The Republican amendment to the annual defense budget is just one of several proposals to restrict humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The House voted on Wednesday to block the U.S. from funding the reconstruction of Gaza, whose destruction was financed by the U.S. to a large degree.

Other Republicans filed amendments combating the movement to boycott, divest, or sanction Israel for its illegal occupation of Palestine.

The provision was introduced by Reps. Brian Mast, R-Fla.; Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y.; and Eli Crane, R-Ariz., as an amendment to the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, the annual defense budget. While Democrats opposed the amendment, which passed by a simple voice vote, they did not request a recorded vote.

Among the amendments with Democratic sponsors are ones expressing support for joint military ventures between the U.S. and Israel.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., for his part, filed an amendment to require an assessment of the accuracy of the Gaza Ministry of Health’s death toll accounting. Over the last eight months, supporters of Israel have pointed to the fact that Hamas — as Gaza’s governing entity — controls the health ministry as a way to undermine its death count. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Health’s figures have in the past been corroborated by the United Nations, Doctors Without Borders, and even the Israeli government itself.

  • @[email protected]English
    0•5 months ago

    Minor nitpick: while participating in voting is an important component of politics, I don’t think it’s accurate to say it’s the most influential thing you can do. It’s not even the most influential thing you can do if you’re strictly operating in the framework of electoralism.

    • @disguy_ovahea
      4•5 months ago

      How would you influence this vote? Writing your Representative would help if they weren’t block voting Republicans.

      • @[email protected]English
        1•5 months ago

        Volunteering in a campaign, running for office, designing and/or distributing pamphlets. All of these are potentially more effective than voting because you could get more than one vote for your preferred candidate that way.

        And that’s just the obvious conventional stuff. If we get into theoretical strategies shit gets wild.