Tell Congress to Support the Border Security and Responsibility Act

Last week, Representative Grijalva (D-Arizona) introduced the Border Security and Responsibility Act of 2009 (HR 2076). This legislation would restore the rule of law to the borderlands by repealing the Real ID waiver provision and help protect our communities, private property, and national parks and wildlife refuges from damaged caused by the border wall.

This week, dozens of concerned citizens from across the nation are traveling to Washington, D.C. on their own dime to walk through the halls of Congress and build support for Rep. Grijalva’s bill.

But you don’t have to be in DC to make a difference. Please take action today. Call your member of Congress and urge him or her to support the Border Security and Responsibility Act of 2009. The congressional switchboard is 202-225-3121, or find your representative’s contact information at www.house.gov.

With enough phone calls, we can elevate this critical issue for Congress and ensure that the damage caused by the border wall is no longer ignored.

Thanks for making a difference, and please pass on this alert and post links to it.

Suggested Talking Points for Phone Calls:

· Please cosponsor the Border Security and Responsibility Act of 2009, a bill recently introduced by Rep. Grijalva.

· The border wall has caused significant damage to communities, water quality, and wildlife habitat. I think that Congress needs to act to address these problems that the wall has created.

· I am concerned by the fact that three dozen laws were waived for border wall construction. Landmark laws like the Endangered Species Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act were put in place for a reason: to protect the public’s interest. These laws shouldn’t be ignored. An unelected official should not have the power to waive these laws.

· Land managers, local officials, and local communities have been shut out of the decision making process. This bill would allow them to have a say in border security decisions by requiring full public notice and participation.

· To address the damage that border walls have caused, there need to be robust mitigation efforts. This bill would develop initiatives to help mitigate negative impacts to communities and natural resources, including the network of congressionally protected federal lands along the border.

· Please cosponsor the Border Security and Responsibility Act of 2009 and help restore and protect the communities and natural areas of the borderlands.