There is no easier way to make sure that the voice of Americans abroad is heard in Washington than to support American Citizens Abroad (ACA).
ACA is a membership organization representing Americans abroad and lobbying on our behalf. In fact this week, ACA members are participating in Overseas Americans Week in Washington, DC and lobbying members of Congress and the Administration on issues such as taxes and banking.
Please help American Citizens Abroad in their critical mission to advocate for Americans overseas.
Overseas Americans Week (“OAW”) kicks off today. OAW is an annual program now in its eighth year that embodies the commitment of overseas Americans organizations to maintaining an ongoing dialogue with Congress and agencies on policy issues that directly affect the lives of US citizens abroad. There is a lot on the agenda, so please contact your members of Congress and ask them to engage.
The participating organizations:
AARO: Association of Americans Resident Overseas, founded 1973, based in Paris
ACA: American Citizens Abroad, founded 1978, based in Geneva
FAWCO: Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas Inc., founded 1931, worldwide network
For more information on Overseas Americans Week 2009, contact:
AARO: contact@aaro.org
ACA: info.aca@gmail.com
FAWCO: USLiaison@fawco.org
The Washington Post reports that the prospect of a voting member of the House of Representatives for Washington, DC is looking good given the composition of the new Congress and President-elect Obama’s past support of the measure — indeed he co-sponsored similar legislation last Congress.
This is good news for all Americans and especially for those of us abroad. It would repair a great and historic inequality for the people of the District of Columbia and further cement the concept of now taxation without representation in the bedrock of American democracy.
Last month, American Citizens Abroad (ACA) awarded its Benjamin Franklin Award to Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Joe Wilson (R-SC).
The award honors Representatives Maloney and Wilson for co-founding and co-chairing the Americans Abroad Caucus. According to ACA’s press release:
The Benjamin Franklin Award was created by ACA to recognize members of Congress for their extraordinary contribution on behalf of overseas Americans and has been given only once before in the early 1980s to Representatives Bill Alexander (D-AR) and Bob McClory (R-IL).
ACA believes that Representatives Maloney and Wilson, in founding the Americans Abroad Caucus, have manifested their recognition of the important role played by overseas Americans as unofficial diplomats representing the interests of the United States abroad as well as their support for the particular issues which concern American citizens living overseas. All Americans abroad see the Americans Abroad Caucus as a major step forward in obtaining a voice in Washington and place high hopes in the Caucus.
The Americans Abroad Caucus was launched during Overseas Americans Week in Washington D.C., in April 2007. The bipartisan caucus now includes 24 members of Congress. (6 Republicans and 18 Democrats).
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