145 Democrats urge the release of $75m in US aid to Gaza Signatories to the letter include by Democrat lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive representatives including Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. June 4, 2021 at 1:11 pm Some 145 Democratic members of Congress are urging a key Republican senator to release the hold on $75 million in Palestinian aid. The lawmakers, led by Congressman Jamie Raskin, wrote to Senator James Risch "to respectfully request that you release your hold on tens of millions of dollars in appropriated humanitarian aid that is so desperately needed to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians rebuilding their lives in the wake of the fighting between Hamas and Israel earlier this month."