Welch on the Senate floor: “There are many labels that could apply to what is happening in Gaza today. And whatever label is used: a war crime, crimes against humanity, or ethnic cleansing, or genocide—one thing is clear: this must end.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senate Republicans again blocked passage of a resolution led by U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) calling for the delivery of lifesaving food and humanitarian aid for starving children in Gaza. Senator Welch first offered the resolution in May but was also blocked by Senate Republicans.
“Four months ago, I stood here and I asked for unanimous consent in support of a Senate Resolution on the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. The Resolution called for an end to the siege, an end to the war, and a return of the hostages. Since then, more than 400 people have died of starvation, including more than a hundred children, and that is ongoing and accelerating. Thousands more have died under bombs and bullets at aid sites themselves,” said Senator Welch on the Senate floor. “There are many labels that could apply to what is happening in Gaza today. And whatever label is used: a war crime, crimes against humanity, or ethnic cleansing, or genocide—one thing is clear: this must end…What matters most is the actions we all take to make this suffering end. And that can end with a secure and democratic state of Israel. But it also must acknowledge that what is occurring has to stop, because so many innocent people are victim of these bombs, of this starvation, of this forced displacement. The Senate today can demand an end.”
Watch Senator Welch’s full remarks below:
Since the resolution was first rejected, more than a hundred children have died. One in five children are acutely malnourished in Gaza, according to new data released by UNICEF. More than 13,000 children were found to be acutely malnourished in the Gaza Strip, but screening capacity has been diminished as Israel’s military offensive continues in Gaza City.
An estimated 450,000 children are at risk of malnutrition, famine, and violence in the region.
The resolution called on the Trump Administration to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to bring an end to the blockade of food and lifesaving humanitarian aid to address the needs of civilians in Gaza. In the resolution, Senators expressed grave concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including tens of thousands of children facing famine conditions.
The resolution was led by Senator Welch and sponsored by 45 Democratic Senators, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.); Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.); Michael Bennet (D-Colo.); Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.); Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.); Cory Booker (D-N.J.); Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.); Chris Coons (D-Del.); Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.); Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.); Dick Durbin (D-Ill.); Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.); Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.); Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.); Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.); John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.); Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii); Tim Kaine (D-Va.); Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.); Andy Kim (D-N.J.); Angus King (I-Maine); Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.); Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.); Ed Markey (D-Mass.); Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.); Chris Murphy (D-Conn.); Patty Murray (D-Wash.); Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.); Alex Padilla (D-Calif.); Gary Peters (D-Mich.); Jack Reed (D-R.I.); Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.); Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii); Adam Schiff (D-Calif.); Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.); Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.); Tina Smith (D-Minn.); Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.); Mark Warner (D-Va.); Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.); Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.); Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.); and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
Read and download the full text of the resolution.
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