Bill Breakdown: BLOCK THE BOMBS ACT (H.R. 3565)
BREAKING DOWN THE BILL
If enacted, the Block the Bombs Act (H.R. 3565), introduced by Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-3) and currently cosponsored by 54 members of Congress, would prohibit the sale, transfer, or export to Israel of BLU-109 bunker-busting bombs, MK80-series bombs, GBU-39 small-diameter bombs, JDAM assemblies, SPICE gliding bomb assemblies, 120 mm tank rounds, and 155 mm artillery ammunition (including white-phosphorus munitions).
BACKGROUND
U.S. security assistance is a fundamental tool of foreign policy, intended to promote stability and uphold a rules-based international order. The continued transfer of certain munitions to specific units of the Israeli military, such as the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, currently undermines this objective. This unit has been repeatedly implicated in grievous human rights violations against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. H.R. 3565 is a targeted and legally-grounded measure to:
Uphold U.S. Law: Enforce the Leahy Law, which prohibits U.S. assistance to foreign security units credibly implicated in gross violations of human rights (GVHRs).
Protect U.S. National Security: Ensure that American weapons are not used in a manner that fuels instability, fosters anti-American sentiment, and damages our moral standing and credibility.
Reaffirm American Values: Send an unambiguous message that the United States does not subsidize military units that operate outside the laws of armed conflict.
WHAT’S NEXT?
This is the first-ever bill to proactively block major U.S. weapons transfers to Israel, marking a historic step toward enforcing human rights conditions on U.S. military aid. The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) has officially endorsed H.R. 3565, the Block the Bombs Act. It’s important that we keep the pressure on Members of Congress to cosponsor the bill. You can do so by sending a message here:
