August 16, 201

A large Democractic delegation just returned from an AIPAC-sponsored junket to Israel, and Republicans are preparing for two more delegations. Do you know where your Congressperson is this August?

81 Representatives are touring Israel this month, compliments of an affiliate of the Israel lobby AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) but still clocked in on the taxpayer’s dime. This is shameful at a time when lawmakers are needed at home to deal with the economic crisis. 

In response, CODEPINK has filed a complaint to the House Ethics Committee. Congress is prohibited from participating in any multiple-day trip that is planned, organized, requested, or arranged by a lobbyist. AIPAC has gotten around this by funding trips like this one through the 501(c)(3) organization the American Israel Education Foundation.

We need you to help us continue to name and shame those Representatives going on this lobbyist-paid junket:

1. Is your rep going on one of these trips?  See partial list of 33 Reps. here. If your rep is not listed,
call 202-224-3121 and find out if s/he is going (or has gone) to Israel this month on a trip paid for by the AIPAC-affiliated American Israel Educational Foundation.  If not, THANK YOUR REPRESENTATIVE for not going. 

If yes, see if s/he is making any public appearances in district that you can attend, or make an office visit appointment, and try to get your rep on video saying why s/he accepted the junket invite.  If you are given any sort of useful quote, write down the name of the staffer and send it our way to Alli@codepink.org.

IMPORTANT: Let us know the result of your call so that we can update our list of who is going by emailing Alli@codepink.org.

2. Get a cyber conversation going! Tweet at your Representative, or other Reps who are going.  Plus, follow @MoveOverAIPAC for the latest news. Tweet Now!