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19 Democrats Vote Against Bernie’s Bid to Block Arms Sales to Israel

19 Democrats Vote Against Bernie’s Bid to Block Arms Sales to Israel

By Kim Browne

Culture

With the help of 19 Democrats, the Senate rejected two resolutions Wednesday from Senator Bernie Sanders to block arms sales to Israel as it continues its campaign of mass starvation in Gaza.

The Senate rejected S.J.Res.34, which would have prohibited the sale of $675 million in weapons to Israel like 1,000-pound bombs and Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits used in airstrikes, by a vote of 27-70. Nineteen Democrats joined Republicans to block the measure.

Seventeen Democrats also voted against S.J.Res.41, which failed by a vote of 24-73 and would have prohibited the sale of fully automatic assault rifles to Israeli forces.

The resolutions had little chance of surviving the House, and President Donald Trump announced earlier on Wednesday that he would veto the measures if they reached his desk. But 19 Democrats still couldn’t support even a symbolic vote against Israel.

Notably, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer voted against both resolutions, as did Senator Cory Booker, who represents New Jersey. In April, Israeli forces killed a 14-year-old Palestinian American from New Jersey, Amer Rabee.

Senators Ruben Gallego, Mark Kelly, and Ellisa Slotkin did not vote for or against either bill.

The U.N. estimates that one in three Palestinians in Gaza haven’t eaten anything in days, as a result of Israel’s blockade and ongoing genocide. The World Health Organization has also said a “worst-case scenario of famine” has hit the region.

Here is the name of every Democrat who voted to keep arming Israel anyway, blocking at least one of Sanders’s resolutions:

  1. Michael Bennett (CO)
  2. Chris Blumenthal (CT)
  3. Cory Booker (NJ)
  4. Maria Cantwell (WA)
  5. Chris Coons (DE)
  6. Catherine Cortez Masto (NV)
  7. John Fetterman (PA)
  8. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)
  9. Maggie Hassan (NH)
  10. John Hicklenlooper (CO)
  11. John Ossoff (GA)
  12. Alex Padilla (CA)
  13. Gary Peters (MI)
  14. Jack Reed (RI)
  15. Jackie Rosen (NV)
  16. Adam Schiff (CA)
  17. Chuck Schumer (NY)
  18. Mark Warner (VA)
  19. Ron Wyden (OR)

Originally published by newrepublic.com. Syndicated material does not necessarily reflect the views of Grazia British.

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