{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/van-hollen-durbin-kaine-schatz-and-colleagues-announce-amendment-requiring-that-use-of-us-supplemental-aid-comply-with-us-international-law", "Van Hollen, Durbin, Kaine, Schatz & Colleagues Announce Amendment Requiring that Use of U.S. Supplemental Aid Comply with U.S., International Law", "2023-12-07", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", "kaine", "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/news", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Dick Durbin, (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), as well as Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tom Carper (D-DL), Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Ed Markey (D-MA) announced that they are working on an amendment to require that the weapons received by any country under the proposed national security supplemental are used in accordance with U.S. law, international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict.\n\nThe Senators\u2019 amendment also requires that the president report to the Congress on whether countries receiving military equipment paid for by American taxpayers meet that test and whether the use of U.S-supplied weapons comports with established presidential directives on arms transfers and Defense Department policies for reducing harm to civilians. And it would buttress current law that prohibits U.S. security assistance to any country that prevents or restricts U.S. humanitarian assistance to those in need, subject to a presidential waiver. The amendment does not apply to funds for air defense systems or other systems that the president determines will be used for strictly defensive purposes.\n\n\u201cU.S. taxpayer dollars have never come in the form of a blank check. It\u2019s critical that we hold all nations who receive our assistance to the same standards \u2013 and that includes ensuring the use of this assistance is in line with U.S. law, international humanitarian law, and the law of armed conflict. We must also insist that our partners cooperate with us in allowing the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Our amendment does all that and puts in place necessary reporting to Congress in order to track these measures. As we work to provide critical funding in the national security supplemental, I look forward to working with my colleagues to address these fundamental issues,\u201d said Senator Van Hollen.\n\n\u201cThe U.S. is an indispensable country in helping allied nations in times of conflict,\u201d said Senator Durbin. \u201cWith any such assistance, including supplemental packages, we have a responsibility to ensure the aid follows U.S. and international law. With this amendment, we are reinforcing that key point and our American values.\u201d\n\n\u201cU.S. assistance to our allies and partners has always come with the expectation that they will follow international laws of war,\u201d said Senator Kaine. \u201cThis global amendment reaffirms the need to protect innocent civilians caught in conflict zones and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations. We must ensure that even as we stand with our partners and allies across the world, our support remains consistent with the core values and strong support for human rights expressed by the American people.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhenever we approve federal spending \u2013 whether it\u2019s for things like public housing and highway repairs or our own Defense Department\u2019s programs \u2013 we require detailed plans on exactly how the money will be used. We also expect to receive some form of reporting on it afterward. It should be no different for assistance funding we provide to allies around the world, including Israel. It\u2019s our responsibility to make sure the funding and weapons we provide are used in a manner that\u2019s consistent with international humanitarian law and American values,\u201d said Senator Schatz.\n\n\u201cWhen it comes to U.S. military aid to Israel, American support cannot be a blank check to a right-wing Netanyahu government that has demonstrated a gross disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians. U.S. military aid always includes conditions, and there is no exception, even for our allies,\u201d said Senator Warren.\n\n\u201cThe United States should never supply or sell weapons to any country without guarantees that they will be used in compliance with international law,\u201d said Senator Merkley. \u201cNo exceptions.\u201d\n\n\u201cEnsuring civilians are protected and have access to adequate humanitarian assistance resources during times of conflict should be our first priority. Also essential is guaranteeing that U.S. weapons and defense articles sent overseas are used in compliance with international law. Senator Van Hollen\u2019s amendment to the National Security and Supplemental Appropriations Act will further these goals. As we continue negotiations, I will keep advocating vigorously to the Biden Administration and Senate leadership for other changes to the legislation that address the accountability, ethicality, and transparency of arms sent abroad,\" said Senator Welch.\n\n\u201cOur country stands for freedom and democracy, and both are grounded in our firm belief that innocent civilians should never be the target of war. It\u2019s imperative that this commitment extends to ensuring our weapons are used only in accordance with U.S. law, international humanitarian law, and the law of armed conflict. I stand by Israel and I also join my colleagues in insisting on the clarity that Israel\u2019s enemy in Gaza is Hamas - not the children, not Palestinian civilians,\u201d said Senator Heinrich.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m glad to join my colleagues on this amendment, which reiterates that U.S. military assistance provided to our partners must be used in accordance with the law \u2013 particularly U.S. law and international humanitarian law,\u201d said Senator Carper. \u201cThese principles are always imperative, but especially as we support those working to defend democracy around the world.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis amendment will further ensure that American aid is used in accordance with international law and American values,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cAs we support Israel\u2019s right to defend itself, we must continue working to create the conditions for a two-state solution and lasting peace in the region.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is imperative that all assistance to Israel abide by U.S. and international law, prioritize the protection of civilians, assure the provision of desperately needed humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, and align with a long-term vision for peace, security, and two-state diplomatic solution. I thank Senator Van Hollen and my colleagues for working together on this measure to ensure all military aid to countries within the supplemental package adheres to well-established, existing U.S. and international law and to require reporting to Congress on the use of such aid,\u201d said Senator Markey.\n\nThe Senators\u2019 amendment:\n\nRequires that the weapons received by any country under this bill are used in accordance with U.S. law, international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict.\n\nRequires that the president obtain assurances that any country receiving weapons through this bill cooperate fully with U.S.-supported efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need, subject to a presidential waiver.\n\nRequires that the president report to the Congress within 30 days on whether each country receiving U.S. security assistance through this bill is:\n\nUsing U.S.-funded military equipment in accordance with:\n\nTheir intended purposes and U.S. end-use monitoring programs;\n\ninternational humanitarian law, the law of armed conflict, and U.S. law;\n\nthe President\u2019s 2023 Conventional Arms Transfer (CAT) Policy and the Defense Department\u2019s Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP);\n\nFully cooperating with U.S. efforts and U.S.-supported international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians\n\nClarifies that these provisions do not apply to funds for air defense systems or other systems that the president determines will be used for strictly defensive purposes.\n\nThe text of the amendment is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/van-hollen-durbin-kaine-schatz-and-colleagues-announce-amendment-requiring-that-use-of-us-supplemental-aid-comply-with-us-international-law"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4217980206012726, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}