Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the Gaetz-Jacobs amendment to prohibit the transfer of cluster munitions.

Given their impact on civilians during and after a conflict and the dangers they pose to children and vulnerable populations, it is a matter of principle to limit or prohibit the transfer, export, sale, and production of these weapons.

Since 2001, U.S. policy, law or both have prohibited the sales, exports and transfers of cluster munitions that have a failure rate exceeding 1 percent.

Regrettably, the Pentagon insists that the U.S. should have the ability to use millions of stockpiled cluster munitions that have estimated failure rates of 5 to 20 percent. This was supposed to end in 2018, but it didn't.

I believe strongly that the United States should be an international leader in ending the terrible toll on civilians caused by the high failure rate of these weapons, including those we are currently providing to Ukraine for its defense against Russian aggression.

There will always be those who will argue against such changes in military policy and practice, who will say this can't be done.

If those voices had their way, we would still be using mustard gas and chemical weapons.

Even during this time of great conflict, we can make sure that U.S. cluster munitions have less than a 1 percent failure rate. In fact, it would be better for Ukraine and its people if we did.

Until the Pentagon assures us those are the only weapons being transferred, Congress must act and prohibit any further transfers of this devastating weapon.

I urge my colleagues to support the Gaetz-Jacobs amendment.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source