Press Releases & Announcements

February 21, 2008

PRESS RELEASE

Peace activist Deborah A. Vollmer has filed a Certificate of Candidacy to run as a write-in candidate for Maryland’s 8^th Congressional District seat in the upcoming General Election in November. Vollmer has long been critical of incumbent U.S. Representative Chris Van Hollen, for his mixed record on Iraq War funding, and his failure to take a leadership position in Congress to end the Iraq War and bring the troops home. In addition to representing Maryland’s 8^th Congressional District, Van Hollen is the Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Vollmer filed her Certificate of Candidacy to run as a write-in candidate on Tuesday, February 19. In the State of Maryland, it is necessary for the candidate to file a Certificate of Candidacy, in order for the write-in votes cast for that candidate to be counted.

Vollmer had run as a challenger to Van Hollen in the Maryland Democratic Primary, which was held on February 12. She ran a bare-bones low-budget, issue-oriented, self-funded campaign with no fundraising, and no paid advertising. Vollmer estimates that she spent under $2000 of her own money on the campaign. Despite the lack of fundraising and paid advertising, she received, at last count (with provisional ballots still to be counted) over ten thousand votes—10,490 votes, or approximately 9.2 % of the vote cast in the Democratic Primary for Maryland CD-8.

Vollmer is well aware that write-in candidates seldom win elections, but hopes to keep the pressure on Congressman Van Hollen to take a leadership role in Congress to stop Congressional funding for the war in Iraq, and bring the troops home. She hopes to be invited to candidate debates and forums, and intends to use her write-in candidacy to continue to pressure Van Hollen on the issue of the Iraq war.

For further information, see http://www.deborahvollmer.com. The candidate may also be reached at the following telephone number: (301) 652-5762.

October 25, 2007

PRESS RELEASE

Peace activist Deborah Vollmer filed today to get her name on the ballot to challenge U.S. House of Representatives member Chris Van Hollen in the upcoming election cycle for the 8^th Congressional District seat in the State of Maryland. Her name will be on the ballot in the Democratic Primary, to be held on February 12, 2008.

Her decision to run was made after Van Hollen, who had told his constituents that he was willing to cut off further funding for the Iraq war and occupation—and who had, in fact, voted last Spring against the most recent Supplemental Appropriations bill for the Iraq War—voted with a majority in the House on September 26 of this year for a “Continuing Resolution” to keep funding of the government at current levels, until such time as further debate on funding for the war takes place. The vote had little press coverage in the mainstream media when it was taken. It included an additional 14 billion dollars or so for the Iraq war and occupation, and has the effect of putting off the debate on the next Supplemental Appropriations bill for some months.

Van Hollen is the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. It is Vollmer’s position that Van Hollen has been in a position to use his leadership to push to bring about withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and end the funding for this war and occupation, but that he has failed to do so, and has thus failed his constituents in the 8^th Congressional District of Maryland, who want a speedy end to this tragic war.

For further information, please contact Ms Vollmer at (301) 652-5762, or by e-mail at dvollmer@verizon.net. See also website: http://www.deborahvollmer.com.

October 7, 2007

PRESS ADVISORY

Peace activist Deborah Vollmer will challenge U.S. House of Representatives member Chris Van Hollen in the upcoming election cycle for the 8^th Congressional District seat in the State of Maryland—either within the Maryland Democratic Primary to be held on Tuesday, February 12, 2008, or as an independent, or possibly as a Green Party candidate in the General Election in November of that year.

Her decision to run was made after Van Hollen, who had told his constituents that he was willing to cut off further funding for the Iraq war and occupation—and who had, in fact, voted against the most recent Supplemental Appropriations bill for the Iraq War—voted with a majority in the House on September 26 of this year for a “Continuing Resolution” to keep funding of the government at current levels, until such time as further debate on funding for the war takes place. The vote had little press coverage in the mainstream media when it was taken. It included an additional 14 billion dollars or so for the Iraq war and occupation, and has the effect of putting off the debate on the next Supplemental Appropriations bill for some months.

Vollmer expanded on her decision to run in a message to supporters on her website at http://www.deborahvollmer.com. That message is as follows:

October 3, 2007

To End the War in Iraq and prevent wider war with Iran and other nations, we must elect Representatives who will Stop the Funding for this Illegal, Immoral, and Tragic War. . . For this reason, it is time to consider an Electoral Challenge to Chris Van Hollen

Friends,

Mr. Van Hollen’s record on the Iraq War remains a mixed one. It is true that he did vote the wishes of his constituents when the last vote was taken on a Supplemental Appropriation of funds for the war in Iraq last spring. In late May, Congress gave the President some $145 billion for the War in a supplemental funding bill. At that time, Van Hollen voted with the minority, against continued funding for the war and occupation of Iraq. He voted the way his constituents wanted him to vote. This was good. But would he have voted the same way, had there been any indication that his vote might have made a difference to the outcome? It is easy to vote with one’s constituents, on a controversial vote, when that vote is unlikely to affect the outcome. What takes real political courage is the vote of conscience, when that vote really makes a difference. What will Chris Van Hollen do in that situation? We can’t know for sure, but a little publicized vote which took place on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, September 26, suggests a possible answer.

As anti-war activists continued to flood the halls of Congress, engaging in peaceful protest, in an effort to persuade Congress to stop funding this illegal, immoral, and tragic war, Congress was taking care of business as usual. Anti-war activists had been led to believe that there would be a new vote on continued funding for the war sometime around September (that is, about now). On September 26, the House of Representatives in effect voted to put off this vote—perhaps until January! What they did was pass a measure known as a Continuing Resolution, to keep all of the functions of government running until such time as there will be a vote on another Supplemental Appropriation. The continuing Resolution contains an estimated 14 billion dollars in Iraq-related funds. Chris Van Hollen voted for this Continuing Resolution, as did most members of the House! Only 14 members voted against the Continuing Resolution—that core of progressive activists in Congress that represent the values held by the majority of voters in Chris Van Hollen’s district!

The vote in the House of Representatives on the Continuing Resolution was particularly insidious for two reasons: it had the effect of delaying the vote on the Supplemental Appropriations bill and the accompanying debate for some months—and it actually provided for another 14 billion dollars or so of continued funding for the Iraq War! There has been little reporting of this vote in the mainstream media, and members of Congress would think it was just fine if none of us had noticed. Chris Van Hollen certainly had hoped that we wouldn’t notice. On Sunday, September 30, the eleven o’clock service at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church in Bethesda, Maryland, featured a “conversation” between Congressman Chris Van Hollen and Senior Minister Roger Fritts. When asked by Reverend Fritts a general question about Iraq, Van Hollen made the point that the votes were not there to end the war, but that they were working on this. He then gave some history of past votes on appropriations bills and resolutions—but made no mention of the vote on the Continuing Resolution that had just taken place on the preceding Wednesday!

Only when a member of the Congregation called out a question: WHY had he voted for the Continuing Resolution, including the 14 billion or so dollars for the war in occupation in Iraq—when by the way, fourteen of his colleagues had voted against the resolution—only then did he address the issue. He said voting down the Continuing Resolution would have amounted to shutting down the Government, which would have turned the entire country against Congress! I (who happened to be the person who had asked the question) took issue with him, stating that perhaps it was time to shut down the Government—this issue was that important.

After the service, I spoke with the Congressman and Reverend Fritts, making the case that surely the Democrats had enough clout in Congress, that if it meant shutting down the Congress for half a day or so, and the Democrats were clear as to how they articulated the issue, they should at least be able to force a separation of the Iraq funding issue from the Continuing Resolution—allowing Government to continue to function, while debate resumed in the House on the subject of the funding of the war!

Van Hollen continues to play a game of “safe politics”—throwing an occasional bone to his anti-war base, as when he voted against the last Supplemental—but failing to cast that important vote of conscience when it really matters! And precisely because Chris Van Hollen is the Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, he is in a position to use his leadership in a way that can make a difference, on this issue of continued funding for the Iraq War. It remains to be seen whether Mr. Van Hollen will develop the spine to do this, but time is running short!

To all members of both houses of Congress, I say IT IS TIME TO STOP THE FUNDING FOR THIS ILLEGAL AND IMMORAL WAR. It is also time to stand up to the drumbeat for wider war with Iran and/or other nations.

Up to this point, with the vote on the last supplemental a notable exception, Mr. Van Hollen has been an enabler to the Bush Administration on this issue of continued funding for the war and occupation of Iraq.

Mr. Van Hollen represents us—the people living and voting within the 8^th Congressional District in Maryland. He is a powerful fundraiser, and he has a strong sense of the power of his incumbency. But he cannot forget that he is in office because the voters chose to vote him in, and the voters in the 8^th Congressional District overwhelmingly want to bring our precious U.S. troops home from Iraq--NOW. If Mr. Van Hollen fails to do his duty to take a leadership role in ending this war, he WILL face opposition in the next election. And time is getting close. In Maryland, the Democratic Primary will be in February of 2008. The General Election will be in November of 2008.

Although it received relatively little press attention at the time, in the last Democratic Primary, in 2006, I ran against Mr. Van Hollen, and I received approximately 8.7 % of the vote--approximately 7000 votes. That may seem like a small number, but it was more votes than the Republican nominee received in his race in the Republican Primary held on the same date. It was also a result achieved with no fundraising whatsoever, with my spending just a few hundred dollars of my own money. It was a significant vote of protest to the continued disastrous Bush foreign policy, epitomized by the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq.

I must make my decision soon, as to whether or not to challenge Chris Van Hollen, either by entering the race myself, or backing another candidate. If I do make the decision to run myself, I am considering two alternative strategies: running in the Democratic Primary, as I have in past election cycles—or breaking with the Democratic Party, and running as an independent, or as a Green. I have been a Democrat all of my life, but I just don’t know if we can really hope to end this war, by working within the Democratic Party. With a few notable exceptions (Kucinich, Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey, and other members of the Progressive Caucus come to mind), Democrats seem to be lacking a backbone at this crucial point in history. To me, the character of the candidate and that candidate’s positions on issues are so much more important than party affiliation. The timetables for these two strategies that I am considering are very different, so there are a number of different factors to take into consideration. I welcome your input, as I weigh my options.

Peace,

Deborah Vollmer
Deborah A. Vollmer

For further information, contact Deborah Vollmer at (301) 652-5762, or by e-mail at dvollmer@verizon.net.

At 3:00 p.m. this afternoon (Tuesday March 20, 2007) Deborah A. Vollmer, will join with other peace activists at the Capitol Hill Office of Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Chris Van Hollen, to call on him to oppose further funding for the War in Iraq, and to oppose all efforts to engage the U.S. in a wider war with Iran. More specifically, Vollmer is calling on Van Hollen to support U.S. Representative Barbara Lee’s Amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill. The Lee Amendment would strictly limit spending to that necessary for an immediate, orderly, and safe withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The Lee Amendment is not anticipated to pass, and should it fail, it is Vollmer’s position that her elected representative, Chris Van Hollen, should vote against the supplemental appropriation bill, which would provide perhaps on hundred billion dollars to continue the Iraq War. Vollmer differs with MoveOn.Org, and with the Democratic Party leadership, which are supporting a more gradual approach to ending the war. She takes the position adopted by Progressive Democrats of America and Democracy Rising that funding for the War in Iraq be ended, except for those funds necessary for a prompt and safe withdrawal, and that U.S. troops be withdrawn immediately.

Van Hollen’s Capitol Hill Office, where the action will take place, is at Room 1707 in the Longworth Building. Activists will gather there at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.

In the last election cycle in 2006, Deborah Vollmer was a candidate in the Democratic Primary against Mr. Van Hollen. She did no fundraising, spent a few hundred dollars of her own money, and won approximately 7000 votes in the Democratic Primary, which was about 1000 more votes than the winner of the Republican Primary received in his race on the same day. Her campaign focused on Mr. Van Hollen’s role as an “enabler”, who , while critical of the war in Iraq in speeches on the floor of the House, continued to vote for the funding.

Vollmer will join a group of peace activists which is anticipated to include members of peace organizations including, but not limited to: Montgomery County Peace Action, McCAW (the Montgomery County Coalition for Alternatives to War), and Democracy Rising. This action is one of a series of nationwide efforts to focus on House and Senate members, in both their Capitol Hill and local district offices. Van Hollen is a focus of attention because he is viewed as a rising star within the Democratic Party, and chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Should the peace activists be successful in persuading him to change his mind and take an active role in taking the leadership in calling for an end to the funding for the war and for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops, he could be a powerful ally. Organizers of the protest are not overly optimistic about this, but feel it is important to try.

Activists attending today will be prepared to camp out at Van Hollen’s Capitol Hill Office, possibly into the night.

The following message currently appears on Deborah Vollmer’s website at http://www.deborahvollmer.com

To End the War in Iraq, and prevent a new war in Iran, we must act politically...

            In the General Election last November, we the voters, fed up with the illegal, immoral, and tragic war in Iraq, swept the Democrats into power, in both houses of Congress. I have previously extended my congratulations to Chris Van Hollen, who, as expected, won in the 8th Congressional District in Maryland. But I ask Chris Van Hollen, and other Democratic winners in the new Congress, to pay attention to why there was such an overwhelming Democratic sweep—Americans are sick and tired of seeing young Americans, and Iraqi civilians, die in Iraq. I am troubled by the fact that the Democratic Party leadership seems intent on continuing the funding for this war.

            I congratulate U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich for entering the race for President of the United States, in 2008. He is one of the few Democrats who is willing to call on his fellow members of Congress to bring an end to the war in Iraq, by cutting off the funding. As he points out, there is plenty of money in the pipeline already to support a speedy and orderly withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

            To all members of both houses of Congress, I say IT IS TIME TO STOP THE FUNDING FOR THIS ILLEGAL AND IMMORAL WAR.

            As for my own plans, I am not at present actively campaigning for a seat in Congress in 2008—but I am not ruling out that possibility, either. In many ways, Chris Van Hollen has been a good representative for the people in the 8th Congressional District. My biggest criticism of Mr. Van Hollen is that, like almost all the other Democratic members of Congress, he has continued to vote for funding for the Iraq War, even as he criticizes the Bush Administration for the invasion and occupation of Iraq. In effect, Mr. Van Hollen has been an enabler to the Bush Administration on this issue. But now we have a new Congress, and the Democrats potentially have the power to end this war. Will they do so? Or will they continue to vote money for this illegal and immoral war? I am willing to give Mr. Van Hollen the opportunity to do the right thing by voting against continued funding for this war, before announcing any political plans of my own. Meanwhile, I will continue to focus my efforts on advocating for an end to this brutal, senseless, and immoral war.

Unfortunately, the most recent indications are that the Democrats, in disarray over how to deal with the issue of the Iraq war, will probably take the approach of loading up the next supplemental appropriations bill with “goodies”, as well as continued funding for the war, and pass the supplemental appropriations bill.

Chris Van Hollen has a rare opportunity to stand up to the plate and make a difference—by announcing his opposition to any supplemental appropriations bill that includes funding for the Iraq war beyond that necessary to bring the troops home—all of them—quickly and safely. Van Hollen is a newcomer to Congress; yet he is in a sense, the Democrats’ “golden boy”, a rising star, having played a significant role in the November Democratic sweep of the House, and now having been assigned the task of leading the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. This man has influence. If he decides to do the right thing, he can single-handedly change the course within the Democratic leadership and play a significant role in ending the war in Iraq, and preventing a new war with Iran. Will he use this power? Or will he continue to play it safe, using his role of “enabler” to advance his own political ambitions? Time will tell, but the time for the vote on the next supplemental appropriations bill is fast approaching.

Although it received relatively little press attention at the time, in the last Democratic Primary, in 2006, I ran against Mr. Van Hollen, and I received approximately 7000 votes. That may seem like a small number, but it was more votes than the Republican nominee received in his race in the Republican Primary held at the same time. It was also a result achieved with no fundraising whatsoever, with my spending just a few hundred dollars of my own money. It was a significant vote of protest to the continued disastrous Bush foreign policy, epitomized by the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq.

I am willing to consider running again, and if I do so, I am willing to consider doing fundraising, which I hate, although if I should decide to do so, I will probably follow the lead of Dennis Kucinich in his Presidential run, and only accept small donations from individuals, and accept no PAC money. And I am also willing to consider stepping aside, and, instead of running myself, backing another qualified and passionate challenger. But folks, it probably will be me. Unless, of course, Mr. Van Hollen does develop a bit more spine, stands up to his colleagues in the Democratic Party leadership, and votes to defund the war in Iraq, and bring the troops home quickly and safely. If he does that, I will, in all likelihood, be willing to support him in the 2008 election.