Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) joined Representatives Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), and 100 of their colleagues in calling on the Trump Administration to use its full power and authority to demand that Israeli government immediately facilitate a massive surge in all humanitarian aid, and in particular infant formula, into Gaza to address the crisis of starvation. The letter follows Friday's official declaration of famine in Gaza, with the United Nations warning that more than half a million people are on the brink of starvation.
In their letter, the lawmakers sounded the alarm over the catastrophic shortage of baby formula and the Israeli military’s severe restrictions on humanitarian aid distribution, which is starving people in Gaza. Infants in particular are especially vulnerable to death by starvation. The letter cites alarming figures, including the deaths of 18,500 children in Gaza since October 2023, more than 20,000 children treated for acute malnutrition since April 2025, and widespread famine conditions that have deprived mothers the basic nutrition required to sustain breastfeeding, rendering formula the only option for infant survival in many cases.
“We the undersigned stand united in our fundamental American moral values that we must do everything possible to ensure children are not starving and that infants are not denied critical food aid,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “This crisis is not one of funding or resources, but of access and political will. While we push for a long-lasting resolution and we are devastated that previous ceasefires were not upheld, we believe it is absolutely necessary to prioritize the safe delivery of the pallets of baby formula, specifically ready-to-feed formula, sitting at the border of Gaza to ensure that we do not lose another newborn or infant to starvation.”
The lawmakers also condemned the Israeli government’s restrictions on aid delivery, including a complete blockade earlier this year and its new system of aid delivery, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation system, which has resulted in a catastrophic decrease in food supplies and other humanitarian aid. According to the Israeli government’s own data, the GHF has delivered only a small fraction of the aid previously distributed under the U.N.-coordinated system, while average daily truck entries remain far below the 500–600 trucks the U.N. says are required to meet humanitarian needs.
“We therefore urge you to demand that the Israeli government immediately facilitate a massive surge of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, including but not limited to baby formula and medical equipment required to treat infant and child malnourishment.,” the lawmakers continued. “This moment of crisis demands moral clarity and decisive action.”
A copy of the letter can be found here.
Led by Congresswomen Pressley and Pettersen in sending the letter are Representatives Adams, Alma; Ansari, Yassamin; Balint, Becca; Barragán, Nanette; Bera, Ami; Beyer, Donald; Bonamici, Suzanne; Brownley, Julia; Budzinski, Nikki; Carbajal, Salud; Carter, Troy; Casar, Greg; Casten, Sean; Castro, Joaquin; Chu, Judy; Clarke, Yvette; Cohen, Steve; Conaway, Herbert; Courtney, Joe; Crockett, Jasmine; Crow, Jason; Davids, Sharice; Davis, Danny; Dean, Madeleine; DeGette, Diana; DeLauro, Rosa; Deluzio, Christopher; DeSaulnier, Mark; Dexter, Maxine; Dingell, Debbie; Doggett, Lloyd; Escobar, Veronica; Evans, Dwight; Fields, Cleo; Foster, Bill; Foushee, Valerie; Frost, Maxwell; Garamendi, John; García, Jesús; Garcia, Sylvia; Hayes, Jahana; Himes, James; Hoyle, Val; Huffman, Jared; Jackson, Jonathan; Jacobs, Sara; Jayapal, Pramila; Johnson, Henry; Johnson, Julie; Kaptur, Marcy; Kelly, Robin; Khanna, Ro; Krishnamoorthi, Raja; Larson, John; Lee, Summer; Leger Fernandez, Teresa; Liccardo, Sam; Lynch, Stephen; Magaziner, Seth; Matsui, Doris; McBride, Sarah; McClellan, Jennifer; McCollum, Betty; McDonald Rivet, Kristen; McGovern, James; McIver, LaMonica; Mfume, Kweisi; Min, Dave; Nadler, Jerrold; Norton, Eleanor; Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria; Omar, Ilhan; Panetta, Jimmy; Pelosi, Nancy; Pettersen, Brittany; Pingree, Chellie; Pocan, Mark; Pressley, Ayanna; Quigley, Mike; Ramirez, Delia; Raskin, Jamie; Ross, Deborah; Salinas, Andrea; Scanlon, Mary Gay; Schakowsky, Janice; Scholten, Hillary; Sewell, Terri; Simon, Lateefah; Smith, Adam; Sorensen, Eric; Stansbury, Melanie; Subramanyam, Suhas; Takano, Mark; Thompson, Bennie; Thompson, Mike; Tlaib, Rashida; Tokuda, Jill; Tonko, Paul; Trahan, Lori; Tran, Derek; Vasquez, Gabe; Velázquez, Nydia; Watson Coleman, Bonnie.
