Just Foreign Policy
1,000 signatures reached
To: Congress
@SenSanders, @SenWarren: Back @JoaquinCastrotx, nix Israel bomb deal
Stand with HFAC Member Joaquin Castro in expressing serious concerns about the timing of Biden's weapons deal with Israel & the message it will send about the urgency of a ceasefire. Question the legality of Israel’s military strikes that have killed civilians in Gaza. Introduce legislation to enforce the Arms Export Control Act, as Senators Murphy and Paul did with the Saudi war in Yemen.
Why is this important?
On Sunday, May 16, Senator Jon Ossoff led 29 Senators in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Israel & Palestine to prevent further killing of civilians. On Monday, May 17, the Washington Post reported that members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee [HFAC] had just learned that Biden had approved a new weapons deal with Israel, even though the deal had been notified to the committee as required by law on May 5. These are offensive weapons similar to those that Saudi Arabia has used to kill civilians in Yemen. In response, Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro and other HFAC members expressed concern about the weapons deal and the message it would send about the urgency of a ceasefire and urged that the weapons deal be delayed so Congress could review it. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi & Majority Leader Steny Hoyer overruled them and insisted the weapons deal would go forward without Congressional review.
Senators don't work for Nancy Pelosi & Steny Hoyer. If even one Democratic Senator would speak up about this, it would give House Democrats more courage to insist on reviewing the weapons deal before it goes forward. In addition, under the Arms Export Control Act, a single Senator can introduce can introduce a resolution of disapproval on the arms deal and force a floor vote, as Senators Murphy and Paul did on Saudi arms deals in September 2016 & June 2017 in opposition to unconstitutional U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen.
Urge Members of Congress, especially Senators Sanders & Warren, to speak up about this weapons deal, demand that it be delayed & reviewed, and introduce legislation to force a floor vote, by signing our petition.
References:
Sen. Ossoff leads 29 Senators to call for immediate ceasefire:
https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/sen-ossoff-leads-28-senators-urging-immediate-ceasefire-in-middle-east/
WaPo article on House Dem opposition in arms deal
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/17/power-up-biden-administration-approves-735-million-weapons-sale-israel-raising-red-flags-some-house-democrats/
Rep Castro's statement demanding delay and review:
https://twitter.com/AlexWardVox/status/1394369401420488708
House Dems demanding delay & review overruled by Pelosi & Hoyer:
https://twitter.com/AlexWardVox/status/1394680891088285699
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