Representatives Carson, Jayapal, and Schakowsky will soon introduce H.R. 9649 the “UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2024,” which would use US foreign assistance to support UNRWA in its humanitarian mission for Palestine refugees. it is imperative that you Co-sponsor and support this bill to provide for the millions of people who depend on this life saving aid.
Currently, 60 House representatives have committed. Please add your name to the list of cosponsors so this bill can be formally introduced.
*Here is the current list of co-sponsors:* Adams, Balint, Barragán, Beyer, Bonamici, Bowman, Bush, Cárdenas, Casar, Castro, Chu, Cleaver, Davis (IL), Dean, DeLauro, DeSaulnier, Dingell, Doggett, Escobar, Evans, Foushee, Frost, Garamendi, García (IL), Green, Grijalva, Hayes, Huffman, Jackson (IL), Jacobs, Johnson (GA), Khanna, Kildee, Lee (CA), Lee (PA), Leger Fernandez, Lofgren, Lynch, McCollum, McGovern, Moore (WI), Norton, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pingree, Pocan, Pressley, Ramirez, Raskin, Sanchez, Stansbury, Tlaib, Tokuda, Tonko, Velazquez, Waters, Watson Coleman
UNRWA has been under a global reputational assault since the opening days of the war on Gaza, a campaign inundating the public with misinformation designed to foster distrust and tarnish the reputation of the UN Agency. As a result, there has been an active effort underway in Congress by Agency detractors to legislate away the Biden administration’s ability to support UNRWA’s humanitarian and human development mission.
H.R. 9649 would stop that detractor in its tracks by:
-Repealing the funding prohibitions on UNRWA included in the FY24 Appropriations bill and the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024; and
-Urging the Secretary of State to rescind the temporary pause in funding for UNRWA and resume funding under the Department of State's current authorities.
It has become clear because of the global reputation assault on UNRWA, there was an unjustified rush to judgement about the Agency, assuming the worst about UNRWA when the reality is quite different.
As a result, every other major donor country has resumed its support for UNRWA, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, and most recently, the United Kingdom,
Admiral John Kirby of the National Security Council summed it all up succinctly: “It's important for people to know that there are things that can't get done without UNRWA's cooperation and support on the ground.”
If your name is not on this list, please move swiftly to become a cosponsor now. (https://mondoweiss.net/2024/02/u-s-admits-it-hasnt-verified-israels-unrwa-claims-media-ignores-it/)
First sent on September 19 by BlueCollarJew
