Monday 7 August 2017

Three More Senators Sign on as Co-Sponsors of Israel Anti-Boycott Act



Three more US senators have added their names as co-sponsors of S.720, the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, a bill that would make it a felony for Americans to support a boycott of Israel. The latest three senators to add their names are: Steve Daines of Montana, Jeff Flake of Arizona, and Richard C. Shelby of Alabama. All three are Republicans.
According to the ACLU, should the bill be signed into law violators could be punished by hefty fines and up to 20 years in prison.The addition of Daines, Flake, and Shelby brings the total number of co-sponsors to 48. Had Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York not withdrawn as a co-sponsor, the number would now stand at 49. However, as I noted in my most recent post on this issue, Gillibrand withdrew her name after taking heat from her constituents.
You can go here to see the total list of senators who have signed on as co-sponsors. The bill was originally introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) on March 23, 2017.
So far, the House version of the same bill has picked up 249 co-sponsors. That’s 31 more votes than it needs to pass. Unless a miracle happens, the bill is pretty much a done deal in the House. You can go here to see the list of representatives who are willing to trash the First Amendment to the US Constitution in order to please Israel and its lobby.
Be that as it may, I would encourage people to look over both lists, and if your senator or representative happens to be among the co-sponsors, to give him or her a call. The fact that Gillibrand withdrew her support shows that complaints from constituents on this issue can make a difference.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
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