Amazingly, the bill includes $70 Billion for fiscal year 2009. This means the funds for the occupation will keep flowing well into the next administration, allowing the new president a free hand to continue the war and occupation with little or no accountability to Congress until next spring. This is an appalling abdication of responsibility.

At a time when money is urgently needed in our communities, the new bill would bring the total for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to an unimaginable $874 billion. By including FY09 funding, the Democratic Party House leadership is effectively taking the war off the Congressional agenda for the rest of this year. This might be our last opportunity to fight a war funding bill before the next President takes office and the new Congress is seated.

Your call today is crucial.

Call your Representative - 202-224-3121

Tell them to vote "No!" on this funding bill.

Tell them its long past time to bring all the troops home and end the war.

If you're keeping score at home, you may have seen that UFPJ is not alone in promoting a No vote today, and has been joined by AfterDowningStreet, Democrats.com, US Labor Against the War, American Friends Service Committee, Peace Action, Code Pink, and many others.

Meanwhile Democracy for America is off on election nonsense, True Majority is building a True Minority, and Moveon.org has sent out a vaguely worded Email suggesting that Yes votes on the other amendments are at least as important as No votes on the war $. Win Without War, on the other hand, sent out a clear Email, but has made comments in the press suggesting we should all just give up. WATCH what these organizations do, and what your representative does.