A bipartisan majority in the Democrat-led Senate rebuffed on Tuesday a measure brought by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) seeking a report on Israel‘s fight against Hamas following the group’s terrorist attacks in October.
The resolution, which sought State Department information on whether U.S. assistance is being used to perpetuate any human rights abuses in the Gaza Strip, was tabled by a 72-11 vote. Sanders, nine Democrats, and one Republican — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) — voted in favor of advancing it, according to a C-SPAN producer.
Sanders made headlines when opted to force a vote on his resolution, which hinged on the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and cited a section that says Congress may request a human rights report and adopt a measure to pull or restrict security assistance to a country found to have a pattern of internationally recognized abuses.
“We should all want this information. If you believe the war has been indiscriminate, as I do, then we must ask this question. If you believe Israel has done nothing wrong, then this information should support that belief,” Sanders said in a post to X.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said he opposed the resolution because it “put at risk” U.S. support for Israel while its forces battle Hamas.
The Democrat stressed he would continue to raise concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza with Israel and push for a more “targeted” campaign to better protect civilians with Israeli officials and the Biden administration.
“I do not, however, believe that risking the suspension of all U.S. assistance or publicly rebuking Israel in a way that could embolden its enemies will address these concerns, nor will it improve the humanitarian situation,” he added.
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Among the Republicans who spoke out against the resolution offered by Sanders was Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
“Israel takes extraordinary risks to minimize civilian casualties. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad go to extraordinary lengths to maximize senseless death. We must not confuse one for the other. The Senate should reject the Sanders resolution,” McConnell said in a post to X on Tuesday.