Educate Congress about the Rachel Corrie Resolution
Action Item, Partners for Peace, 3 July 2003
Craig and Cynthia Corrie display photo of their daughter at a news conference outside the Capitol, Wednesday, March 19, 2003, in Washington. The Corries lost their daughter, Rachel, shown also in a photo in the background, who was an activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer while trying to block demolition of a Palestinian residence in Gaza. They called on Congress to investigate Rachel's death. The photo shows Rachel facing up to an Israeli bulldozer.(AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)
On 16 March 2003, peace activist Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer while trying to protect the home of a Palestinian doctor.
On June 26th, it was reported that Israel exonerated itself of any responsibility for Rachel’s death, despite all eyewitnesses reporting that Israeli troops present offered no assistance to the striken activist.
Proposed House of Representatives bill HR 111 calls for the US to launch a full investigation. Just 43 out of 435 US Congressional Representatives have sponsored the bill, less than 10 percent.
Ask your Representative to co-sponsor HR 111 and ask why simply investigating the killing of an American citizen is not a priority for a shocking 90 percent of the US House of Representatives.
The Rachel Corrie Resolution (House Concurrent Resolution 111) now has 42 co-sponsors. But the resolution will continue to languish in the House International Relations Committee without a continuing groundswell of grassroots support.
Rachel Corrie was killed on March 16, 2003 in the Gaza Strip by an Israeli military bulldozer while she attempted, non-violently, to protect the home of a Palestinian civilian. Numerous eyewitnesses stated that the driver definitely knew she was there, but ran over her anyway. Then, at the end of June, the Israeli military advocate general closed the file on Rachel's case.
In effect, Israel has now cleared Israel of wrongdoing. The Rachel Corrie Resolution, however, calls for an American investigation into what took place that day.
Yet many members of the House International Relations Committee show every sign of wavering in their responsibility to support this courageous young American and her family. The Washington Wednesday coalition is urging calls to those members of Congress who have not yet co-sponsored the resolution.
Your member of the House of Representatives can be reached at 202-224-2131 or 202-225-3121.
TALKING POINTS
An Israeli military bulldozer killed Rachel Corrie on March 16, 2003. An American investigation is needed as there is ample evidence that the Israeli investigation whitewashed what happened that day.
The Rachel Corrie Resolution, sponsored by Rep. Brian Baird, is likely to die in committee unless there is clear support for it from many members of Congress outside the House International Relations Committee. Some staffers may tell you that their office is prepared to support the resolution IF it comes to the House floor for a vote. If so, be prepared to tell the staffer there is a real possibility it will never even get to the floor without co-sponsorship from that congressional office.
Many more non-violent Americans are headed to the region to participate in the International Solidarity Movement's "Freedom Summer." A failure by the Congress to back an investigation into what happened to Rachel could be taken by the Israeli military as evidence that the United States will not stand up for its own citizens. This will leave many non-violent American volunteers with the International Solidarity Movement vulnerable to attacks by Israeli soldiers this summer.
Rachel was an advocate for a just peace between Palestinians and Israelis. She was also an advocate for the rights of Palestinians living in grim conditions in the occupied territories, particularly in Rafah. The United States government has yet to speak up strongly for the human rights of Palestinians. Now has it reached the stage where it will not even speak up for the human rights of its own citizens?
TEXT OF THE RACHEL CORRIE RESOLUTION
H. CON. RES. 111
Expressing sympathy for the loss of Rachel Corrie in the Palestinian village of Rafah in the Gaza Strip on March 16, 2003.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 25, 2003
Mr. BAIRD (for himself, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. DICKS, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. WU, Mr. HONDA, Ms. ESHOO, and Mrs. CAPPS) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing sympathy for the loss of Rachel Corrie in the Palestinian village of Rafah in the Gaza Strip on March 16, 2003.
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress--
(1) expresses its sympathy to Craig and Cynthia Corrie and to their extended families, friends, and co-workers for the loss of Rachel Corrie in the Palestinian village of Rafah in the Gaza Strip on March 16, 2003;
(2) calls on the United States Government to undertake a full, fair, and expeditious investigation into the death of Rachel Corrie; and encourages the Government of the United States and the Government of Israel to work together to determine all the circumstances that led to this incident and to ensure that an incident of this kind never occurs again.
CURRENT CO-SPONSORS OF THE RACHEL CORRIE RESOLUTION
Sponsor:
Rep Baird, Brian - 3/25/2003 [WA-3]
Cosponsors:
Rep Abercrombie, Neil - 3/31/2003 [HI-1]
Rep Baldwin, Tammy - 5/15/2003 [WI-2]
Rep Blumenauer, Earl - 4/3/2003 [OR-3]
Rep Camp, Dave - 4/29/2003 [MI-4]
Rep Capps, Lois - 3/25/2003 [CA-23]
Rep Davis, Danny K. - 5/20/2003 [IL-7]
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. - 4/29/2003 [OR-4]
Rep Dicks, Norman D. - 3/25/2003 [WA-6]
Rep Dingell, John D. - 4/3/2003 [MI-15]
Rep Doggett, Lloyd - 5/21/2003 [TX-10]
Rep Dunn, Jennifer - 4/3/2003 [WA-8]
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. - 3/25/2003 [CA-14]
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. - 6/2/2003 [AZ-7]
Rep Honda, Michael M. - 3/25/2003 [CA-15]
Rep Inslee, Jay - 3/25/2003 [WA-1]
Rep Issa, Darrell E. - 6/26/2003 [CA-49]
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. - 5/5/2003 [IL-2]
Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice - 6/26/2003 [TX-30]
Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. - 4/8/2003 [RI-1]
Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. - 6/2/2003 [MI-13]
Rep Kind, Ron - 5/13/2003 [WI-3]
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. - 5/1/2003 [OH-10]
Rep Larsen, Rick - 3/25/2003 [WA-2]
Rep Lee, Barbara - 4/3/2003 [CA-9]
Rep Lewis, John - 3/25/2003 [GA-5]
Rep Lofgren, Zoe - 4/29/2003 [CA-16]
Rep McDermott, Jim - 3/25/2003 [WA-7]
Rep McGovern, James P. - 4/8/2003 [MA-3]
Rep Miller, George - 4/29/2003 [CA-7]
Rep Moran, James P. - 5/13/2003 [VA-8]
Rep Myrick, Sue - 4/29/2003 [NC-9]
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes - 6/10/2003 [DC]
Rep Oberstar, James L. - 6/10/2003 [MN-8]
Rep Olver, John W. - 4/29/2003 [MA-1]
Rep Rahall, Nick J., II - 3/31/2003 [WV-3]
Rep Sabo, Martin Olav - 5/20/2003 [MN-5]
Rep Smith, Adam - 3/25/2003 [WA-9]
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete - 4/8/2003 [CA-13]
Rep Udall, Mark - 5/15/2003 [CO-2]
Rep Watt, Melvin L. - 4/29/2003 [NC-12]
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. - 4/29/2003 [CA-6]
Rep Wu, David - 3/25/2003 [OR-1]
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