2007 Lobby Days

Grassroots power within the United States unseated 34 Members of the House of Representatives who voted against the McGovern-Lewis amendment to cut SOA/WHINSEC funding, drastically heightening our chances to close the SOA/WHINSEC through legislative action.

2006 Lobby Days Update

Downlaod and copy the Lobby Day fliers

Tags: Lobby Days 2007

Click on the images to download the documents.

Print the flyer front to back on legal size paper. It might take a while for the fliers to download as the files are pretty big.

These flyers are in PDF format, so you'll need the free Adobe Reader to view them. If you have trouble or if you'd prefer that we mail you a hard copy of the flier, contact Hendrik at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 202-234-3440.

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National Venezuela Solidarity Conference

SOA Watch is working as part of a broad coalition of U.S.-based solidarity groups on a National Venezuela Solidarity Conference in Washington, DC (March 4-5, 2006). People from all regions of the United States and Canada will come together to learn, share experiences and develop strategies for strengthening solidarity with the Venezuelan people.
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April 23-25, 2006<br>Bring the Vigil to Washington, DC

Tags: Take Action

Hold your Representatives and Senators accountable!

Join with many other SOA Watch activists and visit your Representatives and Senators in Washington, DC on SOA Watch's Lobby Days, April 23-25, 2006.

We need to build on the momentum of the Vigil with increased pressure on members of Congress! Build crucial support for the upcoming vote to close the SOA!

Find out more about the legislative campaign to close to SOA.

Join SOA Watch in DC on April 23-25 for several days of legislative trainings, rallies, lobbying, networking and more.

Schedule of Events:

Saturday, April 22nd

Social gathering at Capitol City Brewery, 2 Massachusetts Avenue NE 6:30pm

Sunday, April 23rd

Spanish Interpretation available

10:30am - 12:30pm Panel Discussion/Introduction to the weekend

Brief introduction to the weekend

Panel discussion on the intersections of globalization, militarization, immigration and the drug war and the relationship to the School of the Americas

Question and Answer section

Lunch Break

1:30pm - 3:03pm Legislative training

3:30 - 4:00 Break

4:00 - 5:30 Workshops/trainings

5:30 - 5:45 Break

5:45 - 6:30 Speech from Roy and Q & A

Monday, April 24th

Spanish Interpretation available

Rally and march on Capitol Hill, featuring speakers and musicians, followed by congressional visits in the House and Senate

Tuesday, April 25th

Congressional visits in the House and Senate

As soon as the summer of 2006, a vote on the School of the Americas will come up in Congress. We already have over 120 co-sponsors of HR 1217, the legislation introduced by Rep. McGovern that would close and investigate the SOA/WHINSEC.

Click on the image below to download a flyer for Lobby Days (PDF):

We are now in our strongest position to close this school since we won a vote in the House of Representativesin 1999. For more information about the legislative campaign, visit the Legislative Action Index or contact SOA Watch's legislative coordinator, Pam Bowman, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 202-234-3440.

Carry on the struggle to close the SOA in Washington this April!

How to Get to Washington, DC

Tags: Logistics

Charter Buses

Cheap! The best bet for groups over 25.

Coachquote.com -- Online service of the American Bus Association provides quotes over the Internet

American Bus Association -- Search engine contains 800 companies. Find one near you.

United Motorcoach Association -- Search engine contains 900 companies. Find one near you.

Group Rates

Amtrak: Contact Amtrak's Charter Services Department at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Southwest Airlines: Discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Call Group Reservations at 1-800-433-5368, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., all time zones.

Planes, Trains, Buses

Greyhound -- Online reservations. Good option for Midwest folks on a budget.

Amtrak -- Online reservations. Good option for East Coast Travelers. Act fast before they go under.

Trainhopping -- Not for the faint of heart.

Frontier Airlines -- Online reservations. Flies right into DC! Just as cheap as the bus for west coast travelers. Be sure to book at least 2 weeks in advance for the best rates.

Southwest Airlines -- Online reservations. Flies into Balimore/Washington International

Students

Urge your school to bring you to DC! Make a proposal to your school administration or student government to cover the cost of travel. Most schools have vans or buses that can be reserved in advance. Be sure to include any projects, presentations or other educational activities that your group will pursue in your proposal.

Parking for Caravans and Buses

If you are coming to Washington in a bus, van or caravan, there are several Metro stations that are set up to handle vast numbers of people. If you are coming from the North, park at the Greenbelt Metro station (Green Line). If you are coming from the south, park at the Franconia-Springfield station (Blue Line). If you have arranged a bus, the best place to park buses is at the Stadium-Armory station (Blue and Orange lines)