Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont; and Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma were among the legislation’s 19 co-sponsors. They were joined by Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, and Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, in voting for it today.

From Stark:

“Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.Con.Res. 248 to bring our troops home from Afghanistan.

“Despite the wishes of the people who voted him into office, President Obama is escalating the War in Afghanistan. It’s now up to Congress to end the war. This resolution would invoke the War Powers Resolution of 1973, and remove troops from Afghanistan no later than the end of the year.

“This war has no clear objective. We have spent $258 billion on the War in Afghanistan, with billions more to come this year. American soldiers and their families are paying a greater price. Over 1,000 soldiers have died, and over 5,000 have been wounded in action. According to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch, and other humanitarian organizations, tens of thousands of Afghan civilians have been killed.

“It is time for Congress to assert its constitutional authority over matters of war and bring our troops home. I urge my colleagues to join us in support of this resolution. War will never stabilize Afghanistan. We must turn to diplomacy and infrastructure development to achieve stability in Afghanistan.”

From Miller:

“We need to move in a new direction in Afghanistan. Today, I again registered my opposition to the current US policy in Afghanistan by voting for Mr. Kucinich’s war powers resolution. While we know it isn’t feasible for American troops to leave Afghanistan in the time allotted in the resolution, by voting for it I am sending a clear message to President Obama and my colleagues that we need to move in a new direction in Afghanistan.”

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, was one of five Republicans (the others included Rep. John Campbell, R-Irvine) to vote for the legislation. From Paul:

Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, issued a statement saying she had voted against the resolution “with a heavy heart.” See her full explanation after the jump…

“I have serious reservations about the presence of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. I opposed the President’s plan to send additional troops into that country, and I opposed funding for the surge. I was reassured when the President said that he wanted to begin withdrawing U.S. troops beginning in 2011. I joined 137 of my colleagues to vote with Representative McGovern to demand that the President provide a plan for withdrawing from Afghanistan, and have been deeply concerned that the mission for our troops there is not clear. If their mission is not well defined, how can we expect to judge success?

“I do not support an open-ended commitment without clear goals. But I also cannot support a sudden withdrawal without a plan to protect American lives and American interests. And that’s why I will vote against this Resolution.

“This Resolution directs the President to remove all U.S. forces from Afghanistan 30 days from adoption, unless the President decides it is not safe to do so. He would then have until the end of 2010 to remove all U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

“This language is absolute and provides no exceptions.

“It does not provide exceptions for U.S. forces that might be necessary to safeguard U.S. embassy personnel.

“It does not provide exceptions for our intelligence community or Special Forces so they can continue to support Afghanistan and Pakistan in the search for al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

“It does not provide exceptions for U.S. military personnel who are engaged in training the Afghanistan National Army or Afghanistan National Police to provide their own security.

“We should not be involved in a civil war in Afghanistan, but there are a few, limited missions in Afghanistan that may be necessary to protect our national interests. This Resolution does not allow us any flexibility to address those missions, and this is why I cannot support a policy that endangers the lives of U.S. personnel on the ground and allow Al Qaeda to continue to destabilize the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and potentially strike us here at home.

“I hope Representative Kucinich will refine his legislation and work with the President to present us with a plan to bring our troops home safely and in a timely manner.”

UPDATE @ 4:15 P.M.: Here’s what Lee had to say…

Lee, D-Oakland, toured Oakland’s San Antonio Neighborhood Health Center on Friday morning with Valerie Jarrett, President Barack Obama’s Senior Advisor and Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement.

La Clinica de La Raza, which operates this and 24 other community health centers in Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties, received $2.1 million in capital-improvement funds and $880,000 to support increased demand for services under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, not to mention $382,000 in other earmarks requested by Lee for facility improvements. CEO Jane Garcia said many of the patients served by La Clinica – which has more than 650 employees, at least 18 of whom were hired with Recovery Act money – are recently unemployed and uninsured.

Lee, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, said she and other caucus leaders met Thursday with President Obama to discuss health-care reform legislation, which in its current form carries another $11 billion for community health centers. It’s part of an overall philosophy that health care is “a basic human right rather than a privilege,” she said.

Jarrett praised the facility, calling it proof positive that the Recovery Act funds are being well-spent.

And Lois Watkins of Oakland, who said she has been a patient at the center since 1985, said that “to us seniors it’s a blessing, it’s a godsend;” she embraced Lee and Jarrett as staffers applauded.

Opposing the bill were 166 Republicans and 35 Democrats; the only Bay Area member to vote against it was Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, who led her Congressional Black Caucus against a bill she says doesn’t do enough for the “chronically unemployed,” including minority workers.

The $15 billion bill would give tax breaks to businesses that hire unemployed people, and would jump-start spending on public works projects. When the House passed it in December on a 217-212 roll call (including Lee’s affirmative vote), it had been a much broader, $154 billion bill.

Said Lee:

“As I said last week when this legislation passed the Senate, ‘this is not the jobs bill’ and we shouldn’t confuse the millions of Americans who are struggling to find work. We should stop calling it a jobs bill, and instead acknowledge this is about business tax cuts.

“While tax cuts for some businesses may be needed, our priority must be to pass legislation that directly creates jobs. The Congressional Black Caucus is committed to finding a path forward that meets the dire needs of unemployed Americans, especially the chronically unemployed.

“For some time members of the Congressional Black Caucus have been working to address the intersecting issues of unemployment, poverty and the need to strengthen America’s workforce in a weakened economy. As the White House and Congress address and implement a ‘jobs agenda,’ the CBC remains committed to prioritizing the needs of the ‘chronically unemployed.’

“Data suggest that the chronically unemployed include African Americans and other communities of color with unemployment rates significantly higher than the national average; youth and adult workers in need of enhanced education and training; and those who have lost their jobs as a result of the weakened economy and/or have been unemployed for at least six months.

“To that end, the Congressional Black Caucus announced today we will engage in a 5 week campaign to seek policy solutions for the ‘chronically unemployed’ – engaging President Obama, leadership and members of Congress, and coalition partners in a strategy to put America back to work.”

Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, explained his “yea” vote thus:

“Today, we took a big step along the road to recovery by passing the HIRE Act. The Recovery Act began our journey out of the Bush recession wilderness, but Congress needs to do more to reach our destination of sustainable economic growth. The HIRE Act aggressively attacks our unemployment problem.”

“The HIRE Act provides immediately incentives for businesses to hire and retain new workers. Businesses have witnessed the growth in economic activity, but they have been hesitant to bring on new employees because they are not yet confident they can afford it. The new payroll tax exemption will change that and result in an estimated 300,000 new jobs.”

“California’s crumbling transportation infrastructure needs this landmark investment to ease congestion and leave a lasting legacy that will serve California well for decades to come.Without this and additional jobs bills, most economists agree that the economy could soon slip back into decline. This occurred with both our Great Depression and the Japanese recession of the 1990s. We must learn from history or we are doomed to repeat it.”

So how do California’s Republican U.S. Senate primary candidates feel about Bunning’s single-handed blockade?

“Chuck DeVore believes that Sen. Bunning’s point about actually paying for spending with something other than more debt is pretty important,” DeVore spokesman Joshua Trevino said today. “It’s a shame the Senate majority doesn’t feel the same.”

Carly Fiorina’s campaign addressed the issue without taking a stance on Bunning’s tactic.

“Carly believes extending unemployment benefits is crucial and that Congress can and should find a way to pay for it rather than continuing to push the country deeper into debt,” Fiorina spokeswoman Julie Soderlund said in an e-mail. “Washington’s favorite game of one-upmanship that’s being played over this issue is exactly the kind of thing Americans are sick and tired of. Carly believes U.S. Senate should do what the American people elected them to do, which is get together to find a mutually agreeable solution to this problem.”

And Tom Campbell said the vote should be allowed to go forward.

“Sen. Bunning’s point is that we should take the money from the $789 billion ’stimulus bill’ that was passed last year, of which more than $500 billion still remains to be spent. That would be preferable by far to adding to the deficit further; however, the Senate has to deal with the economic emergency at hand, and the needs of those who are out of work, and should go ahead without further delay,” Campbell said. “I do renew my call for a return to Gramm Rudman Hollings, whereby there are set deficit reduction goals, which have to be followed. Then emergency needs like this could be factored in to the important process of overall budget control.”

See what some from the other side of the aisle have had to say over the past few days about his single-handed blockade, after the jump…

From U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., in a letter she sent Friday to Bunning:

I want to make sure you are aware that as a result of your objections to a short-term extension of unemployment insurance, COBRA, and other help for people who have lost their jobs, not only are 1 million people – including 201,000 Californians – losing their unemployment benefits, but the Department of Transportation has now furloughed without pay nearly 2,000 workers.

This is completely unacceptable. It is hurting people in your state, in my state and all across the country.

As a consequence of the furloughs, federal inspectors will be removed from critical construction projects across the nation, and work is already shutting down. I am attaching the Department of Transportation’s list of some of the affected projects, which includes critical construction work in 17 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

We can’t have an economic recovery if people can’t make ends meet and if transportation projects grind to a halt. I am writing to you as Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee to ask you to stop this gamesmanship and remove your objection to the extension of the transportation authorization and unemployment benefits.

From Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland:

“It is insensible that Senate Republicans – particularly Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky – are working to deny critical benefits to millions of families who desperately need this help during these tough economic times.

“Nearly, 1.2 million jobless workers will become ineligible for federal unemployment benefits this month.

“Republicans need to stop the madness and get with the program. Blocking legislation simply for partisan gain is not what the American people want. Enough of this Republican obstructionism that is denying families the help they need to keep food on the table and get through these hard times.”

The bill would give tax breaks to businesses that hire unemployed people, and would jump-start spending on public works projects. When the House passed it in December on a 217-212 vote, it had been a much broader, $154 billion bill.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., says the version the Senate passed today is dandy:

“This jobs bill is a positive step forward and welcome news for California, where the unemployment rate is 12.4 percent and more than 2.25 million Californians out of work.

“It was passed with Republican support, and I’m hopeful that this is a sign of a new bipartisanship in the Senate on one of the greatest issues facing the nation. I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues — Democrats and Republicans — to pass more legislation that puts Americans back to work.”

U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Commiteee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., agrees:

“Today, 70 Senators voted ‘aye’ and recognized the need to put jobs over politics. The infrastructure measures in this bill are going to save or create well over a million jobs.”

But Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, calls the bill “disappointing, to say the least:”

“Since President Obama’s announcement of the jobs bill in December, the CBC has expressed to the White House, House and Senate leadership interest in ensuring the chronically unemployed be targeted for opportunities to seek training and employment in the jobs bill.

“Data that suggest that the chronically unemployed include African Americans and other communities of color with unemployment rates significantly higher than the national average; youth and adult workers in need of enhanced education and training; and those who have lost their jobs as a result of the weakened economy and/or have been unemployed for at least six months.

“When presented with a powerful opportunity to create jobs and address the growing unemployment rates among the chronically unemployed, the Senate responded with a whimper. A ‘go slow’, piecemeal approach will do little to address our nation’s need for employment.

“It is critical that policy solutions include not only small business relief but worker training, the use of existing federal programs and targeted job creation to those communities with the highest rates and longest history of unemployment. Until the needs of the chronically unemployed are met, we implore leadership to stop calling this ‘the jobs bill.’”

The first round, on Jan. 20, targeted 22 House members; this round already has 37 events scheduled. And this time, PDA will be joined by CODEPINK, AfterDowningStreet, Democrats.com, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, and United for Peace and Justice. Poster slogans include “Healthcare not Warfare,” “Corporations out of Politics,” “Bailout Main Street not Wall Street,” and “Brownbaggers not Teabaggers.”

In Northern California, the vigils are scheduled for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Rep. Dennis Cardoza’s office, 1010 10th St. in Modesto; noon to 1 at Rep. Lynn Woolsey’s office, 1101 College Ave. in Santa Rosa; and noon to 2 p.m. at Rep. Barbara Lee’s office, 1301 Clay St., Suite 1000-N in Oakland, and at Rep. John Garamendi’s office, 1981 N. Broadway, Suite 220 in Walnut Creek.

Can you guess which of these is least likely to invite the brown-baggers in? I knew you could.

The activists want House members to vow to oppose any bills that fund wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan or Yemen, and to publicly urge their colleagues and the House leadership to do the same. They also want members to cosponsor antiwar legislation including Lee’s HR 3699, which would prohibit any increase in the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. That bill’s 28 cosponsors already include Woolsey as well as Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, and Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose.

“We have to choose between jobs and wars,” PDA national director Tim Carpenter said in a news release. “The American people are on one side, but our so-called representatives in Congress are on the other. The Supreme Court is busy increasing corporate control of our elected officials. We need to be busy enforcing the people’s control before it is too late.”

“This unfortunate, constant blaming of his predecessor and his predecessor’s programs – that’s not taking responsibility, that’s not leadership,” Nehring said.

The President also engaged in “a bit of trying to rewrite history” by emphasizing the tax cuts included in the economic-stimulus legislation rather than its wasteful government spending, Nehring said, noting that despite President Obama’s promises to the contrary, the national unemployment rate now hovers around 10 percent and California’s around 12 percent.

And on foreign policy, he said, Obama’s resolute words don’t mask the fact that Iran’s nascent Iranian nuclear program and continued support of groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah still destabilizes the Middle East and stands in the way of regional peace efforts including a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, said he’s pleased that President Obama named as a stimulus success story the $535 million loan guarantee to Fremont-based Solyndra, which will build a plant to produce state-of-the-art solar panels. Alas, Stark said, he didn’t mention the imminent closure of the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) plant, which will cost the East Bay 4,000 to 5,000 jobs.

“He’s got the broad picture right but he was terribly short on specific programs,” Stark said, adding he wishes he’d heard more about money targeted toward communities for infrastructure improvement. “I’m willing to give him credit for trying … I thought it was inspirational, I thought it was a bit short on detail, that’s all.”

Stark, who chairs the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, also said the President’s health-care reform comments indicate he “seems to think more optimistically than I do that he can get it past the House and the Senate. I don’t think he can, I don’t think he can get the Senate to make the changes that are necessary.”

House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller, D-Martinez, embraced President Obama’s optimism and resoluteness on health-care reform.

“We’re going to continue to meet with the Senate to come to an agreement on what we can pass in the senate on a majority vote, which they can do,” Miller said shortly after the speech. “If you do nothing, people continue to lose their insurance, people continue to be devastated by medical bills … The status quo is crushing our companies and its crushing our families.”

Overall, Miller said, PResient Obama “did a hell of a job” with the speech, given declining polls, the GOP victory in the Massachusetts Senate election, and a tough battle behind and ahead on health care. “I thought it was inspirational, I think he was speaking directly to members of Congress and telling us we have an obligation to do the business of this nation.”

In particular, Miller said, “I think he took the senate to the woodshed” by noting the House has passed bills on jobs, financial reform, education and energy and climate change, and now it’s the Senate’s turn. “He was really telling them, you’ve gotta get this done.”

“If they don’t change, we’re not going to meet the needs of the country”

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, also appreciated that President Obama “put the Senate on the spot,” and also that he did the same to the U.S. Supreme Court over last week’s decision lifting long-standing restrictions on corporate and union spending on federal campaigns. “Very bold of him, but that was the right thing to do.”

Like Stark, Lee said she would’ve liked a few more specifics. “I think he gave us parameters for what he was talking about,” she said, “but I wanted to hear what kind of jobs bill he thinks the Senate should pass” as pertains to targeting the areas of highest need, retraining workers for green industries, creating summer jobs for youth, and so on. “I think we do need a direct government investment in creating jobs, but I think all and all it was a very profound speech, very inspirational, and gave a lot of hope to people.”

Although she said she’s glad he’s “staying the course” on issues such as health-care reform, climate change and issues, there are some things on which Lee flat-out disagreed with President Obama. Her opposition to the 30,000-troop increase for Afghanistan is already on the record, but she said she’s also dead-set against the discretionary spending freeze the President described tonight.

“In a time of despair, during an economic downturn and recession, you don’t freeze discretionary spending. You don’t hurt those who need help the most,” she said, adding she didn’t buy his argument that delaying the freeze until 2011 will alleviate its effect on the struggling economy. “For whatever reason, this is something he thinks has to be part of his economic policy at this time.”

More reactions after the jump…

Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, issued a statement noting President Obama took office as the economy was in a massive crisis, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helped turn things around.

“But with unemployment in my home state still hovering at 12.4 percent and with comprehensive health care reform still in negotiations, our work is far from done. The Senate must pass the Jobs for Main Street Act and Wall Street Reform and Accountability Act, two critically important bills that cleared the House last month. If signed into law, they will create tens of thousands of jobs, provide more relief for homeowners, renters, and small business owners, and stop the predatory practices of Wall Street.

“We also must finish what we started with health care reform. I came to Congress pledging to fix our broken health care system, and I plan on following through. This is both a public health and economic issue. We spend 17 percent of our gross domestic product on health care, far more than any other industrialized nation. And what are we getting for this expense? According to the World Health Organization, the U.S. ranks at the bottom of 19 industrialized nations in the number of common preventable deaths. We can do a lot more while spending a lot less.

“If we pass healthcare reform now, three things will almost immediately happen: patients will not be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions; adult aged children will be given access to their parents’ insurance until the age of 27; and healthcare will be portable if you lose or change your job. That is real reform right now.

“I will continue to work with my colleagues to fight hard for real health care reform, including a robust public option and generous affordability protections for seniors and the middle class. And let me be clear, I’m not the least bit concerned about using majority rule in the Senate to pass meaningful health care reform. Congress has employed reconciliation to make major policy shifts, including welfare reform and the Bush tax cuts, and the fact of the matter is this country will find itself in serious trouble if we do not act now. No one Senator should feel entitled to veto power over 17 percent of our economy.

“So as we reflect on today’s State of the Union address, let’s remember how far we’ve come after only one year into President Obama’s term and also remember how far we still must go.”

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tom Campbell issued a statement saying he wished he’d seen “a truly new fiscally responsible direction. I did not see that. Instead, I heard him postpone anything for another year. And then, the proposed freeze in spending will affect only the non-defense discretionary side of the budget, a tiny portion of the federal budget. If he achieves all he promises, it will lower the deficit by 1 ½ percent — and even then, not until another year has gone by. Another year, whose deficit is projected to be $1.3 trillion.”

Campbell said President Obama remains “committed to a federal government far too big, and a debt that is unsustainable. He is enabled by big spenders in Congress, like Senator Boxer, who, over 28 years in the House and Senate, has run up a record of spending that is almost unequaled by any other politician. Until we replace her with a proven fiscal conservative, I fear we won’t have real budget reform.”

Extending the spending freeze to Medicaid for a year would save $66 billion, more than four times what the President has proposed, Campbell said, and extending it to all non-defense discretionary spending would save $98 billion more. The $700 billion coming back from the TARP bank bailout shouldn’t be spent again, he said, and half the unspent $500 billion from the Recovery Act should be saved while the rest should be used to eliminate the payroll tax on hiring new workers who’ve been unemployed for more than two months.

“The American people are watching, and they see that the President proposed only about 15 billion dollars in cuts this year, whereas I’ve just identified almost 300 billion – a much more serious proposal,” Campbell said. “These cuts give more economic power to individual Americans. They are the path to economic recovery.”

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina made a video statement in response to the State of the Union address:

And U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., issued this statement:

“Tonight, our President made clear that he will not quit until our country is on the right track.

“He was both inspirational and realistic about the state of our union, and reflected the hopes, optimism and spirit of the American people.

“He clearly told the story of how we got to this tough place, the mistaken policies of the past, and the difficult work that still lies ahead to create jobs and help middle-class families.

“He laid out a plan for how we will prosper once again if we have the courage to continue fighting for change.

“This change includes a focus on jobs, clean energy and infrastructure, support for our nation’s small businesses, and assisting our families with larger child care tax credits and higher education incentives.

“As we carry out these priorities, I agree with our President that we must be fiscally responsible, finish our work on health care, and protect Americans from Wall Street abuses.”

UPDATE @ 9:55 P.M.: Apologies to Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, whose statement got lost in the raging torrent of post-SOTU messages swamping my e-mail inbox:

“I represent an area that has been hit hard by the downturn in the economy. Families are struggling to make ends meet and many are worried about losing their home to foreclosure.

“I know what it’s like to struggle to make mortgage payments while trying to put away money for your kids’ college educations. I had to take out a second mortgage to provide for my family when my kids were growing up and spent months searching for a job after the company I worked for went under. I hear all the time from people in similar situations.

“I appreciated the president’s focus on the economy and jobs tonight, but I’ll need to see substantial progress on this front to be satisfied with his proposals. At a time when unemployment is above 17 percent in the area I represent, it’s not enough to talk about improving the economy. Americans are hurting and we need action and initiatives that will create jobs.”

Lee introduced a resolution today expressing condolences for and solidarity with the people of Haiti in the earthquake’s aftermath; commending the efforts of U.S. and international relief efforts; and calling for a long-term sustainable recovery effort and debt forgiveness. The House is set to vote on the resolution tomorrow.

Pelosi spoke in support of the resolution.

UPDATE @ 2:27 P.M. THURSDAY: The House this afternoon approved Lee’s resolution, H.Res. 1021, on a 411-1 vote. As is often the case, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex., was the lone dissenter; he says he won’t vote for any legislation that’s not expressly authorized by the U.S. Constitution.

The Energy Department doled out $564 million yesterday to 19 such bio-refinery projects nationwide; Amyris was the only Bay Area recipient. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack hope the projects will help lay a foundation for full commercial-scale development of a U.S. biomass industry, reducing the nation’s foreign-oil dependence while creating jobs.

Amyris’ plant will also be able to co-produce lubricants, polymers and other petro-chemical susbstitutes. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, said the plant “would create approximately 75 new jobs in the area and propel Amyris’ cutting-edge renewable fuel technology.

“My district employs the brightest talent to harness the potential of transformational technologies to tackle our energy and global climate challenges. This work spurs economic development throughout the nation and provides direct benefits for the economy and workers throughout the East Bay,” Lee said.

These discussions, hosted by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), offer the public a chance to provide input as the White House works to fulfill the President’s pledge to develop a National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

That strategy – in light of more than 56,000 new HIV infections happening in the United States each year – will aim to reduce infections, increase access to care, and reduce HIV-related health disparities. Alameda County since 1998 has declared an official state of emergency due to the high HIV infection rate among African Americans.

Among those scheduled to participate Sunday are ONAP director Jeffrey Crowley; Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; California Office of AIDS chief Dr. Michelle Roland; the Rev. Elouise Oliver, pastor of the East Bay Church of Religious Science; and Dr. Lisha Wilson, Medical Director of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation Magic Johnson Oakland and San Francisco clinics.

Sunday’s event is open to the public, but an RSVP is required; click here to register.