Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent NJN's views and policy positions.

Lots of Drops, Lots of Buckets

Yesterday, I spent a little over an hour standing outside of the White House, holding a camera in one hand and a cowbell in the other. The camera was to take photos and videos of the speakers I was there to hear from: friends, colleagues, the father of one of the hostages who is still believed to be alive in Gaza. The cowbell was to shake and make noise as we— the crowd—demanded an end to the ongoing war. There were hundreds of us, spread out in cities across the US—DC, New York, LA, San Francisco. We stood in solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who continue to demand better of their own government, who have been marching in the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and Haifa for the better part of two years. We held up photos of Israeli and Palestinian children, challenging onlookers to look at their tiny, round faces, their eyes that already hold so much sadness.

I think of the millions of children whose childhoods will have been defined by war, and my heart cracks. I think of the thousands of children who won’t grow up at all, and it shatters. I don’t understand how anyone can see these children and think: yes, this war is just, let’s keep going.

But the war continues. So I keep helping organize protests. I keep imploring people to show up, to add their voices to the call, to demand better for this world we all must share, and in which the children who survive must grow up.

1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters
3. Hearings & Markups
4. Selected Members on the Record
5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

—————————-

1. Bills & Resolutions

(TARGETING US PASSPORTS & MORE IN NEW STATE DEPT BILL) HR 5300: Introduced 9/11/25 by Mast (R-FL), the “Department of State Policy Provisions Act.” Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. HR 5300 is scheduled to be marked up in HFAC next week, 10/17/25. The bill includes a terrifying provision – Sec 226: “No passports for terrorists & traffickers” – to allow passport denial/revocation for anyone charged (not convicted) with supporting an FTO, or who SecState “determines” has “knowingly aided, assisted, abetted, or otherwise provided material support to an FTO.” Under this provision, the ONLY recourse for someone targeted with this wholly subjective/unaccountable determination is to request/be granted an appeal hearing at which they can try to convince SecState–acting as judge, jury, & executioner–to change his mind. Based on the way this Admin and some in Congress have been throwing the term “terror” around — accusing people of views and protest that “align” with terrorists, etc — it seems clear that this provision would in effect enable, and likely be used, to target ANY/ALL American citizens who hold disfavored views and/or engaged in disfavored speech/protest, and to either ban them from travel or effectively strand/exile them abroad, at will, with no meaningful recourse.

Lots of Drops, Lots of Buckets

1. Bills, Resolutions 2. Letters 3. Hearings & Markups 4. Selected Members on the Record 5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

—————————-

1. Bills & Resolutions

1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters
3. Hearings & Markups
4. Selected Members on the Record
5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements