Bipartisan Legislation to Watch: Stop Arming Terrorists

image
Kendall ShainKendall Shain
Published: 22 Feb, 2017
1 min read

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRtznPEc4RA

January 13, 2017 -- Rep. Tulsi Gabbard argued on the floor of the House for support of the bipartisan Stop Arming Terrorists Act (H.R.608).

Rep. Gabbard recently sponsored the the bill with the purpose of ending American taxpayer funding of “weapons, training, and intelligence support to groups like the Levant Front, Fursan al Ha and other allies of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, al-Qaeda and ISIS, or to countries who are providing direct or indirect support to those same groups.”

The bill has some historical precedent  in the form of the Boland Amendment which prohibited funding and support for CIA backed-Nicaraguan Contras during the 1980’s.

This is an issue close to Congresswoman Gabbard, a combat veteran, whose opinion on the issue was impacted by her travels to Syria and Lebanon in January to speak with the people living in these conflict zones:

“Their (the Syrians) message to the American people was powerful and consistent: There is no difference between 'moderate' rebels and al-Qaeda (al-Nusra) or ISIS — they are all the same. This is a war between terrorists under the command of groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda and the Syrian government. They cry out for the U.S. and other countries to stop supporting those who are destroying Syria and her people.”

Gabbard has taken to Twitter to express her passion for the bill:

https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/833868345099296771

https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/832807352986275840

This bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by a couple Democrats and several Republicans. It is also endorsed by Progressive Democrats of America and the U.S. Peace Council.

IVP Donate

So who are the cosponsors?

The Democrats

Rep. Peter Welch [D-VT]

Rep. Barbara Lee [D-CA]

The Republicans

Rep. Thomas Massie [R-KY]

Rep. Walter B. Jones, Jr. [R-NC]

Rep. Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. [R-VA]

Rep. Ted S. Yoho [R-FL]

Rep. Paul A. Gosar [R-AZ]

If you support or oppose this bill and would like to contact your Representative, call 202-224-3121.

Let Us Vote : Sign Now!

Image Source: Flickr / Tulsi Gabbard

You Might Also Like

Ethan Penner
Could This Well-Funded Independent Upend the CA Governor’s Race?
Ethan Penner, a Calabasas businessman, author, and educator with a storied career in real estate finance, has officially announced his intention to run for California governor in 2026 as an independent. On his campaign website, Penner says he is running to “disrupt the failing two-party system.” ...
12 Sep, 2025
-
5 min read
Supreme Court of the United States
Forward Party Joins Petition to SCOTUS Against State of Florida
Right now, the divide between the Republican and Democratic Parties appears beyond repair. The political rhetoric is toxic, the nation’s leadership puts party gain before lasting solutions, and few voters actually feel heard by the people elected to represent them. At a time when it seems things will only get worse from here, the Independent Voter Project filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court along with Open Primaries and the Forward Party in support of a lawsuit that targets one of the biggest culprits behind all of this....
16 Sep, 2025
-
3 min read
congress flag
Poll: 82% of Americans Want Redistricting Done by Independent Commission, Not Politicians
There may be no greater indication that voters are not being listened to in the escalating redistricting war between the Republican and Democratic Parties than a new poll from NBC News that shows 8-in-10 Americans want the parties to stop....
10 Sep, 2025
-
3 min read