Joint statement: The People Say Block the Bombs, Rep. Sean Casten Keeps Sending Them
A joint statement from the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) and US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action (USCPR Action).
Yesterday, Rep. Sean Casten introduced the Ceasefire Compliance Act, a bill that provides cover for the Trump administration and Congress to continue sending weapons to arm the Israeli military in violation of U.S. and international law. It’s a bad bill meant to undermine the Block the Bombs Act (H.R. 3565) led by Rep. Delia Ramirez.
Rep. Casten represents one of the largest Palestinian constituencies in the nation. He has voted to send over $20 billion in U.S. tax dollars to Israel to commit genocide against the Palestinian people. For years, his constituents have continuously demanded that he stop arming Israel and sign on to the Block the Bombs Act, which has already been cosponsored by 63 of his colleagues and endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Constituents have pressured him through town hall and fundraiser disruptions, calls, emails, and even a protest outside of his home as part of a grassroots campaign led by the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) Chicago.
Instead of listening to his constituents, Casten decided to introduce a bill that runs counter to everything we are fighting for.
Casten’s bill is harmful for many reasons:
It keeps weapons flowing to Israel. The Ceasefire Compliance Act merely calls for the State Department to assess Israel’s violations with the possibility of conditioning weapons. After two and a half years of genocide against the Palestinian people, and at a time when Congress did nothing to intervene, this is unacceptable.
It perpetuates genocidal propaganda by painting the aggressor, the Israeli apartheid state and its massive army, as a victim that needs to be defended, in order to manufacture consent for the mass murder of Palestinians.
It uplifts and normalizes Trump’s 20-point colonial plan for Gaza, an outrageous blueprint for land theft. No one should be supporting this plan.
From the growing number of cosponsors supporting the Block the Bombs Act, we’ve seen that constituent pressure works. Keep the pressure on Rep. Sean Casten to stop arming the Israeli military.
CALL TO ACTION: Demand that your representative sign on to the Block the Bombs Act (H.R. 3565) now.
If you’re a constituent of Rep. Sean Casten, call his Lombard office (630) 520-9450 and DC office (202) 225-4561 today to voice your outrage:
Hello, my name is _____ and I am calling to condemn Congressman Sean Casten's Ceasefire Compliance Act, which keeps weapons shipments flowing to arm the Israeli military. As your constituent, I know this bill was introduced as an attempt to cover up your complicity in the Genocide of the Palestinian people. I demand that Rep. Casten sign on to Rep. Delia Ramirez's Block the Bombs Act (H.R. 3565) immediately as I and my fellow constituents have been demanding.