May 22, 2006

Dear Congressman Van Hollen:

 

            I am sure that you know by now that I have filed to run in the Democratic Primary in Maryland for the 8^th Congressional District seat.  I did not make the decision to run against you in the upcoming Democratic Primary lightly.  I have a tremendous amount of respect for you, and you and I agree on many of the pressing issues of the day.

 

            However, it is no secret to anybody in the 8^th Congressional District that you and I have a fundamental disagreement on the subject of the war in Iraq.  You have continued to vote for billions of dollars to continue this illegal and immoral war.  This war is becoming increasingly unpopular.  Young Americans continue to come home in body bags.  Others come home alive—but missing arms, legs, blinded, and in many cases both mentally and spiritually crippled from their physical injuries and traumatic experiences.  And countless Iraqi civilians continue to die as well.  Our military presence is not helping the Iraqi people; it is fueling the fires of death and destruction. It is time to end this war and occupation, bring the troops home, and cut off the funding for this horror.

 

            Yet you continue to vote for funding for this war, to the tune of billions of dollars.  You have stated publicly that you do not favor immediate withdrawal, nor even the setting of dates for withdrawal of U.S. troops.  You have stated publicly that you do not believe that the appropriations process in Congress should be used to force the Bush Administration to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.  You signed a discharge petition to get the “Homeward Bound” Resolution out of committee, so that there could be up to seventeen hours of debate on the floor of the House, but only after intensive lobbying by your constituents.  Your signature was number 111 on the discharge petition, and even though you signed it, you announced at one of your Town Hall meetings that you were not inclined to vote for the underlying legislation.  You have refused to join the Out of Iraq Caucus.

 

            I am sure that you have your reasons for taking the positions and casting the votes that you have. But many of your own constituents disagree with these positions and votes.

 

            We have a few short months until the Democratic Primary in September.  I know that your campaign schedule, as well as my own, will become increasingly busy and laden with conflicts.  But it is important that we as candidates debate this issue extensively and publicly.  There are many organizations out there that would be very willing to find a suitable location(s) and to set up the logistics for having this important debate, if you and I can agree on some times and dates.  It may well be that, given the importance of this particular issue, as well as other issues with which the voters may be concerned, we should try to have scheduled not just one debate, but a series of debates.  I will do my part to try to clear my own schedule to accommodate your schedule, and the schedules of other persons and organizations that might see fit to organize one or more such debates.

 

            I challenge you to debate with me the reasons for your votes and positions on Iraq, extensively and publicly, in one or more debates, to be held at such time, or times, that we can agree upon.

 

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                        Deborah A. Vollmer

                                                                        Democratic Candidate, Maryland CD-8

 

                                                                        Telephone: (301) 652-5762        

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