Dear _____________,

In at least twenty countries, children are involved in warfare. Many are front-line combatants, while others serve as guards, porters, cooks, or messengers. Girls may be expected not only to fight, but also subject to sexual exploitation. While most child soldiers are in their teens, some are as young as eight years old.

I was deeply troubled to learn that in at least eight countries, the United States is providing military assistance to foreign governments that either recruit and use children in their armed forces, or support militia groups that use child soldiers. Such assistance implicates our own government in this terrible crime.

I urge you to support the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2007, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Durbin and Brownback. This important bill would restrict US military assistance to foreign governments involved in the recruitment or use of child soldiers. Governments would be eligible only for military assistance to address the issue of child soldiers and otherwise professionalize their armed forces until the problem is remedied.

This important bill will help ensure that US taxpayer dollars are not used to finance the exploitation of children in armed conflict, and that US weapons do not end up in the hands of children.

Thank you for your consideration.  

Sincerely,