Representative Veronica Escobar

Dear [salutation],I wanted to reach out to provide you with an update on developments in Congress regarding the Middle East around the Israel-Hamas war. With misinformation spreading about the war so frequently and intensely, I wanted to reach out as I did last month (you can read my November 7th newsletter here) with more recent information.Since my last update, I’ve attended additional classified briefings, a House Armed Services Committee roundtable with Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog and Major General Eliezer Toledano (Southern Commander for the Israel Defense Forces), and voted on a number of bills in the House of Representatives relating to the Israel-Hamas war. This is a critical moment that requires strong leadership to respond to a devastating war that has killed over 1,200 Israelis and over 17,000 Palestinians, and a war that creates a risk of a wider, regional conflict, and one that has fueled historic levels of antisemitism and Islamophobia.Unfortunately, instead of focusing on the rising death toll, or supporting the efforts by the Biden Administration to retrieve the remaining hostages, or on finding meaningful solutions to the conflict, my Republican colleagues have decided to use our limited time on the House floor to advance messaging bills. They have cynically used the war in Israel and Gaza to exploit sentiments of anger, fear, and frustration to score cheap political points with often unserious, simplistic, and redundant messaging bills. Bills I support: On November 28th, I voted for H.Res. 888, a bipartisan resolution that reaffirmed Israel’s right to exist and the danger posed by rising antisemitism in our country and around the globe. I continue to call for Hamas to unconditionally release the hostages that have been held captive now for over two months. I had the privilege of sitting down and meeting families of the hostages and survivors of the horrific October 7th attack and feel a deep sense of urgency to ensure the U.S. continues to press Hamas for their release. I am also a co-sponsor of H.Res. 907, a Resolution introduced by my Democratic colleagues Jamie Raskin, Dan Goldman, and Jerry Nadler condemning all forms of antisemitism and calling on executive branch agencies and Congress to take serious, concrete steps to implement the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and take other steps to combat antisemitism in the United States. House Republicans have not (and probably will not) bring this resolution to the floor for a vote. Bills I could not fully support: This week, I voted against H.Res. 927, an unserious resolution brought forth by Republicans to seemingly condemn antisemitism on university campuses. Had the resolution simply condemned antisemitism on university campuses, I would’ve voted in favor of it. But House Republicans have been using this moment to push the envelope and included a statement setting a dangerous precedent for congressional overreach into private universities’ affairs, undermining a core commitment to liberal democracy. The resolution also failed to support any real means of combatting antisemitism. The author of this resolution, Elise Stefanik, has repeatedly run cover for her colleagues and the former president’s dangerous antisemitism, while vouching for far-right white nationalist ideologies like the “Great Replacement Theory” that promote racism and hatred. I remain deeply concerned about the rise of antisemitism on colleges campuses and beyond, which is why I have opposed Republicans’ deep funding cuts to offices like the Office for Civil Rights, which works to prohibit and combat all forms of discrimination and antisemitism. If they truly believed antisemitism is a threat, they’d support our calls for the resources needed to do so. On November 30, I also voted against H.R. 5961, a Republican bill that imposes immediate, mandatory sanctions on any financial institution that engages in a transaction with the banks holding the $6 billion in Iranian humanitarian aid in exchange for the release of 5 detained Americans in Tehran. The bill was unnecessary because the funding was already frozen after the attack on Israel from Hamas.I unequivocally believe that Iran is a corrupt regime and a threat to U.S. national security interests and allies abroad. Yet after months of negotiations by American and Iranian officials at the highest levels to unfreeze these funds, 5 American families are now reunited with their loved ones and Iran no longer has leverage over our government for their release. But the bill wasn’t just redundant; there were last-minute Republican amendments included in the bill that made it very problematic. For example, one particularly ill-timed amendment called for Qatar to end its relationship with Hamas – at the very moment that Qatar was helping negotiate for the release of nearly 100 hostages. With Americans still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, there must be no doubt in negotiators' minds that we honor our deals. The perception of our trustworthiness directly impacts our ability to continue bringing American hostages home, and this bill put that at risk. I voted “present” on H.Res. 894, which I tweeted about last week. Literally days after passing the initial bipartisan resolution denouncing antisemitism (which I supported), Republicans brought forward another – not in order to promote any thoughtful strategy or policy, but as a way to distract from their lack of real action on the issue. My colleagues, Representatives Jerry Nadler, Jaime Raskin, Dan Goldman – leading Jewish voices in the House Democratic Caucus – asked House Democrats to support them in voting “Present” on this vote to send a message to our Republican colleagues that we need real action, not messaging bills. Eighty-eight of us joined them in the “present” vote. Please know that because Republicans are the majority in the House, they control the resolutions and bills that come to the floor as well as the kind of amendments that are included, and have blocked all Democratic resolutions, bills, and our amendments from consideration. While I am deeply committed to bipartisan work on this and all issues, when you see me vote against a bill or resolution, please know that it is likely because of language that poisons the general and well-seeming intention behind the bill or resolution. Additional Action:While I reiterate my support for a prosperous, strong and secure Israel, Israel’s right to defend itself, and my condemnation of Hamas and the October 7 attack, I also remain deeply committed to a two-state solution that provides for the peace, prosperity and security of Palestinians as well. I have been horrified by the loss of Palestinian life and the rising Islamophobia that we are seeing in our country and beyond. It is possible – and indeed important – to support both Israel and Palestinians at the same time. The continuing degradation of living conditions in Gaza, the lack of food, water, medicine and shelter is alarming and the result of what we now know are indiscriminate bombings from Israel that is endangering thousands of civilians, including the hostages that remain in captivity.I have communicated my concerns to the administration in two Congressional letters and to Israeli leaders during a private roundtable this past week. On November 3rd, I led a letter with Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, and nearly 60 Members of Congress to Secretary Blinken, urging him to protect innocent lives, regional stability, and American national security interests during an early trip to the region. I recently received a response from the State Department that takes into consideration many of the concerns highlighted in the letter. On December 5th, I led another letter with Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Seth Moulton to President Biden, Secretary of Defense Austin, and Secretary of State Blinken, outlining concerns over Israel's current military operations and the need for a strategic approach that minimizes civilian causalities, ensures the safety and complete release of all hostages, provides humanitarian aid, and works toward a political resolution. On December 12th, during a House Armed Services Committee roundtable with Israeli Ambassador Herzog and IDF General Toledano, I pressed on the Ambassador to provide us with the number of Hamas terrorists and innocent civilians, specifically women and children, killed during Israeli airstrikes. I also cautioned the Ambassador that the indiscriminate bombings were creating an unacceptable death toll in Gaza, which would only add to civilian casualties, serve to isolate Israel and fuel more terrorism. Israel must heed the guidance and warnings from its most important strategic ally: the U.S.While Israeli leaders have communicated that they do not support a two-state solution, I believe it is the only way forward. Without one, there will only be ongoing war, bloodshed, devastation and no peace or security for either Israelis or Palestinians. It will also ensure a wider war on multiple fronts. We must do everything possible – politically and diplomatically – to work for peace. As the war continues, I remain committed to using my platform as your representative to seek a peaceful resolution that includes the return of hostages, an end to the bloodshed, and a two-state solution. I also remain committed to ensuring you have accurate information about my positions as this conflict continues to evolve. Below you can find a list of my responses and actions since October 7th:October 7th: My initial reaction to the atrocities in Israel.October 17th: My call for a ceasefire.October 25th: My statement in support of H.Res. 771.October 24th: I met with family members of the hostages and the survivors of the October 7 terror attack. October 26th: I met with the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) to discuss the raise of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab hate. October 31st: My response to rising antisemitism and islamophobia. November 1st: My response to two Republican bills that were dangerously broad.November 2nd: My response to the reckless and unserious Republican Israel supplemental bill.November 3rd: I sent a letter I co-led with Senator Martin Heinrich (NM) to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.November 8th: I met with representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross to discuss critical updates on their work to facilitate the release of hostages in Israel and Gaza.November 22nd: My reaction to the temporary ceasefire.December 5th: My reaction to H.Res.894.December 5th: I sent a letter I co-led with Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Seth Moulton to President Biden, Secretary of Defense Austin, and Secretary of State Blinken.

Dear [salutation],

I wanted to reach out to provide you with an update on developments in Congress regarding the Middle East around the Israel-Hamas war. With misinformation spreading about the war so frequently and intensely, I wanted to reach out as I did last month (you can read my November 7th newsletter here) with more recent information.

Since my last update, I’ve attended additional classified briefings, a House Armed Services Committee roundtable with Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog and Major General Eliezer Toledano (Southern Commander for the Israel Defense Forces), and voted on a number of bills in the House of Representatives relating to the Israel-Hamas war.

This is a critical moment that requires strong leadership to respond to a devastating war that has killed over 1,200 Israelis and over 17,000 Palestinians, and a war that creates a risk of a wider, regional conflict, and one that has fueled historic levels of antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Unfortunately, instead of focusing on the rising death toll, or supporting the efforts by the Biden Administration to retrieve the remaining hostages, or on finding meaningful solutions to the conflict, my Republican colleagues have decided to use our limited time on the House floor to advance messaging bills. They have cynically used the war in Israel and Gaza to exploit sentiments of anger, fear, and frustration to score cheap political points with often unserious, simplistic, and redundant messaging bills.

Bills I support:

On November 28th, I voted for H.Res. 888, a bipartisan resolution that reaffirmed Israel’s right to exist and the danger posed by rising antisemitism in our country and around the globe. I continue to call for Hamas to unconditionally release the hostages that have been held captive now for over two months. I had the privilege of sitting down and meeting families of the hostages and survivors of the horrific October 7^th attack and feel a deep sense of urgency to ensure the U.S. continues to press Hamas for their release.

I am also a co-sponsor of H.Res. 907, a Resolution introduced by my Democratic colleagues Jamie Raskin, Dan Goldman, and Jerry Nadler condemning all forms of antisemitism and calling on executive branch agencies and Congress to take serious, concrete steps to implement the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and take other steps to combat antisemitism in the United States. House Republicans have not (and probably will not) bring this resolution to the floor for a vote.

Bills I could not fully support:

This week, I voted against H.Res. 927, an unserious resolution brought forth by Republicans to seemingly condemn antisemitism on university campuses. Had the resolution simply condemned antisemitism on university campuses, I would’ve voted in favor of it. But House Republicans have been using this moment to push the envelope and included a statement setting a dangerous precedent for congressional overreach into private universities’ affairs, undermining a core commitment to liberal democracy. The resolution also failed to support any real means of combatting antisemitism. The author of this resolution, Elise Stefanik, has repeatedly run cover for her colleagues and the former president’s dangerous antisemitism, while vouching for far-right white nationalist ideologies like the “Great Replacement Theory” that promote racism and hatred.

I remain deeply concerned about the rise of antisemitism on colleges campuses and beyond, which is why I have opposed Republicans’ deep funding cuts to offices like the Office for Civil Rights, which works to prohibit and combat all forms of discrimination and antisemitism. If they truly believed antisemitism is a threat, they’d support our calls for the resources needed to do so.

On November 30, I also voted against H.R. 5961, a Republican bill that imposes immediate, mandatory sanctions on any financial institution that engages in a transaction with the banks holding the $6 billion in Iranian humanitarian aid in exchange for the release of 5 detained Americans in Tehran. The bill was unnecessary because the funding was already frozen after the attack on Israel from Hamas.

I unequivocally believe that Iran is a corrupt regime and a threat to U.S. national security interests and allies abroad. Yet after months of negotiations by American and Iranian officials at the highest levels to unfreeze these funds, 5 American families are now reunited with their loved ones and Iran no longer has leverage over our government for their release. But the bill wasn’t just redundant; there were last-minute Republican amendments included in the bill that made it very problematic. For example, one particularly ill-timed amendment called for Qatar to end its relationship with Hamas – at the very moment that Qatar was helping negotiate for the release of nearly 100 hostages.

With Americans still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, there must be no doubt in negotiators' minds that we honor our deals. The perception of our trustworthiness directly impacts our ability to continue bringing American hostages home, and this bill put that at risk.

I voted “present” on H.Res. 894, which I tweeted about last week. Literally days after passing the initial bipartisan resolution denouncing antisemitism (which I supported), Republicans brought forward another – not in order to promote any thoughtful strategy or policy, but as a way to distract from their lack of real action on the issue. My colleagues, Representatives Jerry Nadler, Jaime Raskin, Dan Goldman – leading Jewish voices in the House Democratic Caucus – asked House Democrats to support them in voting “Present” on this vote to send a message to our Republican colleagues that we need real action, not messaging bills. Eighty-eight of us joined them in the “present” vote.

Please know that because Republicans are the majority in the House, they control the resolutions and bills that come to the floor as well as the kind of amendments that are included, and have blocked all Democratic resolutions, bills, and our amendments from consideration. While I am deeply committed to bipartisan work on this and all issues, when you see me vote against a bill or resolution, please know that it is likely because of language that poisons the general and well-seeming intention behind the bill or resolution.

Additional Action:

While I reiterate my support for a prosperous, strong and secure Israel, Israel’s right to defend itself, and my condemnation of Hamas and the October 7 attack, I also remain deeply committed to a two-state solution that provides for the peace, prosperity and security of Palestinians as well. I have been horrified by the loss of Palestinian life and the rising Islamophobia that we are seeing in our country and beyond. It is possible – and indeed important – to support both Israel and Palestinians at the same time. The continuing degradation of living conditions in Gaza, the lack of food, water, medicine and shelter is alarming and the result of what we now know are indiscriminate bombings from Israel that is endangering thousands of civilians, including the hostages that remain in captivity.

I have communicated my concerns to the administration in two Congressional letters and to Israeli leaders during a private roundtable this past week.

On November 3^rd, I led a letter with Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, and nearly 60 Members of Congress to Secretary Blinken, urging him to protect innocent lives, regional stability, and American national security interests during an early trip to the region. I recently received a response from the State Department that takes into consideration many of the concerns highlighted in the letter.

On December 5^th, I led another letter with Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Seth Moulton to President Biden, Secretary of Defense Austin, and Secretary of State Blinken, outlining concerns over Israel's current military operations and the need for a strategic approach that minimizes civilian causalities, ensures the safety and complete release of all hostages, provides humanitarian aid, and works toward a political resolution.

On December 12th, during a House Armed Services Committee roundtable with Israeli Ambassador Herzog and IDF General Toledano, I pressed on the Ambassador to provide us with the number of Hamas terrorists and innocent civilians, specifically women and children, killed during Israeli airstrikes. I also cautioned the Ambassador that the indiscriminate bombings were creating an unacceptable death toll in Gaza, which would only add to civilian casualties, serve to isolate Israel and fuel more terrorism. Israel must heed the guidance and warnings from its most important strategic ally: the U.S.

While Israeli leaders have communicated that they do not support a two-state solution, I believe it is the only way forward. Without one, there will only be ongoing war, bloodshed, devastation and no peace or security for either Israelis or Palestinians. It will also ensure a wider war on multiple fronts. We must do everything possible – politically and diplomatically – to work for peace.

As the war continues, I remain committed to using my platform as your representative to seek a peaceful resolution that includes the return of hostages, an end to the bloodshed, and a two-state solution. I also remain committed to ensuring you have accurate information about my positions as this conflict continues to evolve.

Below you can find a list of my responses and actions since October 7th:

October 7th: My initial reaction to the atrocities in Israel.

October 17th: My call for a ceasefire.

October 25th: My statement in support of H.Res. 771.

October 24th: I met with family members of the hostages and the survivors of the October 7 terror attack.

October 26th: I met with the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) to discuss the raise of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab hate.

October 31st: My response to rising antisemitism and islamophobia.

November 1st: My response to two Republican bills that were dangerously broad.

November 2nd: My response to the reckless and unserious Republican Israel supplemental bill.

November 3rd: I sent a letter I co-led with Senator Martin Heinrich (NM) to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

November 8th: I met with representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross to discuss critical updates on their work to facilitate the release of hostages in Israel and Gaza.

November 22nd: My reaction to the temporary ceasefire.

December 5th: My reaction to H.Res.894.

December 5th: I sent a letter I co-led with Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Seth Moulton to President Biden, Secretary of Defense Austin, and Secretary of State Blinken.

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