For far too long, the DC establishment has not listened to the wide majority of Americans who prefer diplomacy to war and would rather see our vast military spending invested here at home. Only a small number of our senators and representatives speak out about these key issues, and Representative Omar is among those who are the most vocal. As your constituent, I am asking you to support her exciting new vision by cosponsoring the Congressional Oversight of Sanctions Act.

This bill would give Congress more power to limit sanctions by limiting the ability of the executive branch to wage economic war without congressional oversight. Her bill on sanctions is so critical right now, when the Trump administration’s unprecedented use of brutal sanctions are killing innocent civilians from Iran to Venezuela to North Korea. Representative Omar’s bill would strengthen humanitarian aid exceptions and have Congress periodically review sanctions to ensure they do not have unintended and harmful consequences for civilians.

Given the makeup of the Senate and the fact that President Trump would never approve bills limiting presidential powers, I’m aware of how unlikely it is that Omar’s legislation will pass. Yet this and the other bills in her Path to Peace package of legislation act as a framework for a foreign policy that, as she wrote in an op-ed, “centers on human rights, justice and peace as the pillars of America’s engagement in the world, one that brings our troops home and truly makes military action a last resort.” It’s what we want to see in our future, and the more noise we make about it, the more we help move our country in the right direction. Please cosponsor the Congressional Oversight of Sanctions Act.

Sincerely,