[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H4219-H4220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1115
        CHOOSING PEACE, HUMAN DIGNITY, AND CHILDREN OF THE WORLD

  (Ms. Stansbury of New Mexico was recognized to address the House for 
5 minutes.)
  Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, as we sit here in the people's House, 
millions of children in the Middle East are living in fear, trauma, and 
danger. That fear has only intensified as the President has waged an 
illegal war in Iran, with hundreds of schoolchildren killed, thousands 
of civilians lost, and bombs still dropping in Lebanon as entire 
communities have been reduced to rubble.
  The President is seemingly no closer to ending the war he unleashed 
and, instead, is obsessing about golden ballrooms, grand arches, and 
algae-infested pools while asking this body for an unprecedented $1.5 
billion for more weapons and military spending to wage this war and a 
State Department and foreign affairs budget that continues devastating 
cuts to the lifesaving programs of USAID that have directly contributed 
to the loss of food, medicine, and critical lifesaving aid across the 
world, with completely preventable deaths for thousands of children.
  This is a moral moment for America. Will we stand up and say stop 
this war and reinvest in our humanitarian missions? Will we speak up 
against injustice and suffering? Will we remain silent?
  Last night, the Senate finally passed our War Powers Resolution to 
end the war in Iran, sending a clear message that it is time to end 
this illegal war.
  Today, I stand here on the floor to offer amendments to the foreign 
affairs budget to restore funding for critical aid, food, and resources 
for the children of the Middle East, and particularly for Gaza. They 
have faced unimaginable suffering over the last several years.
  Just yesterday, a U.N. commission reported on the deliberate 
targeting and killing of Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank 
as part of a deliberate strategy to destroy future Palestinian 
communities. We cannot turn a blind eye to these crimes.
  We must stand up as the branch of government by the people and for 
the people. We must be a voice for right and wrong, a moral conscience 
for this country and for our people.
  Back home, my constituents are calling my office daily to ask for an 
end to this conflict and the suffering, and to choose a different path 
for this country, a path that invests in our people in communities and 
the children of this planet; a path that ends the violence and the 
killing in the Middle East, Gaza, and the West Bank; and a path that 
ends the destruction of communities, schools, hospitals, roads, and 
water systems that have devastated millions.
  Mr. Speaker, it has been catastrophic. Whether it is funding in this 
bill, another military spending bill from the White House, or the NDAA, 
Congress cannot remain silent. Congress cannot remain complicit. 
Congress cannot fund this violence, especially when the greatest burden 
has fallen on children.
  Children have watched their parents, siblings, and classmates die and 
are waking up every day, wondering where their next meal will come from 
and whether they will survive the night. No child should inherit a 
future defined by violence and despair, and certainly not funded by the 
taxpayers of the American people.
  If Americans are serious about building a safer and more stable 
world, we must invest in the people who have been impacted most by 
these conflicts abroad.
  That is why I am offering these amendments to restore humanitarian 
aid to the children of Gaza, invest in schools and healthcare for moms 
and

[[Page H4220]]

children, combat malnutrition, reunite families, and provide shelter 
for those who have lost their homes. Children should not pay the price 
for violence and a war they did not start.
  I urge my colleagues today to stand up in this moral moment to 
support these amendments and reverse course as a nation; recognize that 
America's strength comes not from its military might but from our moral 
leadership; and vote for a future where children have the opportunity 
to learn, grow, and thrive.
  Mr. Speaker, I can say that I have made my choice. I choose peace, 
human dignity, and the children of the world, and I hope my colleagues 
will join me.

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