Rashida Tlaib plans to force House vote on Lebanon war powers resolution
The resolution aims to ban U.S. intelligence sharing and targeting assistance to Israel for its operations in Lebanon, but does not make any mention of Hezbollah
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) attends the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) plans to force a House vote next week on a war powers resolution blocking any U.S. involvement in or support for Israeli military operations in Lebanon, according to a memo distributed by Tlaib’s office to progressive lawmakers and obtained by Jewish Insider.
Tlaib’s resolution, co-led by Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL), aims to prevent any U.S. assistance to Israel in its operations in Lebanon, including intelligence sharing and targeting assistance for operations against Hezbollah. Neither the legislation nor Tlaib’s memo make mention of Hezbollah nor acknowledge its attacks on Israel or its refusal to disarm.
“The United States is assisting this destruction through the weapons, intelligence, logistics, and diplomatic cover it provides the Israeli government, and Congress has the power and duty to put an end to this illegal invasion,” a press release by Tlaib’s office read.
The legislation is backed by a host of anti-Israel groups including American Muslims for Palestine, Code Pink, the Democratic Socialists of America, Justice Democrats, Jewish Voice for Peace and the Sunrise Movement.
In the memo circulated to other progressives, Tlaib’s team accused Israel of destroying and displacing entire communities and committing war crimes, and argued that “there is no real ceasefire” between Israel and Lebanon. The two countries held their third round of ambassador-level meetings in Washington on Thursday.
The memo asserts that there are “repeated, credible, sourced reports” that President Donald Trump has personally approved or disapproved specific operations in Lebanon, and that the U.S. and Israel are coordinating on targeting.
It also states that there are “credible reports” that the U.S. is sharing targeting intelligence in Lebanon.
“It is almost certain, given the depth of this military relationship, that the U.S. has been involved in these hostilities far more than has been publicly reported thus far,” the memo reads. “The Pentagon has every incentive to avoid confirming the full scope of that involvement, and as we saw during Yemen, details only emerge under pressure. We should expect the same dynamic here.”
The memo makes the case that bringing the vote to the House floor would bring attention to the war and place pressure on the White House and on Israel to end it, though it acknowledges that the resolution is not likely to pass.
It also asserts that a war powers resolution on Cuba in the Senate forced Senate Republicans to make public statements opposing a U.S. invasion of the island, something the memo argues would not have happened without the resolution vote.
“Forced votes create forced disclosures and force people to make commitments that are harder to walk back later,” the memo reads.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) alluded to the plan to force a vote on X on Thursday, posting, “I support [Tlaib’s] War Powers Resolution to stop any US involvement in the war in Lebanon. 2,896 Lebanese have been killed, and Israel is striking even Beirut. 1.2 million have been displaced. We need a vote next week.”
Please log in if you already have a subscription, or subscribe to access the latest updates.





























































Continue with Google
Continue with Apple