Overseas Americans Week (OAW) brings together AARO and its coalition partners each year for a five-day “door-knock” campaign in Washington to bring our issues personally to the attention of lawmakers, agencies and their staffs. Our partners include American Citizens Abroad (www.aca.ch) and the Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas (www.fawco.org).

The 2009 OAW took place during the week of March 30. AARO was represented by Kathleen de Carbuccia, Don Johnson, Mary Adair Johnson, James Kigin, Peter Goldfarb, Andy Coyne, John Fredenberger, and Barbara Stern.

More than 120 meetings were held with members of the House and Senate and other agencies covering issues that included voting, taxation, the Americans Abroad Caucus, banking, representation in the Administration for overseas Americans, Medicare and Social Security. Articles reporting the outcomes of the 2009 OAW are accessible to members in the AARO News archives (you must be logged in).

Please click on the following links to download the PDF's of the 2009 Goals of Overseas American Week, a letter from the three OAW participating organizations to President Obama, and President Obama's campaign statement regarding overseas Americans.

Barack Obama statement regarding Americans Abroad
Letter to President Obama 29 JAN 09
Position-Overall Goals 2009-29 JAN 09

In 2008, OAW took place during the week of April 14th. Over 200 Congressional offices were visited to present and discuss key issues affecting American living abroad. The emphasis was on two key issues that are the subject of current bills: voting rights and new tax regulations that negatively affect overseas Americans.
Download a PDF report of the outcome of the 2008 OAW: Intensive_Overseas_Americans_Week_2008.pdf.

In 2007, a total of 20 OAW delegates held more than 70 meetings with members of Congress and their staffs, pressing for solutions to such problems as unfair taxation of Americans living abroad, citizenship difficulties, Social Security and Medicare, absentee voting procedures, and representation of overseas Americans.

One striking result of the 2006 OAW was the creation of an Americans Abroad Caucus in Congress, composed of legislators attuned to our issues. In 2007 we were able to expand that caucus and as of June 2008 there are 24 members. Read about the Caucus here.

Another result was the introduction of the Working Americans Competitiveness Act by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC). The act, which would exempt from U.S. taxation all income earned from sources within foreign countries, has been reintroduced in the new 110th Congress. It has the support of Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE).

Click here to view the complete PowerPoint presentation put together by AARO, ACA, and FAWCO for the 2008 Overseas American Week.