Congress has passed four of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s seven proposed amendments to the U.S. Defense Budget Bill, which are aimed at protecting human rights.

 

In mid-September, ahead of the vote on the The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Bronx congresswoman who represents New York’s 14th congressional district, introduced seven amendments that collectively sought to end U.S. practices that, she said, have contributed to human rights abuses. “We must end the sale of weapons to countries that have violated human rights, and reorient our foreign policy to one of humanitarian, diplomatic, and economic engagement,” the congresswoman tweeted on Thursday, Sept. 16.

 

One amendment was drafted to block the sale of weapons to the Saudi unit that killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi. According to representatives from the congresswoman’s office, the U.S. provided training approved by the State Department to the Saudi operatives responsible for Khashoggi’s murder, highlighting the grave danger of U.S. military partnerships with countries engaged in human rights abuses.

 

Relatedly, the congresswoman also introduced an amendment that would prohibit “Direct Commercial Sales” and “Foreign Military Sales” to any country that has engaged in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, genocide, or war crimes.

 

Ocasio-Cortez also introduced three amendments focused on the U.S. relationship with Colombia. First, she called on the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of State to produce a report on the status of human rights in Colombia within 180 days, given reports that as many as 63 people were killed this year during demonstrations against anti-working class reforms (full amendment text).

 

She also submitted an amendment that would prohibit the sale of military aid, weaponry, and training to Colombia’s Mobile Anti-Disturbances Squadron, which her office said was directly responsible for egregious abuses during the April 2021 protests. Additionally, the congresswoman reintroduced her amendment to prevent any U.S. funds from supporting aerial fumigation, which has been used in an attempt to decrease cocaine production; but which instead, her office said, has resulted in devastating health and environmental consequences for the Colombian people.

 

The congresswoman also introduced an amendment to address human rights abuses occurring at home. Under the Department of Defense’s 1033 program, officials from her office said U.S. civilian law enforcement agencies regularly receive free, military-grade weapons from the Department of Defense, such as firearms, destructive devices, ammunition, mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles, and grenade launchers.

 

Ocasio-Cortez’s amendment would prohibit the transfer of such weapons. The congresswoman is also co-sponsoring an amendment led by Brooklyn-based, Rep. Nydia Velázquez, that would eliminate the 1033 program and an amendment led by Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts’ 7th congressional district to place a moratorium on the future transfer of all weapons under the program.

 

 

 

Finally, Ocasio-Cortez also introduced an amendment to suspend the transfer of “Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition” weaponry under the $735 million direct commercial sale to the Israeli government. The congresswoman introduced a resolution in the spring with the same goal, following the death of 200 Palestinians during hostilities in the spring of 2021. This would block the transfer of the same kind of Boeing weaponry that the congresswoman’s office said the Israeli government used to kill 44 Palestinians in one night in al-Rimal.

 

As previously reported, District 11 City Councilman Eric Dinowitz recently voiced his support for former members of The City University of New York’s PSC-CUNY union who resigned over what was regarded as an anti-semitic resolution, signed on June 10, which condemned Israeli government actions against Palestinians during the latest wave of violence which occurred in Gaza in May and June 2021.

 

 

On Thursday, Sept. 23, four of the amendments passed the House, the one which will block the sale of weapons to the Saudi unit that killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and three amendments which focused on the U.S. relationship with Colombia.

 

These are the one that requires the Departments of Defense and State to produce a report on the status of human rights in Colombia within 180 days, one that prohibits the sale of military aid, weaponry, and training to Colombia’s Mobile Anti-Disturbances Squadron, and the prevention of any U.S. funds from supporting aerial fumigation, which has been used in an attempt to decrease cocaine production; but instead has resulted in devastating health and environmental consequences for the Colombian people.

 

On Sept. 24, the congresswoman released a lengthy statement explaining her voting stance on the supplemental U.S. military funding bill on Israel’s iron dome defense system. The full statement is attached.