Last week, Senator Patty Murray, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that her committee would start to markup and finalize appropriations bills when the Senate returns from its July 4th recess.
The Senate State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee is working now on the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bill that provides key funding for Burma’s democracy movement in its struggle against the Myanmar military junta. It’s crucial that we tell our senators – early and often – that we demand increased funding at this critical time in Burma.
Click this link to tell your Members of Congress to fully fund the Burmese democracy movement
Already, a group of seven senators led by our champion, Sen. Jeff Merkley, have called for the Senate to appropriate $490 million for Burma and Rohingya-related programs. That would include increased support for both Burma-related programs and for Rohingya refugees through USAID.
Please follow up your message with emails, phone calls, and meetings to the staff of your U.S. senators and representative.
Follow up #1: send a direct email
First find out who is your U.S. House Member and then use our online list of key staffers in each House and Senate office.
Click here to enter your zip code and find your House Member
Click here to find the staff of your Members of Congress: Senate and House
for your email, you may wish to use a succinct and direct subject line such as: “Support full funding for Burma related programs for Fiscal Year 2025”
Start your message with a mention of where you live in the state. Feel free to include a sentence or two on why you care about human rights and Myanmar in particular. Please use or adapt the following text in your email. Please blind copy (bcc) us on your email at [email protected].
I ask that you support full funding for Burma related programs in the Fiscal Year 2025 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations bill.
At present, the House of Representatives and the Senate are producing their own version of the FY25 SFOPS appropriations bill. I ask that you weigh in with the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Appropriations Committees to request that they increase the funding for crucial Burma-related programs.
Please write back and tell me if you support full funding for Burma related programs in the Fiscal Year 2025 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations bill. Thank you.
Follow up #2: make a phone call
- Click here to find the staff of your Members of Congress: Senate and House
- When you reach their office, ask to be connected directly to the staffer, either in person on their voicemail.
- Simply tell the staffer – in person or on their voicemail – that you want your senator or representative to support full funding for Burma related programs in the Fiscal Year 2025 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill.
- Leave your name, number, and city of residence to indicate that you live in the state.
- Email us at [email protected] and tell us how your calls went.
Follow up #3: meet your Members of Congress in person or by video
We’re seeking one or more people in each state and House district. We would work with you to set up a video or in-person meeting with the staff of your House Member or senators. We’d also prepare you beforehand with talking points. The goal is to let you – voters from the district – lobby your Members of Congress effectively.
We have been impressed at how many people have already contacted us to meet their Members of Congress. Nothing has more impact on Congress than the voice of voters from the district. If you wish to organize or just participate in a meeting with staffers of your Members of Congress, just email us at [email protected]
Just one meeting, email, or phone call from a constituent can make a difference. Your Members of Congress need to know that you want Congress to act. The people of Myanmar can’t wait any longer.
Thank so much for your time and your support.