HARRISBURG, August 9, 2008 – Today, State Senator Jim Ferlo (D-Pittsburgh) is holding a press conference announcing his sponsorship of legislation to defederalize the Pennsylvania National Guard, and bring troops home from the war in Iraq. The press conference will take place across the hall from the Democratic National Platform Committee meeting in David L. Lawrence Convention Center, to raise awareness about this critical issue and charge Committee members to get involved.
Joining him will be a national and statewide coalition of military families, veterans, and concerned citizens.
Ferlo’s leadership builds on a growing national campaign, with already existing legislation in the Pennsylvania House, Vermont, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Oregon. The legislation states that the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) has expired, and that there is no longer any lawful basis for Guard presence or deployments to Iraq.
“We must empower our Governor to take back control of the Pennsylvania National Guard, and restore Pennsylvania’s ability to defend and protect our citizens at home from unpredictable natural disasters and emergencies. The recent flooding in Iowa highlights the domestic need,” said Ferlo.
Participating organizations are coming from Erie, Harrisburg, the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia, and York to join with Pittsburgh groups. Liberty Tree, Pennsylvania Peace Action, the American Friends Service Committee, the Pittsburgh Anti-War Committee, Vets for Peace and Code Pink will be amongst the participating organizations.
Speakers include; State Senator Jim Ferlo, Ben Manski of Liberty Tree, Helen Gerhardt as a National Guard Member and Iraq war veteran, Pete Shell of the Pittsburgh Anti-War Committee, and David Gibson of Pennsylvania Peace Action.
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