[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 80 (Wednesday, May 8, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H2943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                        WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Mrs. Ramirez) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to affirm that we are paying 
attention.
  We were paying attention when 35,000 Palestinians were killed. We 
were paying attention when over 14,500 children were robbed of their 
future. We were paying attention as 404 doctors and aid workers were 
killed, 100 journalists and media workers were killed. Finally, we are 
paying attention as over 1.1 million people are on the verge of 
starving to death.
  Yesterday, we were paying attention when Israel began its invasion 
into Rafah and seized control of the Rafah crossing.
  We were paying attention on February 8 when President Biden said that 
providing periodic congressional reports to Congress enables meaningful 
oversight.
  We were paying attention last month when a nonpartisan task force 
issued an independent, credible report outlining the Israeli 
Government's violations of international humanitarian law. In 76 pages 
of details, they provide example after example of what they call a 
systematic disregard for international humanitarian law and military 
best practice regarding civilian harm mitigation by the Israel Defense 
Forces, including with U.S.-provided arms.
  Today, we are paying attention as President Biden's National Security 
Memorandum 20, what we call the NSM-20, congressional reporting 
deadline on Israel's use of U.S. arms comes due. We know that 
Netanyahu's administration has been and is continuing to assure the 
U.S. Government that it is using U.S. weapons in line with 
international laws and is not interfering with the delivery of 
humanitarian aid.
  However, given what we have witnessed over the last 214 days, how can 
we trust Netanyahu's official assurances that they are complying with 
international law?
  How can we be expected to ignore the violations of international law 
and interference with the delivery of humanitarian assistance we have 
witnessed in real time?
  What are we to say to the constituents whose families are starving, 
whose loved ones cannot receive medical care, or who never received the 
promised evacuation from Gaza?
  What do we say to the brave and courageous students across campuses, 
our children, who are defending other children in Gaza who are being 
murdered with U.S. bombs?
  What do we say to the children who are still looking for their 
mothers under the rubble, as we approach Mother's Day?
  The administration's willingness to make exceptions for Israel has 
got to stop. The actions of the Netanyahu government are exceptional--
exceptionally noncompliant with international law and exceptionally 
unconcerned with human rights. The Biden administration must consider 
other credible sources of information beyond the Israeli Government as 
it fulfills its NSM-20 reporting obligations, and the administration 
must fulfill those obligations today.
  I expect that this country will demonstrate our commitment to 
international law, to human rights, and congressional oversight because 
we are paying attention. The time has come for the administration to 
follow through on its warning about Israeli conduct and take meaningful 
action because if the administration is paying attention, they will 
enforce both our laws through NSM-20 and section 620I of the Foreign 
Assistance Act and also international law. Anything less undermines our 
credibility and is a stain on the legacy of our country's leadership.

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