Call Sen. Schumer: Don't abandon refugees

Can you pick up the phone right now, call Senator Schumer, and urge him to side with President Obama and not turn his back on refugees fleeing the violence in Syria?

Dear New York MoveOn member,

We may have just a few hours to prevent Senator Chuck Schumer from siding with Republicans and abandoning thousands of families seeking refuge from the violence in Syria.¹

Republicans are moving at breakneck speed on legislation to slam the door shut on Syrian refugees seeking safety in the United States.² But they can only succeed if some Democrats join them.

And Senator Schumer has told reporters that he is making up his mind TODAY, so he needs to hear from us right now.³

Can you pick up the phone right now, call Senator Schumer, and urge him to side with President Obama and not turn his back on refugees fleeing the violence in Syria?

You can say: "I'm calling to urge Senator Schumer not to turn his back on Syrian refugees. We should be expanding our refugee relief and resttlement program—not blocking families from seeking refuge here. Stand strong with President Obama and against the Republicans on this issue."

Call volume is high, and it may be difficult to get through. Try Sen. Schumer's Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-6542 first. If you can't get through, try these other offices until someone picks up the phone:

Albany district office: (518) 431-4070
Binghampton district office: (607) 772-6792
Buffalo district office: (716) 846-4111
Melville district office: (631) 753-0978
New York City district office: (212) 486-4430 
Peekskill district office: (914) 734-1532
Rochester district office: (585) 263-5866
Syracuse district office: (315) 423-5471

Then click here to report your call:
http://civic.moveon.org/call?tg=FSNY_1&cp_id=2444&id=135326-10220574-wtLHPzx&t=1

These refugees—many of them widows and children—go through tougher security screening than any other group seeking to enter the United States.⁴

And our most basic values are on the line. Do we still live up to the inscription on the Statue of Liberty: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free"? Will we live up to the Golden Rule, to do unto others as you would have them do unto you? Imagine fleeing for your life—wouldn't you want to know that America could take you in? 

Again, you can reach Senator Schumer's Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-6542. If you can't get through, then try these other offices:

Albany district office: (518) 431-4070
Binghampton district office: (607) 772-6792
Buffalo district office: (716) 846-4111
Melville district office: (631) 753-0978
New York City district office: (212) 486-4430 
Peekskill district office: (914) 734-1532
Rochester district office: (585) 263-5866
Syracuse district office: (315) 423-5471

And then click here to let us know you called:
http://civic.moveon.org/call?tg=FSNY_1&cp_id=2444&id=135326-10220574-wtLHPzx&t=2

Elizabeth Warren spoke about this issue to the Senate yesterday. She defended the refugees fleeing ISIS's violence in Syria—and noted:

We are not a nation that delivers children back into the hands of ISIS because some politician doesn't like their religion.

Bernie Sanders spoke up powerfully as well:

I am disturbed by some of what I am hearing from my Republican colleagues, and I will just say this: During these difficult times, as Americans we will not succumb to racism, we will not allow ourselves to be divided and succumb to Islamophobia. And when hundreds of thousands of people have lost everything—have nothing left but the shirts on their backs—we will not turn our backs on the refugees.

And Hillary Clinton tweeted yesterday: "We've seen a lot of hateful rhetoric from the GOP. But the idea that we'd turn away refugees because of religion is a new low."

This is crunch time. The lives of thousands of families are on the line. Republican fearmongers can't succeed unless they get enough Democrats to join them in overriding the President, so it all comes down to decisions being made today. Our voices can make a difference.

Thanks for all you do, 

–Ben, Corinne, Anna, Jo, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Schumer: Refugee pause may be necessary," The Hill, November 17, 2015 
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308261&id=135326-10220574-wtLHPzx&t=3

2. "Republicans in Congress Plan Thursday Vote to Halt Syrian Refugees Coming to the U.S.," Slate, November 17, 2015 
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308265&id=135326-10220574-wtLHPzx&t=4

3. "Schumer: Refugee pause may be necessary," The Hill, November 17, 2015
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308261&id=135326-10220574-wtLHPzx&t=5

4. "How We're Welcoming Syrian Refugees While Ensuring Our Safety," The White House, November 17, 2015    
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308266&id=135326-10220574-wtLHPzx&t=6

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