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Tell The House Foreign Affairs
Committee: You FAILED!
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Dear John,
What a week it’s been at Congress! We’ve been absolutely
blown away by the energy and dedication you all brought.
Every day, you showed up ready to make your voices heard,
taking a firm stand against the horrific genocide happening in Gaza.
We shook things up big time - from interrupting a House
hearing on Yemen, to hand-delivering your heartfelt valentines for
Gaza, to staging a sit-in with the legendary Susan Sarandon. Plus,
getting face-to-face time with powerhouses like Reps Rashida Tlaib and
Cori Bush was just the cherry on top.
We’ve put together a recap of all the incredible moments,
conversations, and bold moves made last week. Let’s keep the momentum
rolling. Your involvement is making waves, and there’s so much more we
can do together.
Next week, members of Congress will be back in their home
districts. If you happen to live in one of these areas, this is your
golden opportunity to get involved and make your voice heard up close
and personal. We totally encourage you to seize the moment, swing by,
share your thoughts. We’d love to see you in action, so don’t forget
to tag us in your social media posts! As we gear up for an
action-packed week from February 26 to March 1 in the Senate, let’s
stay engaged, informed, and connected.
Please read our recap below. Stay strong, stay passionate,
and don’t stop talking about Palestine.
We Gave Congress a New Heart
16 February 2024
By Isra Nadeem
On Sunday, February 11th, as most Americans watched the Super Bowl,
the people of Rafah were bombed in an assault that led to 95+ deaths.
The following night, the Senate held a late-night vote to pass a $95.3
billion package that includes new assistance for Ukraine and funding
for Israel and Taiwan. The vote was finalized at 6 in the morning,
with 70 voting in favor and 29 senators voting against it. This
package contains $14.1 billion for the Israeli military to continue
its genocide of the Gazan people. This week at CODEPINK, we gathered
and went from office to office to hold those supporting
this genocide funding accountable
Sixty-nine representatives, and 5 senators have called for a
ceasefire. Over 28,000 Palestinians have been killed by
Israel.
Monday, February 12th
To start the week, we decided to visit the office of the
Republican leader from Kentucky, Mitch
McConnell. When the bill was passed, McConnell
said "History settles all scores. And today, regarding the importance
of American leadership and power, History will note that the Senate
stood firm without hesitation." The Senate stood firm without
hesitation in its support of the genocide of Palestinians. We created
a massacre scene, right in his office, to bring the scenes of
violence he is supporting to his doorstep. We won’t let genocide
supporters from either party forget what they stand for.
Tuesday, February 13th
On Tuesday, we visited democratic representatives,
particularly those Democrats who chose to endorse
the bill allocating funds and weapons to Israel
that will lead to more civilian casualties. Additionally, they voted
to cease funding for UNRWA, which provides humanitarian aid to Gazans
already suffering from famine and illness. This
list includes Senators Van Hollen and Warren,
whose hypocrisy was evident when they voted for the bill's passage but
previously called for a ceasefire. We also visited Senators Murphy,
Butler, Durbin, Heinrich, Schatz and Hirono. During our time in
Durbin's office, we expressed our great disappointment in him, as the
previous time we went to his office, we thanked him for his calling
for a ceasefire and voting decisions. Now, we are in his office to
remind him that the bill he voted for will continue to arm Israel and
kill the children in Palestine.
Wednesday, February 14th
Will
you free my Palestine? On Wednesday, we went to
Capitol Hill and joined Teachers Against Genocide to send a message of
"Have a heart, save Gaza." We
asked the children, "Who are you sending love to
for Valentine's Day?" Their responses were, "To Gaza and Palestine,"
"the children of Gaza and Palestine," "Palestine," and "To the
children and parents of Gaza." Even these young children know that the
people of Palestine need love and care. We also disrupted a House
hearing on Yemen, where Trump-era CIA, Pentagon, and State Department
officials testified. The Houthis in Yemen are pressuring the US and
Israel to stop the genocide in Gaza by preventing ships from traveling
through the Red Sea to Israel. They are not targeting civilians or
posing a direct threat to the U.S., yet the U.S. has begun bombing
Yemen in response. During the
hearing, some members of Congress called for
escalation rather than recognizing that the Red Sea blockade will end
when the genocide in Gaza ends. Some officials even suggested the
United States begin attacking Iran instead of de-escalating. Everyone
who disrupted the hearing was escorted out. Check out our Photo
Gallery here.
Thursday, February 15th
On Thursday, we were so excited to be joined by actress Susan
Sarandon, who faced a vicious backlash for her
support of Palestine. We attempted to have Susan meet with Hakeem
Jeffries about his unwavering support for Israel, but the
representative refused. Corey Bush and Rashida Tlaib openly met with
Susan and the Palestinian advocates. Susan left us with a clear
and inspiring
message: “There has never been peace attained
through violence. We have to have a permanent ceasefire and save the
lives of all those people that are now basically in a corner.” Check
out our Photo Gallery here.
Friday February 16th
Friday was spent in the Rayburn congressional building, where
we went from office to office to continue our demands for a ceasefire,
restoration of UNRWA funding, and no more money to Israel. We
discussed the $95.3 billion package with lots of offices and explained
the importance of keeping our hard earned tax dollars here.
👉 Don't stop applying pressure! Take
action:
Towards
Peace,
Medea, Jodie, Isra, Michelle and the
whole CODEPINK Team with Susan Sarandon
P.S.
Spread the message that "Occupation Isn't Pretty" by purchasing our
Stolen Beauty t-shirt!
