On the recordJanuary 31, 2024
On January 5, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby revealed that the Biden administration hasn't bothered to conduct a formal review of the Israeli Government's compliance with international law since the genocide in Gaza began. Then on January 18, we learned that the State Department allegedly uses special mechanisms to review and shield the Government of Israel from consequences under U.S. law when reviewing violations of human rights committed by the government. The level of support for Netanyahu's war crimes by the Biden administration and the majority of this body is beyond belief, especially when the majority of the American people want the war crimes to end. I am proud to have led a letter with colleagues in requesting that the President and the nonpartisan group called the Government Accountability Office take the long overdue step of reviewing whether the U.S. security aid to Israel is violating Leahy laws and the President's own conventional arms transfer policy. We should be consistent, but also relentless in assuring that the American weapons are not used to commit war crimes anywhere in the world. That is the bare minimum. President Biden and the U.S. Government have the power to make sure that we are holding every government accountable that we are sending weapons to. We must facilitate a lasting cease-fire now to ensure the safety of everyone that lives there. ____________________
