A group of 10 pro-Palestinian Democrats introduced legislation on Wednesday to block the arms sale after Gregory Meeks of New York, the House foreign affairs committee chairman, ultimately declined to ask the Biden administration to halt the sale.
The legislation was introduced by left-wing firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who defeated the House’s number three Democrat and staunch Israel defender Joseph Crowley in 2018.
“For decades, the US has sold billions of dollars in weaponry to Israel without ever requiring them to respect basic Palestinian rights,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez said when introducing the bill.
“In so doing, we have directly contributed to the death, displacement and disenfranchisement of millions.”
Progressive Democrats attempt to block $735m US arms sale to Israel
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Protecting the climate is loving our neighbor
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   Last week, President Joe Biden delivered his first national address.
   While the country tuned in for his remarks, I was listening for one thing: a commitment to creating a pathway to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants in this country. We heard him urge legislators to pass permanent protection for these immigrants that have had to live in uncertainty their entire lives.
   But a presidentâs verbal commitment is not enough. Congress must also act with powerful leadership roles.
   I have been working on this advocacy for the last nine months across the state of New Mexico with the Friends Committee on National Legislation, pushing for permanent solutions such as, HR6-The Dream and Promise Act. A solution comes from our members of Congress. They must take a leadership role, committing to prioritize permanent immigration reform that pushes for the American Dream everyone deserves.
US legislators call on Biden to help raise aid for Yemen William Roberts © Ali al-Nehmi, 70, sits with his grandchildren in their hut at a camp for internally displaced people. Ali al-Nehmi, 70, sits with his grandchildren in their hut at a camp for internally displaced people in Marib, Yemen, on April 5 [File: Ali Owidha/Reuters]
A group of influential United States legislators is calling on the Biden administration to help raise $2.5bn in aid for Yemenis suffering amid what they described as “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis”.
In an open letter on Tuesday, four US senators urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to provide more aid for Yemen and rally other countries to contribute after a recent United Nations fundraising appeal for the war-torn country fell short.