Congresswoman Bush Statement on Military Spending Package
Washington D.C. (Apr. 20, 2024) — Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) released the following statement following the House of Representatives vote on a series of military spending for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and other legislation:
“Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have championed human rights, democracy, and self-determination while opposing endless war. I opposed today’s effort to send billions of dollars more in military funding to Israeli forces, which a majority of the public opposes, to enable genocide and famine, gut humanitarian assistance by continuing to ban funding to UNRWA, jeopardize the chances of securing a lasting ceasefire, and deepen the burgeoning threat of regional war. I refuse to be a party to an ongoing genocide that Netanyahu, his far-right government, and the United States are inflicting on the Palestinian people. Similarly, I refuse to allow the Ukrainian people to suffer at the hands of the murderous Putin regime. St. Louis overwhelmingly stands with Ukraine, and I voted to support the Ukrainian people in their struggle against Russia’s illegal invasion. While I have significant concerns about the scale of U.S. defense spending, including this latest $60 billion package for Ukraine and its potential to prolong this brutal war, it serves as necessary leverage for the Ukrainian government. I am urging immediate action on a diplomatic process that de-escalates and ends the conflict while ensuring peace and security for Ukraine and the rest of Europe.
“We find ourselves at a dangerous and pivotal moment in the history of our country and world. It is imperative that we invest in diplomacy, democracy, and peacebuilding, rather than death, destruction, and mass human suffering. Congress must shift its focus from funding warfare and neglecting our own people to prioritizing peace efforts, protecting human rights for all people, and investing in life-saving programs and services for our communities. I will continue to champion these priorities, and push for a world free from war, tyranny, poverty, disease, persecution, and exploitation.”
Congresswoman Bush and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), who lead the Ceasefire Now Resolution alongside Representatives André Carson (IN-07), Summer Lee (PA-12) and Delia Ramirez (IL-03), introduced an amendment to the Israel military spending bill in order to emphasize what Congress should be prioritizing instead of sending more weapons, which includes facilitating a lasting ceasefire, the release of all hostages and those arbitrarily detained, and prioritizing diplomacy to secure self-determination for both Palestinians and Israelis alike.
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