Welch Speaks on Senate Floor Ahead of Vote
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today voted in favor of Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) to block the sales of certain offensive arms and weapons to Israel. The JRDs, led by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and cosponsored by Senator Welch, and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), would block 120mm tank rounds, 120mm high-explosive mortar rounds, and Joint Direct Attack Munitions. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) cosponsors the resolution to block the sale of tank rounds.
Before the vote, Senator Welch took to the Senate floor to speak about his vote. View a video of his remarks below:
Key Quotes from Senator Welch:
“We’re into our 14th month in Gaza, and what has happened is over 43,000 people have been killed. Many Hamas, including the Hamas leadership, has been killed. Good riddance.
“But many, many thousands of innocent Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed. Over 100,000 have been maimed and injured. Sixty to seventy percent of the structures in Gaza have been destroyed. That includes the schools. Young Gazans have not been in school for 14 months. Hospitals have been destroyed. The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is unparalleled and is being inflicted on innocent Palestinians.
“There’s a second reason that I am going to support these Joint Resolutions. I believe the continuation of the military action in Gaza is not only jeopardizing what hostages still are alive, but it can only make Israel weaker, not stronger. Their own recently fired Defense Minister said there is no further military purpose of offensive action in Gaza. If there is no further reason for offensive military action in Gaza, why is there a need for the United States to be providing more offensive weapons for the Netanyahu government to be used in Gaza? That’s the question we face.”
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“The question before us is, what’s the right thing to do? Not just by way of limiting and hopefully ending the humanitarian catastrophe. But what is the right thing for the United States to do with its ally Israel in pursuit of the two goals we have always had with Israel, and that is to advocate and defend and support Israel as a democratic, secure Jewish state. And because we believe this is important to make that happen, that we have an independent, secure Palestinian state. A two-state solution.
“…The answer I have come to, the judgment I have come to as a United States Senator, is that it would harm our goals for that Jewish democratic state, for the easing of humanitarian suffering, for compliance with international law and the Leahy Law, and for what is the goal that has to be the touchstone of our policy, and that is doing everything we can to achieve a two-state solution for a secure, democratic, independent Israel and a secure, disarmed—not armed—Palestinian state. Side by side…I intend to support these resolutions.”
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The text of the JRDs can be found here:
- S.J.Res.111 – to block 120mm tank rounds.
- S.J.Res.113 – to block 120mm high-explosive mortar rounds.
- S.J.Res.115 – to block JDAMs – which are guidance kits attached to many of the bombs dropped in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Senator Welch joined Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in calling on their colleagues to support the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval. Watch a livestream of the press conference here.