Ceasefire Now Resolution

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Ceasefire Now Resolution

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Ceasefire Now Resolution

The Ceasefire Now Resolution calling for Joe Biden to pressure Israel to stop their efforts to destroy Hamas and to send "humanitarian aid" to Palestine after the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023. The Ceasefire Now Resolution was initiated by Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib, Summer Lee, and Delia Ramirez.,

Press Release

From an October 16, 2023 Cori Bush Press Release:,

Washington, D.C. (October 16, 2023) — Today, Representatives Cori Bush (MO-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Andre Carson (IN-07), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Delia Ramirez (IL-03), alongside Representatives Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Chuy Garcia (IL-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Nydia Velazquez (NY-07) announced a resolution urging the Biden Administration to call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine, to send humanitarian aid and assistance to Gaza, and to save as many lives as possible.

“I am grieving for every Palestinian, Israeli, and American life lost to this violence, and my heart breaks for all those who will be forever traumatized because of it. War and retaliatory violence doesn’t achieve accountability or justice; it only leads to more death and human suffering,” said Congresswoman Bush. “Today I am introducing the Ceasefire Now Resolution, vital legislation that calls for de-escalation and an immediate ceasefire in Israel and Occupied Palestine, and for humanitarian assistance to urgently be delivered to the 2.2 million people under siege and trapped in Gaza. The United States bears a unique responsibility to exhaust every diplomatic tool at our disposal to prevent mass atrocities and save lives. We can’t bomb our way to peace, equality, and freedom. With thousands of lives lost and millions more at stake, we need a ceasefire now...”

Endorsements

The Ceasefire Now Resolution is endorsed by 350.org, About Face: Veterans Against the War, Action Center on Race & the Economy, Adalah Justice Project, American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine (AFRP), American Muslims for Palestine, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, Arab American Institute, Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC), Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Center for Civilians in Conflict, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Jewish Nonviolence, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Defense for Children International - Palestine, Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), Dream Defenders, EMGAGE Action, Freedom Forward, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, Highlander Research and Education Center, Hindus for Human Rights, IfNotNow, Institute for Middle Eastern Understanding, Institute for Policy Studies New Internationalism Project, The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Just Foreign Policy, MADRE, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Movement Law Lab, MPower Change Action Fund, Pax Christi USA, Peace Action, Progressive Jews of St. Louis, Project48, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, ReThinking Foreign Policy, RootsAction.org, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Institute Justice Team, Transgender Law Center, United Church of Christ, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), US Council for Muslim Organizations, Women Cross DMZ, and Working Families Party.

Endorsement Quotes

Cori Bush posted a list of endorsements for her Ceasefire Now Resolution:,

• Brittany Ramos DeBarros, Army Combat Veteran and Member of About Face: Veterans Against the War, said: “As post-9/11 Veterans, we have seen and lived the unspeakable consequences of wars that sought to address violence with more violence. We are convinced that the devastating invasions, bombings and occupations that we participated in left every nation involved less safe. There is no military solution in Gaza that won’t leave hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Palestinians and Israeli’s dead. We urge our government to use the full force of its diplomatic influence to push for an immediate ceasefire and end the Israeli government’s horrifying and illegal siege on Gaza.”

• Sandra Tamari, Executive Director, Adalah Justice Project, said: “Congress must call for an immediate cease fire and the entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza. The signatory list of the Ceasefire Now resolution will serve history as a roster of who stood up against mass atrocities and genocide against the Palestinian people.”

• Dr. Osama Abu Irshaid, Executive Director American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), said: “For decades, the U.S. has ignored the rights of Palestinians and their just and legitimate demands. There will be no peace, security, and stability in the Middle East region without the recognition of the rights of Palestinians to freedom, justice, equality, dignity, and their right to self-determination. The Biden administration and Congress have a moral responsibility to avoid further bloodshed and limit the catastrophic human suffering resulting from the conflict.”

• Abed Ayoub, National Executive Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), said: The humanitarian crisis gets worse by the hour, a ceasefire is urgently needed. The lives of millions of Palestinians in Gaza are at stake, and the US Government must do everything it can to prevent the further loss of life. We thank Representatives Tlaib and Bush for taking the courageous step of leading this resolution.

• Mike Merryman-Lotze, Just Peace Global Policy Director, AFSC, said: “The situation in Gaza is a catastrophe, over one million Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced and the Israeli imposed blockade denies everyone in Gaza access to water, food, medicine, and electricity – as of September 15 more than 2,300 Palestinians, including 720 children, had been killed. Thousands more will die if the attacks and humanitarian crisis are allowed to continue. That is why this resolution calling for US action to secure humanitarian access and an immediate ceasefire is so important.”

• Ayah Ziyadeh, Advocacy Director Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, said: “It's crucial that the U.S. (Congress and our administration) call for immediate de-escalation and ceasefire to prevent the further loss of life. Standing idle as Israel commits war crimes against Palestinians will not only further enable destabilization, but will fuel anti-Palestinian hate crimes within the U.S.”

• Maya Berry, Executive Director, Arab American Institute, said: Without urgent action to secure a ceasefire, Palestinians in Gaza, already besieged by a brutal 16-year blockade, will be facing ethnic cleansing and genocide. These are not terms to be used casually. The threat to Palestinians lives is real and the world must not fail the Palestinian people, again.”

• Nihad Awad, National Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said: “The Israeli government is subjecting Palestinians trapped in Gaza to a total blockade and a relentless bombing campaign that has already killed over two thousand civilians, including hundreds of children. The United States must change course, demand a ceasefire, and pursue a just and lasting peace before more Palestinian, Israeli or American civilians perish. We thank Representatives Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib for their efforts to protect the lives of all civilians and urge all members of the House of Representatives to unite in support of this commonsense resolution.”

• Rachel Gilmer, Dream Defenders, said: "Every member of congress who does not sign onto this resolution is complicit in genocide. The question is simple: will you support a ceasefire and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza or the continued massacre of innocent people? Over the last week, Israel has blocked access to food, water and electricity and dropped over 6,000 bombs on the people of Gaza - that's a bomb every 90 seconds - killing children, UN workers, journalists, entire families. The time to act is now and this resolution is simple: stop the massacre. ceasefire now."

• Wa'el Alzayat, CEO, Emgage Action said: “We are horrified by the continued violence in the Middle East. The U.S. must use its influence to encourage de-escalation in the region and the reaching of a political resolution to this crisis, not a military one. It is critical that the U.S. calls for and supports a ceasefire in the face of this escalating violence, especially the targeting and killing of civilians, many of whom are children. We commend our officials who are calling today, through this vital resolution, for an immediate ceasefire. Our elected officials must be a voice of reason and calm."

• Sunjeev Bery, Executive Director, Freedom Forward, said: "Under Israel's siege of Gaza, 2 million Palestinians now face starvation, bombardment, displacement, and death. President Biden must stop this humanitarian disaster by calling for an immediate ceasefire now."

• Ria Chakrabarty, Policy Director, Hindus for Human Rights, said: “The situation in Gaza is a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe, exacerbated by the Israeli military’s flagrant violations of international law—including the indiscriminate targeting of civilians and the use of white phosphorus. As Hindus whose faith calls us to stand against violence and injustice everywhere, we wholeheartedly endorse the call for a ceasefire and humanitarian assistance for Gaza.”

• Stefanie Fox, Executive Director, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, said: “The grief of this week have been overwhelming, but now is the time to act. With every passing day, more Palestinians are being killed by Israeli airstrikes and starving under military siege. Representatives Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib are working to build a desperately needed anti-war coalition to prevent the further loss of live. We call on every member of Congress who values the presciousness of human life to join them in demanding a ceasefire now.”

• Erik Sperling, Executive Director, Just Foreign Policy, said: “It's critical that Rep. Bush and her colleagues are standing with leading humanitarian organizations and calling for a ceasefire. With millions of Gazans trapped in a tiny area and Israel's military dropping around one thousand bombs per day, the only plausible way to prevent additional horrific war crimes is to end hostilities immediately.”

• Yasmine Taeb, Legislative and Political Director at MPower Change Action Fund, said: “As the largest Muslim digital advocacy organization in the U.S. with more than 200,000 members, MPower Change Action Fund is proud to endorse this resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire to put an end to the genocide unfolding before our eyes in Gaza.”

• Jon Rainwater, Executive Director, Peace Action, said: “With massive human rights violations accumulating in Gaza, simply suggesting that human rights laws are important clearly isn’t enough. Indiscriminate bombing has killed hundreds of children, a starvation siege is driving a humanitarian crisis, and now mass ethnic cleansing looks to be imminent. Strong action in the form of a ceasefire is needed to prevent a historic catastrophe.”

• Hannah Rosenthal, Organizer for Progressive Jews of St. Louis, said: “As Progressive Jews of St. Louis, we refuse to let genocide happen in our name. "Never again" is now. We are grateful for the leadership of our Congresswoman Cori Bush in this emergency and continue to join with her in demanding an immediate ceasefire and urgent humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

• Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, President & CEO Rainbow Push Coalition, said: “The humanitarian crisis in the Middle East begs for moral leadership that hears the grief stricken cries of the innocent, values all lives and stands for human rights. I applaud the moral clarity of Congresswoman Cori Bush and join with her in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. By calling for a ceasefire the United States will be a part of the solution instead of adding to a horrific and heartbreaking problem.

• Mitchell Plitnick, President, ReThinking Foreign Policy, said: “The horror perpetrated by Hamas is unforgivable. But it is precisely at a time when Israelis are in shock and horror that cooler heads must prevail to prevent even more horrors. If the United States is truly Israel's friend, we will try to restrain them from committing crimes that will only magnify the existing tragedy.”

• Jeff Cohen, cofounder of RootsAction.org, said: “The U.S. government should be a force for peace, not for more war -- a force for dialogue and diplomacy. Washington should be pushing now for de-escalation and a ceasefire. It should not be greenlighting a calamitous invasion of Gaza. RootsAction -- which was founded by two Jewish-American journalists -- wholeheartedly supports the Ceasefire NOW Resolution.”

• Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, said: “The United Church of Christ supports the call for a ceasefire and immediate deescalation of the violence. We seek the abundance of life and justice for all people. Humanitarian relief is needed immediately as well as access to health care and safety.”

• Iman Abid, Director of Advocacy, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), said: “Over 2 million Palestinian people trapped in Gaza are living through genocide in real time, as Israel bombs, starves, and displaces them. We need a ceasefire now to save as many lives as possible. Every minute counts.”

• Natalia Salgado, Director of Federal Affairs, Working Families Party, said: “As thousands of Israelis and Palestinians mourn the losses of loved ones, and as a humanitarian catastrophe unfolds, it is more urgent than ever for the parties to exercise restraint and prioritize the defense of human rights and human lives. We salute Reps. Bush, Carson, Lee, Ramirez and Tlaib for standing up for peace.”

Pro-Hamas 'Ceasefire' Letter by Troy Carter

Birmingham DSA Retweets X Post referencing Troy Carter's Pro-Hamas Ceasefire Letter Dec 2, 2023

On December 1, 2023, Representative Troy Carter wrote a letter signed by ten members of congress demanding that Joe Biden use his "immense influence" to convince Israel stop their campaign against the terror organization Hamas in the wake of the terror attack on October 7, 2023. The letter mentioned the goal of a "two-state solution" three times. "We urge you to use your immense influence and the full power of your office to continue negotiations and extend the bilateral pause beyond tomorrow so that both sides can build towards a bilateral ceasefire and, ultimately, a two-state solution." The letter called for a euphamistically named "ceasefire" mirroring the Ceasefire Now Resolution introduced in the House on October 16, 2023 and initiated by Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib, Summer Lee, and Delia Ramirez:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) led 10 Members of Congress in sending a letter to President Biden, calling for him to support a bilateral ceasefire in the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Rep. Carter was joined in sending the letter by Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Nikema Williams (D-GA), Valerie P. Foushee (D-NC), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), André Carson (D-IN), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Terri A. Sewell (D-AL), and Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-GA).

Birmingham Democratic Socialists of America reposted reference to Troy Carter's letter on December 2, 2023.