FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 4, 2024
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
Coalition of Advocacy Groups Unite to Call for Cease-Fire in Gaza and Oppose Controversial Supplemental Bills With Funds to Israel
Washington DC – Representing millions of Americans who oppose sending money to Israel in the midst of its brutal attack on Gaza, a coalition of prominent advocacy groups, including CODEPINK, CAIR, American Muslims for Palestine, Veterans for Peace, Doctors Against Genocide and Teacher Against Genocide, will be converging on Capitol Hill Monday to Thursday, February 5-8. The advocates will be urging members of Congress to reject the proposed Congressional supplemental bills in both the House and the Senate that would allocate tens more billions of dollars to Israel.
On the House side, Speaker Mike Johnson has declared that a stand alone bill with a staggering $17.6 billion for Israel is set for a vote this week. Meanwhile, on the Senate side, Senator Schumer has put forward a whopping supplemental package of $118 billion, which provides massive amounts of funds for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific, and controversial new immigration measures.
Senator Bernie Sanders has put forth an amendment in the Senate bill to eliminate $10.1 billion earmarked for offensive weaponry to the Israeli government. Denouncing the death toll and suffering in Gaza as unacceptable, Sanders is calling for “zero funding for the continuation of Netanyahu’s illegal, immoral war against the Palestinian people.”
Advocates from the coalition will be urging Senators to support Sanders' amendment, but to vote “NO” on the entire package. On the House side, advocates will be calling on Representatives to vote “NO” on sending $17.6 billion to Israel.
“We have no idea if and how these two wildly different bills will ever be reconciled, and we hope they won’t be because we are vehemently opposed to both of them” said CODEPINK’s Medea Benjamin. “Sending billions to Israel while they are murdering tens of thousands of Palestinians and starving millions of people in Gaza is utterly reprehensible.”
“This money will be used to fund the weapons that destroy hospitals and kill our colleagues and their patients,” said Dr. Karameh Kuemmerle of Doctors Against Genocide. “We must stop our country from continuing to be complicit in the crime of genocide.”
Press can meet up with the group in the Senate Hart lobby, 10am, Monday through Thursday, February 5-8.
For further information or media inquiries, please contact:
Medea Benjamin Email: [email protected].
Col (Ret) Ann Wright Email: [email protected].
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