Massachusetts Peace Action

Legislative Agenda – Federal – 2019/2020 

Pending Bill Cosponsorships as of 2020-01-13High priority bills are shown in Red below:

Saudi/Yemen

Prohibit Security Assistance to Saudi Arabia

H.R.643 (McGovern (D-MA)).  MA Cosponsors: Pressley. Total: 32.

Prohibits the U.S. from providing security assistance to the government of Saudi Arabia.

MAPA Position: YES

 

Iran
Prevention of Unconstitutional War with Iran

H.R.2354 (Eshoo (D-CA)).  MA Cosponsors: McGovern, Pressley, Kennedy.  Total: 85.

S.1039 (Udall (D-NM)). MA Cosponsors: Markey, Warren. Total: 29.

MAPA Position: YES

Clarification that Congress Has Not Provided Authorization for Military Force Against Iran 

H.R.2829 (Levin (D-MI)). MA Cosponsors: McGovern, Pressley, Keating, Kennedy. Total: 93.  MAPA Position: YES

Return to the Iran Nuclear Deal

H.Res.495 (Lee (D-CA)).  MA Cosponsors: McGovern.  Total: 39

Nuclear Disarmament

No First Use Policy

H.R.921 (Smith (D-WA)). MA Cosponsors: McGovern.  Total: 43.

S.272 (Warren (D-MA)). MA Cosponsors: Markey. Total: 7.

This act would declare that it is the policy of the U.S. not to use nuclear weapons first.

MAPA Position: YES

Restricting Presidential First Use of Nuclear Weapons

H.R.669 (Lieu (D-CA)). MA Cosponsors: McGovern, Clark, Pressley, Kennedy. Total: 62.

S.200 (Markey (D-MA)). MA Cosponsors: Warren. Total: 13.

This legislation would prohibit the president from launching a nuclear first strike without a congressional declaration of war.

MAPA Position: YES   

Click HERE for more information on legislation to restrict US use of nuclear weapons.

Hold the Low-Yield Nuclear Explosives (LYNE) Act

HR.1086 (Lieu (D-CA)). MA Cosponsors: McGovern. Total: 35.

S.401 (Markey (D-MA)). MA Cosponsors: Warren. Total: 7.

This legislation would prohibit the research and development, production, and deployment of the Trident D5 low-yield nuclear warhead.

MAPA Position: YES

Prevent spending on weapons banned by the INF Treaty

H.R.1249 (Gabbard (D-HI)). MA Cosponsors: McGovern. Total: 7.

S.312 (Merkley (D-OR)). MA Cosponsors: Warren, Markey. Total: 12.

President Trump announced February 1, 2019, that the US plans to withdraw from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty with Russia, and the withdrawal took effect on August 2.  The bill would prevent building missiles that would be banned by the treaty.

MAPA Position: YES

Extension of New START Treaty 

S.845 (Menendez (D-NJ)). MA Cosponsors: None. Total: 2.

A bill to establish as United States policy that, pending confirmation of the Russian Federation’s continued compliance with the New START Treaty, the United States should extend the Treaty through 2026.

MAPA Position: YES

Back from the Brink – Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

H.Res.302 (McGovern (D-MA)). MA Cosponsors: None. Total: 7.

Embraces the goals and provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

MAPA Position: YES

Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Economic and Energy Conversion

H.R.2419 (Norton (D-DC)). MA Cosponsors: McGovern. Total: 1.

An act calling for the U.S.’ signature on the U.N.’s Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the redistribution of resources currently used for nuclear weapons to an ecological, peace economy.

MAPA Position: YES

 

Israel-Palestine

Palestinian Children in Israeli Military Detention

H.R.2407 (McCollum (D-MN)). MA Cosponsors: Pressley. Total: 23.

Prevent US funds from being used to detail Palestinian children in violation of UN standards.

MAPA Position: YES

Increasing U.S. Economic and Military Support of Israel and Curbing the Right to Boycott

S.1 (Rubio (R-FL)). MA Cosponsors: None. Total: 12.  Passed the Senate Feb. 5, 2019, 77-23; Markey and Warren voted No.

H.R.336 (McCaul (R-TX)). MA Cosponsors: None. Total: 66. 

These pieces of legislation would renew U.S. military aid to Israel and allow states to divest in those who boycott Israel.

MAPA Position: NO

Click HERE for more information on this legislation.

Opposing BDS and efforts to delegitimize Israel

H.Res.246 (Schneider (D-IL)). MA Cosponsors: Kennedy, Neal, Keating, Trahan, Moulton. Total: 351. Passed the House, 398-17; Neal, McGovern, Trahan, Kennedy, Clark, Pressley, Lynch, and Keating all voted Yea

S.Res.120 (Cardin (D-MD)). MA Cosponsors: Markey. Total: 69.

MAPA Position: NO

Affirming the Right to Boycott

H.Res.496 (Omar (D-MN)).  MA Cosponsors:  Pressley, McGovern.  Total: 15

MAPA Position: YES

Affirming a Two State Solution

H. Res. 326 (Lowenthal (D-CA).  MA Cosponsors: McGovern, Pressley, Kennedy, Neal, Clark, Moulton, Keating, Trahan.

MAPA Position: NO

 

Korea

Peace Treaty to End the Korean War

H.Res.152 (Khanna (D-CA)). MA Cosponsors: McGovern. Total: 41.

This resolution is a call for a  “Formal End to the Korean War” while also advocating for ongoing diplomacy. 

MAPA Position: YES

Family Reunification

H.R.1771 (Meng (D-NY)).  MA Cosponsors: McGovern, Pressley. Total: 42.

MAPA Position: YES

Click HERE for more information on legislation to support diplomacy with Korea.

 

Latin America

Prevent US military intervention in Venezuela

H.R.1004 (Cicilline (D-RI)). MA Cosponsors: McGovern, Moulton, Pressley, Keating, Trahan. Total: 78. 

S.J.Res.11 (Merkley (D-OR)). MA Cosponsors: Markey, Warren. Total: 7.

These bills block funds for an intervention and prohibits the administration from taking military action in Venezuela without Congressional approval.

MAPA Position: YES

Click HERE for more information on this legislation.

Berta Caceres Human Rights in Honduras Act

HR.1945 (Johnson (D-GA)).  MA Cosponsors: Lynch, McGovern, Clark, Pressley, Kennedy, Moulton.  Total: 72

MAPA Position: YES

 

War Powers

Repeal the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF)

H.R.1274 (Lee (D-CA)). MA Cosponsors: McGovern, Clark, Pressley, Kennedy. Total: 83.

This Act would repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force, enacted in Sept. 2001 as a “broad and open-ended authorization for the use of military force” and often used to by-pass congress’s approval in the mobilization of US military. 

Click HERE to see the Peace Action Policy Briefing on AUMF

MAPA Position: YES

Repeal the 2002 (Iraq War) AUMF

HR.2456 (Lee (D-CA)).  MA Cosponsors: Pressley, Kennedy. Total: 64.

S.J.Res.13 (Kaine (D-VA)). MA Cosponsors: None. Total: 4.

Repeal the authorization for use of military force against Iraq.

MAPA Position: YES

 

Climate Change and Economic and Social Justice

Green New Deal

H.Res.109 (Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)). MA Cosponsors: Lynch, Pressley, McGovern, Clark, Moulton, Keating, Trahan, Kennedy. Total: 98.

S.Res.59  (Markey (D-MA)). MA Cosponsor: Warren. Total: 12.

MAPA Position: YES

Read MAPA’s Statement

See Peace Action’s Activist Toolkit and Congressional Action Steps for more information!

Updated 8/13/2019