Georgia--111th Congress (2009-2010)
Senator |
Boxer/Isakson Letter |
Boxer/Isakson Letter |
Total |
|||||
Saxby Chambliss (R) |
-1 |
-1 |
-1
|
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-7 |
Johnny Isakson (R) |
|
-2 |
-1
|
-2 |
|
-1 |
-2 |
-8 |
Senate
1. S.Res.10. Title: “A resolution recognizing the
right of
2. Dodd
Letter. Comment: This AIPAC-initiated “Dear Colleague” letter to President
Obama urges him to “take into account the risks” Israel will take in signing a
peace agreement with the Palestinians, as if Palestinians face no risks in
signing an agreement with an Israeli government that consistently violates
human rights, international law, and even previous agreements it has
signed. The letter is also premised on
the biased notion that only Palestinians and Arabs bear responsibility for
bringing about peace, and that Israel is free of any responsibility to take
steps in that direction. The letter
reads as if these Senators are stuck in some parallel universe where
Palestinians are occupying
4. Boxer/Isakson
Letter. Comment: This AIPAC-inspired “Dear
Colleague” letter attempts to exert pressure on the Obama Administration to
paper over its policy differences with Israel and solve them “amicably” instead
of correctly confronting it over continued settlement expansion. The letter also blames Palestinians for
“a growing list of unprecedented preconditions” rather than Israel’s
intransigence on illegal settlement activity for the impasse in negotiations. Scoring: -2 sponsor, -1 cosponsor. Last Major Action: Sent to Secretary of
State with 76 signatures, 3/29/10.
5. S.Res.548. Title:
“A resolution to express the sense of the Senate that Israel has an undeniable
right to self-defense, and to condemn the recent destabilizing actions by
extremists aboard the ship Mavi Marmara.” Comment: This outrageous
resolution attempts to justify Israel’s illegal attack on the Gaza Freedom
Flotilla and its illegal blockade of the occupied Palestinian Gaza Strip. It libelously refers to the Gaza
Freedom Flotilla as a “violent attack and provocation by extremists” and
condemns any civil society effort to break Israel’s collective punishment of
Gaza Strip residents. Scoring:
-2 sponsor, -1 cosponsor. Last Major
Action: Resolution agreed to in Senate with an amendment and an amended preamble
by Voice Vote, 6/24/2010.
6. Reid/McConnell
Letter. Comment: This extremely problematic
“Dear Colleague” letter deems Israel blockade of the occupied Palestinian Gaza
Strip—an act of collective punishment considered to be a war crime under the 4th
Geneva Convention—to be “legal under international law.” It also justifies Israel’s attack on
the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, urges that organizations participating in it be put
on the terrorism list, and urges the Obama Administration to prevent any form
of accountability in international forums for Israel’s illegal attack on the
Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Scoring: -2
sponsor, -1 cosponsor. Last Major Action: Sent to President
with 87 signatures, 6/21/2010.
7. Boxer/Isakson
Letter. Comment: As direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations were breaking down only
weeks after their resumption, due to Israel’s refusal to extend its so-called
partial ‘moratorium’ on settlements, this “Dear Colleague” letter falsely
blamed Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran for derailing the talks, rather than Israel
for its provocative and illegal actions. The letter also pressures the
President to arm twist the Palestinians to remain at the negotiating table even
as Israel continues to colonize land that supposedly will form an independent
Palestinian state. Scoring: -2
sponsor, -1 co-sponsor. Last Major Action: Sent
to President with 87 signatures, 9/27/2010.
House First Session (2009)
Representative |
H.Res. 867 |
Moran/ Inglis Letter | McDermott/ Ellison Letter |
2009 Total |
||||||||
Jack Kingston (R-1) |
|
-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
-1 |
-1
|
|
|
-3 |
Sanford Bishop Jr. (D-2) |
|
-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
-1 |
-1
|
|
|
-3 |
Lynn Westmoreland (R-3) |
|
-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
-1 |
-1
|
|
|
-3 |
Henry Johnson Jr. (D-4) |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
5 |
John Lewis (D-5) |
|
-1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
-1 |
-1
|
|
|
-2 |
Tom Price (R-6) |
|
-1 |
|
|
|
|
-1 |
-1 |
-1
|
|
|
-4 |
John Linder (R-7) |
|
-1 |
|
-1 |
|
|
-1 |
|
-1
|
|
|
-4 |
Jim Marshall (D-8) |
|
-1 |
|
|
|
1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-1
|
|
|
-3 |
Nathan Deal (R-9) |
|
-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
-1 |
Paul Broun (R-10) |
|
-1 |
|
|
|
|
-1 |
-1 |
-1
|
|
|
-4 |
Phil Gingrey (R-11) |
|
-1 |
|
-1 |
|
|
-1 |
|
-1
|
|
|
-4 |
John Barrow (D-12) |
|
-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
-1 |
-1
|
|
|
-3 |
David Scott (D-13) |
|
-1 |
|
|
|
|
-1 |
-1 |
-1
|
|
|
-4 |
House Second Session (2010)
Representative |
H.Res.
1391 |
H.R. 5501 |
Poe/Peters Letter |
H.Res.1765 |
2010 Total |
Overall Total |
|||||||
Jack Kingston (R-1) |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-5 |
-8 |
||||||
Sanford Bishop Jr. (D-2) |
-1 |
-1 |
-2 |
-5 |
|||||||||
Lynn Westmoreland (R-3) |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-3 |
-6 |
||||||||
Henry Johnson Jr. (D-4) |
-1 |
-1 |
4 |
||||||||||
John Lewis (D-5) |
-1 |
-1 |
-3 |
||||||||||
Tom Price (R-6) |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-4 |
-8 |
|||||||
John Linder (R-7) |
-1 |
-1 |
-2 |
-6 |
|||||||||
Jim Marshall (D-8) |
-1 |
-1 |
-2 |
-5 |
|||||||||
Nathan Deal (R-9)* |
-1 |
-1 |
-2 |
||||||||||
Paul Broun (R-10) |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-5 |
-9 |
||||||
Phil Gingrey (R-11) |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-1 |
-5 |
-9 |
||||||
John Barrow (D-12) |
-1 |
-1 |
-2 |
-5 |
|||||||||
David Scott (D-13) |
-1 |
-1 |
-5 |
*Nathan Deal resigned on March 21, 2010.
House
1. Capps
Letter. Comment: This letter
expresses concern about the breakdown of civilian infrastructure, including
electricity, medical care, water, and sewage treatment, in the Gaza Strip due
to
2. H.Res.34. Title:
“Recognizing
3. H.Res.66. Title: “Expressing the sense of the
House of Representatives concerning the humanitarian crisis in
4. H.Con.Res.29. Title:
“Expressing the sense of Congress that the United Nations should take immediate
steps to improve the transparency and accountability of the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in the
5. Olver
Letter. Comment: This letter
acknowledges the acute humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and urges the
6. H.Res.130. Title:
“Expressing support for the appointment of former Senator George Mitchell as
Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, and for other purposes.” Comment:
President Obama’s appointment of Senator George Mitchell was applauded by many
analysts who view him as an even-handed mediator, especially compared with many
previous Bush and Clinton appointments to similar positions. The resolution quotes Senator Mitchell on the
resolvability of conflicts and points to his experience in successfully
brokering peace in
7. H.Con.Res.111. Title:
“Recognizing the 61st anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel.” Comment:
Where should we start with this resolution chocked full of hyperbolic gushy sentiments
about how
8. Hoyer
Letter. Comments: This AIPAC-initiated “Dear Colleague” letter to President
Obama urges him to “take into account the risks” Israel will take in signing a
peace agreement with the Palestinians, as if Palestinians face no risks in
signing an agreement with an Israeli government that consistently violates
human rights, international law, and even previous agreements it has
signed. The letter is also premised on
the biased notion that only Palestinians and Arabs bear responsibility for
bringing about peace, and that Israel is free of any responsibility to take
steps in that direction. The letter
reads as if these Representatives are stuck in some parallel universe where
Palestinians are occupying
9.
H.Res.867. Title: “Calling on the President and the Secretary of State to
oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of the ‘Report of
the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict’ in multilateral
fora.” Comment: This resolution condemns the Goldstone Report as
“irredeemably biased and unworthy of further consideration or legitimacy” and
instructs the Obama Administration to oppose consideration or endorsement of
the Goldstone Report. The resolution is
replete with inaccurate information about and misleading characterizations of
the Goldstone Report and undermines the commitment of the
11. McDermott/Ellison
Letter. Comment:
This “Dear Colleague” letter to
President Obama draws attention to the devastating humanitarian consequences of
12. H.Res.1191. Title: “Urging the expedient relocation of the United States Embassy in
Israel to Jerusalem.” Comment: This resolution attempts to
pre-judge the negotiation over the final status of Jerusalem by insisting that
the United States move its embassy there. It also declares Jerusalem “the
undivided capital of the State of Israel,” thereby ignoring Israel’s disregard
for the UN Partition Plan arrangement for Jerusalem as a “corpus separatum” and
its illegal 43-year military occupation of Palestinian East Jerusalem. Scoring: -2 sponsor, -1 cosponsor. Last
Major Action: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs,
3/18/2010.
13. Hoyer/Cantor Letter. Comment: This
AIPAC-inspired “Dear Colleague” letter attempts to exert pressure on the Obama
Administration to paper over its policy differences with Israel and solve them
“quietly, in trust and confidence” instead of correctly confronting it over
continued settlement expansion. The letter also attempts to downplay the Obama Administration’s policy
disagreements with Israel, referring to Israel’s intransigence on expanding
settlements as a mere “misunderstanding”. Scoring: -2 sponsor, -1 cosponsor. Last
Major Action: Sent to Secretary of State with 334 signatures, 3/26/2010.
14. H.Res.1241. Title: “Supporting the right of Israel to defend itself against
terrorists and the Israeli construction of new security fences along the border
of Egypt.” Comment:
This resolution justifies Israel’s construction of apartheid walls/fences both
in the occupied Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip, even though the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) deemed Israel’s wall in the West Bank to
be illegal. Scoring: -2 sponsor, -1
cosponsor. Last Major Action: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 4/13/2010.
15. H.Con.Res.270. Title: “Calling on
the United States Government to investigate the case of Tristan Anderson, a
United States citizen from Oakland, California, who was critically injured in the
West Bank village of Ni'lin on March 13, 2009, and expressing sympathy to
Tristan Anderson and his family, friends, and loved ones during this trying
time.” Comment: This resolution calls on the Obama Administration “to undertake
a full, fair, and expeditious investigation” into Israel’s shooting of U.S.
peace activist Tristan Anderson, and to work with Israel “to ensure that any
incident of this kind never occurs again”.
Scoring: +2 sponsor, +1 cosponsor. Last
Major Action: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 4/28/2010.
16. H.Con.Res.271. Title: “Commemorating the 43rd
anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem.” Comment: This resolution audaciously “congratulates the residents
of Jerusalem” on the 43 years of Israel’s illegal military occupation of East
Jerusalem. Perhaps the Members of Congress who sponsored this resolution are so
ignorant of reality that they don’t realize the Palestinian residents of Jerusalem
would not want to be “congratulated” for being subjected to Israeli military
occupation. Scoring: -2 sponsor, -1
cosponsor. Last Major Action: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs, 4/29/2010.
17. Kind/Delahunt Letter. Comment: While the
choice of language in this “Dear Colleague” letter leaves a lot to be desired
from the perspective of human rights and international law, it is significant
in that it quotes Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of CENTCOM, as stating that
U.S. and Israeli interests do not always align and that U.S. pressure on Israel
is needed to achieve peace. Scoring: +2 sponsor, +1 cosponsor. Last
Major Action: Sent to the President with 61 signatures, 5/27/2010.
18. H.R.5327. Title: United
States-Israel Rocket and Missile Defense Cooperation and Support Act. Comment: This resolution authorizes the expenditure of more than $200
million in additional military aid to Israel for an anti-missile defense
system, despite Israel’s repeated violations of the Arms Export Control Act and
misuse of U.S. weapons. Although technically a “defensive” weapon, the “Iron
Dome” missile defense system would also increase Israel’s offensive
capabilities, making it more cost-free for it to attack without fear of return
missiles. Scoring: -2 sponsor, -1 cosponsor or yes vote, 0 not voting, +1 present
vote, +2 no vote. Last Major Action: Passed the House 410-4 (Roll
Call Vote #284), 5/20/2010.
19. H.Res.1391. Title: Congratulating Israel for its accession to membership in the
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Comment: Israel’s
accession to membership in Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) was unwarranted based on its human rights record, and a
major blow to international efforts to isolate and de-legitimate Israel’s
military occupation and apartheid policies toward Palestinians. This resolution congratulates Israel
for joining the OECD. Scoring: -2 sponsor, -1 cosponsor. Last
Major Action: Passed the House 418-0 (Roll
Call Vote #320), 5/28/2010.
20. H.R.5501. Title: America Stands
with Israel Act. Comment: This
resolution brashly declares support for “Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza”—an
illegal act of collective punishment according to the 4th Geneva
Convention. It advances spurious
and debunked claims that the Gaza Freedom Flotilla organizers have ties to
Al-Qaeda (would Israel really just let Al-Qaeda members go free after capturing
them? C’mon.) The resolution also opposes any
international accountability for Israel’s illegal attack on the Gaza Freedom
Flotilla. Scoring: -2 sponsor, -1
cosponsor. Last Major Action: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 6/10/2010.
21. Poe/Peters Letter. Comment: This “Dear Colleague” letter
justifies Israel’s attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and its illegal blockade
of the occupied Palestinian Gaza Strip. It urges President Obama “to thwart international condemnation” of
Israel, providing it carte blanche to violate international law as it chooses. Scoring: -2 sponsor, -1
cosponsor. Last Major Action: Send to the President with 329 signatures,
6/17/2010.
22. H.Res.1765. Title: Supporting a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and condemning unilateral measures to declare or recognize a Palestinian state, and for other purposes. Comment: Rushed to the floor of the House for a vote before the text was even made public, this resolution paternalistically sets a timeline for Palestinian freedom by condemning Palestinian efforts to achieve statehood and insisting that Palestinian self-determination be granted only with Israeli consent. Scoring: -2 sponsor, -1 co-sponsor. Last Major Action: Passed the House by voice vote, 12/15/2010.
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