Steven Koppel

Today's VRA decision is intellectually dishonest and wrong. The conservatives basically said: Black people can vote for their preferred candidates, as long as they prefer the right candidates -- which will be Republicans. An absolutely mockery of the law and stain on the court.

Today, I voted to block the provision of U.S. military assistance to Israel: 1,000-pound so-called ‘dumb’ bombs and military bulldozers. In the future, I will continue to assess U.S.-funded offensive weapons to Israel on a case-by-case basis, and I will continue to support sending Israel much-needed defensive weapons, like Iron Dome. I have struggled with these Joint Resolutions of Disapproval as much as any vote since I joined Congress. I represent a state with a large Arab and Muslim population and a large Jewish population. And over these last two-plus years, few issues have been as raw, painful, and personal as this one. Throughout that time, I have worked hard to call balls and strikes based on my experience and the facts on the ground, even when some are reluctant to consider new information. My entire life, I have been -- and continue to be -- a strong supporter of a Jewish and democratic State of Israel. The people of Israel, like all people throughout the region, deserve long-term security and peace. But being pro-Israel today is not about simply supporting the political or military agenda of Prime Minister Netanyahu, just like being pro-American should not be equated with loyalty to President Trump. This is a complex truth that many of us who support Israel hold, and it applies to my own patriotism and government as well. I can support the security of a country without supporting the specific policies of any one political party or leader. And if Israelis can take part in rigorous debate and protests of their own government’s policies, Americans supportive of Israel can do the same thing. I have no love lost for the Iranian regime or their proxy groups like Hezbollah. I know firsthand from three tours in Iraq alongside our military how Iran is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans and thousands more civilians in the Middle East. But President Trump committed the U.S. to a war of choice against Iran, alongside Israel, with no evidence of an imminent threat, no clear objectives, and without Congressional approval. Seven weeks in, he has yet to provide a strategy for this war or a clear path to get out of it. So just as I am against more U.S.-funded weapons to Israel today, I am also deeply skeptical of more U.S. funding for the Iran war, which reportedly could be anywhere between $50 to $200 billion, on top of $1 trillion provided to the Pentagon last year. Every American should be invested in the U.S. ending this war with the least possible loss of blood and treasure. It is my hope that we can get a comprehensive and durable ceasefire as soon as possible.

Nearly one month into the war, a map of strikes across Iran shows how widespread the campaign has become – from Tehran to key military and infrastructure sites nationwide.

My faith teaches me that food is lifegiving and meant to be shared. From the miracle of fishes and loaves to the Last Supper, we are called to feed and care for each other. The Trump administration prohibiting SNAP benefits is wrong. We should be fighting hunger, not causing it.