FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2024
Media Contact: Melissa GArriga | [email protected]
CODEPINK Demands Retraction of Representative Tim Burchett’s Deflamatory Claim in House Foreign Affairs Committee
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, during the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing with Secretary of State Antony Blinken,Tennessee Rep Tim Burchett falsely claimed that someone from CODEPINK threatened to kill his wife and daughter. That is a dangerous and horrific accusation from someone in power.
When pressed on this outrageous lie, a staffer for Burchett claimed it happened two days ago. Knowing that no one from CODEPINK would ever threaten to kill anyone, the D.C. team continued to ask questions about the alleged encounter. The staffer could not identify the person and said he had no witnesses. The congressman also did not file any report about receiving a death threat.
CODEPINK spends countless hours in Congress trying to stop the U.S. support of the murder of innocent people, like mothers and daughters in Gaza . We would never threaten the lives of mothers and daughters here in the United States. However, what we often do is ask these elected officials who wholeheartedly support the ongoing genocide to consider how they would feel if their own families were bombed and starved to death. That is an attempt to appeal to their humanity. We are asking for empathy, not threatening violence. It is a shame that Rep. Burchett would take such an appeal to humanity and twist it into a death threat.
We ask Representative Burchett to retract his unfounded claim. He does not have to agree with us about Israel’s actions, but it is unacceptable for him to defame our organization and the passionate volunteers who try to hold our elected officials accountable.
We know that wars, genocides, and occupations are driven by hate and lies. With all that is happening in the world, all the death and destruction, we need peace and cooperation now more than ever. CODEPINK remains committed to promoting diplomacy and disarmament through creative, nonviolent actions to address issues of militarism, injustice, and inequality.
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