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 )

April Days Arrive, But Will Politicians Wake Up?

Even as the spirited nationwide April Days uprising against U.S. drone use gets into full swing, there remains a very serious question: will members of Congress wake up and realize they need to make big changes in the military conduct of the United States?

Senator Rand Paul injected great excitement into the No Drones movement by his filibuster protesting the confirmation of John Brennan, one of the architects of the current Administration's drone policy, as head of the CIA. Many people across the political spectrum were startled that it fell to Paul to take the lead on the issue. And it started to force a lot of people to think.

Locations of Congressional drones caucus member districts.

A big problem is that U.S. congressmen have been convinced that (a) the American people support the President's campaign of drone killing, and (b) drones are good for the economy. The best evidence of this is the drones caucus in Congress, a.k.a the "Unmanned Systems Caucus". Representatives from dozens of states participate in the caucus; there is an especially large representation from California and Texas.

The "April Days" should start to make members of Congress question these assumptions. Nonetheless, it is very difficult to lure congressmen out into the open to talk about drones. Here are a few variations on efforts to get members of Congress to engage on the issue:

OHIO - Congressman Michael Turner: Stop the Drones!

WISCONSIN - Tammy Baldwin on Drones

CALIFORNIA - Drones, Permawar, and the Problem of "Good Jobs"

Maybe 2013 will be the year that members of Congress will realize they can no longer hide from the drones issue, and from their larger responsibility to control U.S. militarism. (Or ... maybe 2014 will be the year to make some changes.)

Read about ALL the ways YOU can be involved 

in the April Days of Action Against Drones!