SUPPORT the "Come Clean on Drone Killings" Act (Schiff/Jones HR 4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act)

[UPDATE June 5, 2014: NINE (9) additional co-sponsors added in recent weeks:

Rep. Welch, Peter [D-VT-At Large]

Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]

Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7]

Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-3]

Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14]

Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-13]

Rep. Lowenthal, Alan S. [D-CA-47]

Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]

Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4]

GATHERING STEAM! . . .

(up-to-date list: http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/4372/cosponsors )


April 13, 2014 - Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) have now submitted a bill calling for drone transparency. See Natasha Lennard, "New Bill Aims for Drone Transparency," and Thomas Earnest, "Representatives Schiff and Jones Introduce Bill to Increase Transparency in U.S. Drone Program."

See also Joint Statement in Support of The Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act by Amnesty International, Arab American Institute, Center for Civilians in Conflict, Center for Constitutional Rights, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Global Justice Clinic, NYU School of Law, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, National Security Network, Open Society Policy Center, Peace Action West, Reprieve, and Win Without War.

Some people call it the "come clean on drone killings" act

The "Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act" could be the beginning of the end for out-of-control U.S. drones killings. But it's up to US to make sure this initiative doesn't die on the vine.

As Robert Naiman at Just Foreign Policy has said, "Whether the introduction of this legislation will mark a turning point in efforts to subject the drone strike policy to democratic scrutiny and the rule of law will significantly depend on whether members of the public rally behind the Schiff-Jones bill and press their representatives in Congress to cosponsor it." (See "Pass the Drone Strike Transparency Act")

Call your member of Congress today!

Here are resources to help:

Identify your member of Congress

Example letter to a member of Congress in support of HR 4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act (the "come clean on drone killings" act)

List for writing to members of Congress in California in support of HR 4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act (the "come clean on drone killings" act)

List for writing to members of Congress in Illinois in support of HR 4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act (the "come clean on drone killings" act)

List for writing to members of Congress in New York in support of HR 4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act (the "come clean on drone killings" act)

List for writing to members of Congress in Wisconsin in support of HR 4372: the Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act (the "come clean on drone killings" act)

Related posts

First Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) called the U.S. on the carpet for dodging the call from the international community to come clean about its drone killings. Then Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) submitted a bill calling for drone transparency. So ... are we finally going to get the truth?

(See REAL Progressives Demand that the U.S. Come Clean on Drone Killings)

A 2013 U.N. report makes it clear that the U.S. has to report fully on all its drone attacks.

(See 2014: The Year of Transparency (for U.S. Drone Use)?)

The reason the Administration is hiding truth about drones is that they don't have a satisfactory answer for how decisions about drone strikes are made.  As we have known all along, we need the public to think about how crummy the whole drone program is, and then they will be ready to be on our side. The best way to get them really thinking is to shine a spotlight on the secrecy, evasiveness, and deceit involved in the U.S. drone program.

(See Drone Killings: Come Clean )