Speaking Truth About Power

Floor Speech

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Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, and still I rise, unbought, unbossed, and unafraid.

Mr. Speaker, I rise, driven by conscience, to embrace the moral imperative to speak truth not only to power but to also speak truth about power.

I rise today to acknowledge, driven by conscience, what the world is witnessing as we see the collective punishment being imposed upon Palestinians in Gaza.

I rise to say that this level of punishment is something that is intolerable and has to be addressed.

I rise to say that not only is there collective punishment, there is ethnic cleansing taking place in Gaza.

I rise to say that, at some point, we in this Congress have to take a stand against the injustice being perpetrated against innocent Palestinian men, women, and especially children.

This level of injustice is something that this country has always stood against, but we find ourselves today standing with Mr. Netanyahu and the government that is bringing shame to the country of Israel. Israel should never do what it despises. I believe that the country of Israel would despise this level of punishment, this level of injustice being perpetrated upon another country. Yet, we find today, under Mr. Netanyahu's leadership, Israel is gaining a reputation as a pariah country.

Mr. Speaker, to add insult to this grave injury, the United States of America, by and through President Donald John Trump, is aiding and abetting by simply having him conclude that somehow Gaza should become a resort of a sort and that the Palestinians would be moved to some other place. That is a form of nouveau ethnic cleansing.

I do not support it, and I want the world to know that if in this bill, this big, beautiful bill that the President would have us sign off on that I am already antithetical to, if there is money in that bill to support the continued ethnic cleansing, the continued inhumanity that is taking place against the Palestinians, I cannot support that. I will not vote to send more money to see innocent men, women, and especially children slaughtered the way it is taking place right before our very eyes.

The unfortunate thing is there are too many among us who are afraid to speak up. I refuse to be among those who at this time are challenging controversy, who would sit and cower. I am going to take a stand not because it benefits me personally but because conscience says we cannot allow these injustices to go unpunished. I am driven by conscience to say that I won't be supporting sending any additional dollars to Israel, having already sent and voted for more than $50 billion.

Nobody can accuse me of not being supportive of Israel. I have supported it, but I can't support the Netanyahu administration and what it is doing to the country of Israel. I can't support what is happening in my country as our President would embrace this ethnic cleansing.

This is the hour of decision. This is the time for every person of good will to make a decision. I stand for peace in Palestine and the two-state solution.

There are those who say that there is no plan for the interregnum, what we call the day after. Mr. Netanyahu does have a plan. It is to take all of Palestine. It is to take all of Gaza. It is to take the West Bank. He has a plan. Don't assume that because he is going in without our permission that he doesn't have a plan; he does.

My plan is to vote against any additional funds to the State of Israel.

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