind his support for HR 2748. If Rep. Huffman wishes to work for peace in the Middle East, he can speak up about very recent examples of Israel’s growing disregard for international laws and norms. Daily the Israeli government reminds us they want no part of any peaceful and just resolution. In October of last year, Israel effectively outlawed six prominent Palestinian human rights groups by declaring them terrorist organizations, a major escalation of its decades-long crackdown on political activism in the occupied territories. A resolution introduced by Rep. Betty McCollum condemning this extremist reactionary step has yet to be cosponsored by Rep. Huffman. Criminalizing human rights organizations should NOT be normalized. Israel military police to close "investigation" into death of Palestinian (and U.S. citizen) Omar Assad who was detained in January 6th, 2022 without charges, despite soldiers admitting they forcibly covered his mouth, cuffed him and left 78 year-old out in the cold, looking "sleepy" and unresponsive, didn't bother to call a medic. Even U.S. citizens are allowed to be subject to Israeli military brutality and still Congress demands this be “normalized”? Israeli military brutality and disregard for human life should NOT be normalized. On January 19th, 2022, at 3 a.m. in the morning, the Israeli military demolished the home and evicted the Salhiya family in the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, in a statement released on Thursday by the UNRWA. “In a matter of hours, the Salhiya’s house and possessions were destroyed, erasing all traces of their nearly 40 years of history in the neighborhood. Having already lost their place of residence as a result of the 1948 conflict, the Salhiya family is now again displaced, seeking refuge one more time.” Tens of Palestinian refugee families in different parts of Sheikh Jarrah alone (over 200 persons, many of whom are children) currently face an imminent threat of eviction by the Israeli authorities. Ethnic Cleansing should NOT be normalized. Rep. Huffman must repudiate his support of HR 2748 and instead work for justice that will bring peace. Sign this petition and call his Washington DC office today (202) 225-5161 and say “NO on HR 2748, no normalization with human rights violations!”

Nine nations collectively have approximately 13,100 nuclear weapons in their arsenals The detonation of even a small number of these weapons could have catastrophic human and environmental consequences Mayors in the United States will bear an overwhelming burden to manage the resources needed to address the impact of a nuclear explosion.

SIGNED BY Ann Wright - Col. U.S. Army (Retired), resigned U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan and member of the CODEPINK anti-drone war delegation to Pakistan in 2012. Matthew Hoh - Former U.S. Marine officer and resigned U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan. Kathy Kelly – Peace activist who has made 30 trips to Afghanistan and Co-coordinator BanKillerDrones.org. Brian Terrell – Peace activist who has made multiple trips to Afghanistan and board member of BanKillerDrones.org Medea Benjamin – Co-founder of CODEPINK, organizer of the anti-drone war protest delegation to Pakistan in 2012. Leah Bolger - Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired) , President, World Beyond War and a member of the CODEPINK anti-drone war protest delegation to Pakistan in 2012. Chelsea Faria – Board member, BanKillerDrones.org and a member of the CODEPINK anti-drone war delegation to Pakistan in 2012. Judy Bello – Upstate (NY) Drone Action and a member of the CODEPINK anti-drone war delegation to Pakistan in 2012. Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, 1976 and visitor to Afghanistan in 2012. David Swanson – Executive Director, World BEYOND War. The Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson – Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation (USA). Garett Reppenhagen, Executive Director, Veterans For Peace. Richard A. Falk, Professor Emeritus of International Law, Princeton University. Joe Lombardo, Coordinator, United National Antiwar Coalition. Phyllis Bennis – Institute for Policy Studies. Dr. Christine Schweitzer, Federation for Social Defence (Germany). Chris Cole, Director, Drone Wars UK. Debra Sweet – Director, World Can’t Wait. Susan Schnall – President, Veterans for Peace, New York City chapter, Veterans for Peace national board member. Maurice Carney - Friends of the Congo. Nada Khader - Executive Director, WESPAC Foundation, Westchester County, NY. Frank Brodhead – Coordinator, Concerned Families of Westchester (NY). Jack Gilroy – Veterans for Peace, Upstate (NY) Drone Action. Robert M. Smith – Brandywine Peace Community, Philadelphia, PA. Peace Action of Broome County, NY. Veterans for Peace of Broome County, NY. Friends of Franz & Ben. Ed Kinane and Ann Tiffany – Upstate (NY) Drone Action. Malachy Kilbride – Peace organizer. Janice Sevre-Duszynska – Baltimore Nonviolence Center. Susan H. Smith – Fellowship of Reconciliation (USA). Joy First – Peace organizer. Max Obuszewski – Baltimore Nonviolence Center and Baltimore Peace Action. Nick Mottern – Co-coordinator, BanKillerDrones.org SOURCES 1. >> https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2021/06/now-over-horizon-protection-afghanistan-will-fly-existing-hubs-acting-air-force-secretary-says/174595/ >> https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/2665540/pentagon-press-secretary-john-f-kirby-holds-a-press-briefing/ 2. >> https://www.c-span.org/video/?512340-1/defense-department-fiscal-year-2022-budget-request&live= >> https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-172830 4. >> https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/09/us/politics/afghanistan-airstrikes-us-troop-withdrawal.html 5. >> https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/06/us/politics/cia-afghanistan-pakistan.html >> https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/03/us/politics/biden-drones.html >> https://bankillerdrones.org/dangers/https:/bankillerdrones.org/dangers/ 6. >> https://www.iadllaw.org/files/BOMBING OF AFGHANISTAN IS ILLEGAL AND MUST BE STOPPED by Marjorie Cohn.pdf 7. >> https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N21/037/72/PDF/N2103772.pdf?OpenElement 8. >> https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/06/21/afghanistan-pakistan-imran-khan-peace-security-cooperation-us/ >> https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/557714-biden-and-nato-must-face-the-consequences-of-americas-withdrawal 9. >> https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/11/turkeys-troops-should-leave-afghanistan-under-2020-deal-taliban >> https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Hamid_Karzai_International_Airport

In February 2021, President Joe Biden’s aides launched a formal review of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay. We ask that this process be sped up to close a shameful historical chapter marked by torture, sexual abuse, cruel and unusual punishment -- all of which have tainted U.S. standing at home and abroad. Funding commitments in the American Rescue Plan would solidify the closure of the facility. Reuters reported: “Aides involved in internal discussions are considering an executive action to be signed by Biden in coming weeks or months, signaling a new effort to remove what human rights advocates have called a stain on America’s global image.” Asked whether Biden would shut the high-security prison located at the Guantanamo Naval Station by the time his presidency ends, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters: “That certainly is our goal and our intention.”

Please sign this letter which we will forward so President Biden sees a spike of opposition to the U.S. nuclear weapons posture. March 1 is the anniversary of the 20Mton H-bomb test known as "Bravo" that made human guinea pigs out of the people of Rongelap downwind from the Bikini Atoll in 1954 and also sparked the Japanese antinuclear movement because a Japanese fishing vessel was likewise caught directly in the fallout. We want to communicate our grave concerns about the nuclear posture of the United States. As a nuclear armed state, every overt and covert military operation overseen by the United States is backed up by its first-strike capable nuclear arsenal, making them potential violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and other international agreements.

1. Our bloated military budget is larger than the NEXT 10 countries together and is only supporting the already wealthy Military-Industrial-Banking complex. 2. This money is critical to supporting the ongoing wars, civilian deaths and casualties around the world and is creating hatred and violence. Did you know American soldiers were killed in Africa recently? 3. By law, the Pentagon is supposed to provide Congress with a yearly audit. They have broken the law annually and TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS are missing - over $21,000,000,000,000 as of the last investigation. 4. The Military is the largest single source of pollution and planetary degradation. No global plan to end our environmental crisis can succeed without dealing with this. 5. Either we are spending our money on Life or Death. As a so called ethical culture of religious and moral values how can we sanction killing people, all in defenceless 3rd world countries, who have not attacked us? If you condemn abortion but not our endless wars you are at best a hypocrite. 5. Did you know virtually every conflict since 1945 was triggered or promoted by the United States? Is this the country you want to be associated with? 6. Curtailing military spending will decrease our historic budget deficits.

It is imperative that we pursue peace and global cooperation in the face of climate catastrophe and human suffering from multiple U.S. wars, occupations and drone attacks. Flournoy, a Pentagon advisor in the Clinton and Obama administrations, calls for the US to send more military equipment to Saudi Arabia to police the Middle East while the US pivots to Asia to ramp up a Cold War with China. In her essay, “How to Prevent a War with Asia,” Flournoy claims the way to prevent a nuclear confrontation with China is for the U.S. to increase military spending on cyber warfare, artificial intelligence and drones, as well as troop deployments to the South China Sea to conduct roving war games near two nuclear powers, China and North Korea. This is a prescription for tremendous human suffering. Flournoy supported the surge in Afghanistan, regime change in Syria and the disastrous military intervention in Libya. She sits on the Board of Booz Hamilton, a consultancy for military contractors and during her 2013-2016 tenure with Boston Consulting expanded military contracts from $1.6-$32 million dollars (American Prospect). It is a fundamental conflict of interest to choose a Secretary of Defense so closely tied to war profiteers. We need a Secretary of Defense, untethered to the weapons industry, who will embrace diplomacy and reject a new arms race with China. One possible candidate is Thomas Countryman, Board Chair, Arms Control Association, former United States Assistant secretary of State for International Security and Adviser to Diplomacy Works. Thank you.

The U.S. Navy has 225 million gallons of jet fuel stored in twenty, 20-story fuel tanks constructed 80 years ago during World War II inside Red Hill. These tanks sit a mere 100 feet above Honolulu’s water supply. We do not trust in 80 year-old tanks that now are as thin as a dime with the pressure of 12.5 million gallons in each tank. With the November 2021 contamination of 93,000 residents who ironically are in the military communities around Pearl Harbor, we know it is only a matter of time before contamination may reach the aquifer polluting the water for 400,000 residents of Honolulu. The Governor and members of the Hawai'i Congressional delegation have finally called for suspension of Red Hill operations and the removal of the fuel from the tanks. State and Federal officials are also concerned about the U.S. Navy’s plan for the tanks and in a October 26, 2020 letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Hawaii’s Department of Health rejected the U.S. Navy’s plan for the tanks as “deficient.” According to ABS Consulting, a firm hired by the U.S. Navy, there is a 27.6% chance of a leak of up to 30,000 gallons of fuel during any given year which has been called a “conservative" estimate by an EPA specialist. . ABS also calculated a 34% chance of a release of over 120,000 gallons in the next 100 years. Chronic, undetected releases are expected to total 5,803 gallons per year, according to ABS. In 2014, Fuel tank #5 leaked 24,000 gallons. That same fuel tank was put back into operation in 2020. In September 2019, the Navy released its preferred plan on how to upgrade the Red Hill tanks after studying six tank upgrade options. The Navy’s preferred choice—the least protective and least expensive option—is to keep the original steel tank liner, coat it with epoxy, and explore installing a water treatment plant to filter toxic chemicals from Oʻahu’s drinking water in the case of another major leak. The plan also commits to some undefined, undetermined “double-wall equivalency” solution or relocation of the tanks “around 2045”– which proposes to extend the deadline to upgrade the tanks another 7 years using some unknown, future technology that is not actually a double-walled solution. The idea of putting off another 20 years until 2045 a decision on the future of the tanks is irresponsible. Other Department of Defense fuel tanks locations have replaced their aging fuel tanks that too have had leaks. With the largest budget in U.S. history-over $780 billion this year, DOD can certainly put into its budget the removal of the fuel tanks from Red Hill. The $194 million overhaul of the Point Loma-San Diego, California fuel tanks began in 2005 and was finished in 2013. 54 underground and above-ground fuel storage tanks were replaced with eight tanks, all above ground. Fuel tanks at Kitsap Naval Base, Washington are also being replaced. While Department of Defense will cite national security for the necessity of retaining the tanks, as residents of Oahu we believe our human security demands the protection of our water supply. We residents of Oahu rely on the Department of Health to protect us from danger. Red Hill jet fuel tanks are the biggest danger the residents of Oahu have. Following are among many documents that provide evidence of the dangers of Red Hill jet fuel tanks to our public safety: https://www.staradvertiser.com/tag/red-hill-water-crisis/ University of Hawaii video of the Red Hill fuel tanks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_pPWoGlO-s https://www.civilbeat.org/2022/03/how-hawaii-activists-helped-force-the-militarys-hand-on-red-hill/ https://popularresistance.org/hawaii-groups-wary-of-militarys-sudden-decision-to-shut-down-red-hill/ https://popularresistance.org/1-1-billion-and-counting-for-navys-obstinance-in-shutting-down-leaking-fuel-tanks/ How the Military Poisoned its Families https://youtu.be/QToBQ9kCuSs https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2957825/statement-by-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-the-closure-of-the-red/ https://www.staradvertiser.com/2022/03/08/hawaii-news/red-hill-bulk-fuel-storage-facilitys-permanent-closure-is-ordered/ https://features.nmgnetwork.com/beneath-red-hill/?fbclid=IwAR1d-q_gt2R4IWRHhA_E-9ElxzWnrs2ybqlg5BXjDiLXAPYUGVD0HpYT8Cs https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/12/hawaiis-leadership-calls-for-suspension-of-navys-red-hill-fuel-facility/ https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/12/navy-has-no-realistic-timeline-to-restore-safe-water-to-military-housing-on-oahu/ https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/12/honolulu-shuts-off-major-water-sou https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2020-10/documents/red-hill-tua_proposal_final_combined_response-2020-10-26.pdf https://www.civilbeat.org/beat/navys-red-hill-fuel-tank-plan-rejected-by-epa-health-department/ https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-06/documents/red_hill_risk_assessment_report_redacted-2018-11-12.pdf https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2011/budget_justification/pdfs/04_Family_Housing/milconFamHSG.pdf https://sierraclubhawaii.org/redhill https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/05/the-navy-replaced-its-leaky-fuel-tanks-in-california-why-not-oahu/ https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/03/11/breaking-news/red-hill-tank-that-leaked-fuel-being-brought-back-into-service/ https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-09/documents/red_hill_aoc_tua_proposal_decision_document_20190919.pdf https ://printreplica.staradvertiser.com/?publink=2e10d1b5b_1345f04&fbclid=IwAR2GQVpfBQSwrUE4R4l_N0sAbKeJqpC296AmhBG-h2s48uO_ty6oULe5qGw Link to the 103 page report of the Hearing Officer that was released September 10, 2021. https://www.scribd.com/document/524707077/Red-Hill-recommended-decision-finding-of-fact

The U.S. military wants to extend the lease on the State of Hawai'i property as it provides access to the 110,000 acres of adjacent U.S. government-owned land at the largest U.S. military firing range. The Army calls the 132,000-acre range on Hawaii island the “Pacific’s premier training area.” Pōhakuloa Training Area (PTA), with a 51,000-acre “impact area,” is used heavily by Hawaii-based and visiting international military forces. It is the largest live-fire range in Hawaii and supports full-scale combined arms field training from the squad to brigade (approximately 3,500 soldiers) level. The Army set a 40-day public "scoping" period for the Environment Impact Statement (EIS). Written comments should be submitted via the EIS website at 808ne.ws/357ek2V. Hawaiian cultural practitioners Clarence Ku Ching and Mary Maxine Kahaulelio filed suit against the Hawai'i State Department of Land and Natural Resources in 2014 claiming the state breached its trust duties by failing to enforce the lease. Four years later, State Circuit judge Gary Chang ruled in 2018 in Ching and Kahaulelio’s lawsuit (Ching v. Case) that the DLNR failed to care for the Big Island property, lacking inspections over the first nearly 50 years of the lease. Judge Chang said that the state has a duty to "mālama ʻāina" and called two DLNR inspection reports “grossly inadequate” and ordered the state to develop and potentially execute a plan to obtain adequate funding for a compre­hensive cleanup of the land. After Judge Chang’s order, DLNR said that as the landlord of the property, it would work with the Army to develop a formal inspection, monitoring and reporting process, which has been virtually non-existent. However, the Hawaii Supreme Court overturned part of the order. Hawai'i State organizations that support this petition are: Hawai'i Peace and Justice; Veterans for Peace-Chapter 113-Hawai'i; Cancel RIMPAC Coalition; Golden Rule Anti-Nuclear Sailing Ship: Women's Voices Women Speak; Malu Aina Center for Non-Violent Education and Action; Peace Action-Maui; National and International Organizations that support this petition: World Beyond War; Peace Action; Popular Resistance; Background Links: VIDEO: Mauna Kea Observatory Directors Give Update https://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2019/08/25/video-mauna-kea-observatories-directors-give-update Hawaii Has Failed To Take Care Of Pohakuloa https://www.civilbeat.org/2019/08/hawaii-has-failed-to-take-care-of-pohakuloa/ Ching v. Case Ruling https://law.justia.com/cases/hawaii/supreme-court/2019/scap-18-0000432.html

More innocent Gaza residents will die from starvation, lack of air and from drinking contaminated water which might lead to the annihilation of the population of the Gaza strip. We need to start an emergency airlift to take many unarmed civilians from the Jabilya refugee camp in the Gaza strip.

You know. It's clear when we listen to the youth rising, and look at the "racism, vast militarism and extreme materialism" around us. the real threat of nuclear extinction. The real threat of our grandchildren having an inhabitable climate and planet.