Ban Blackwater from Iraq: Support the "Stop Outsourcing Security Act"
Sign the petition to Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Just a few months after the courageous people of Potrero kicked Blackwater out of their small town on the California border, Blackwater has announced plans to open a 61,600 square-foot "training facility" in San Diego just THREE blocks from Mexican border.
Blackwater is using your tax dollars on a mercenary war in Iraq -- $320 million paid so far, over 60% in no-bid contracts -- to subsidize building a base of operations inside California.
To block Blackwater in California for good, we need to put them out of business in Iraq forever. That's why we're supporting Rep. Jan Schakowsky's "Stop Outsourcing Security Act" (H.R. 4102), which would phase out private security companies like Blackwater in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Please sign the petition below to Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- California's most powerful member of Congress -- to stop Blackwater and urge her to support H.R. 4102.
Dear Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
We, the undersigned, urge you to immediately move to support Rep. Jan Schakowsky's "Stop Outsourcing Security Act" (H.R. 4102).
Rep. Schakowsky's bill states that within six months of passage...
"... the secretary of State shall ensure that all personnel at any United States diplomatic or consular mission in Iraq are provided security services only by federal government personnel."
Schakowsky's bill also states that "the use of private security contractors for mission critical functions undermines the mission, jeopardizes the safety of American troops conducting military operations in Iraq and other combat zones, and should be phased out."
Blackwater and other private security contractors should not be receiving taxpayer dollars to operate in Iraq and Afghanistan. Indeed, we must reverse the trend of outsourcing "mission critical and emergency essential functions that historically have been performed by United States military or government personnel."
Speaker Pelosi, as California's most powerful member of Congress, we call on you to take leadership by supporting the "Stop Outsourcing Security Act" as soon as possible.
Sincerely,