In a shot across the bows of the US regime change hawks, the congresswoman from Hawaii has implored her fellow legislators to vote to end foreign entanglements. Few, however, seem willing to heed the call.
Gabbard, who served a 12-month tour in Iraq as a field medic, called on her fellow lawmakers to rally behind the ‘Stop Arming Terrorists Act,’ which she submitted to Congress early last year.
“The practice of spending taxpayer dollars to fund counterproductive regime change wars must end,” she tweeted. “It is long overdue we pass the Stop Arming Terrorists Act to prevent terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda or state sponsors like Saudi Arabia from receiving cash, weapons, or intelligence.”
Her “Stop Arming Terrorists Act,” or HR 608, states that it would “prohibit the use of United States Government funds to provide assistance” to Al-Qaeda, Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), their supporters and others.
“Every American would be surprised to know that for years our government has been providing both direct and indirect support to these armed militant groups, who are working directly with or under the command of terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS, all in their effort and fight to overthrow the Syrian government,” Gabbard told RT in March of last year.
It appears, however, that the idea of American taxpayers spending less on foreign entanglements is not receiving much support in the Congress as Gabbard has not enjoyed much success in rallying her colleagues to the cause.
In the House of Representatives, just 14 lawmakers have signed up as co-sponsors of the bill. Meanwhile, in the Senate version of the bill introduced by Rand Paul, not a single member has declared their support.