Capitol Hill staffers anonymously sign letter urging lawmakers to call for Israel-Hamas war ceasefire



A group of congressional staffers has anonymously signed onto a letter pressing lawmakers to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

"We are Jewish and Muslim staffers and allied staff across the Hill," the letter reads, according to a copy posted by Politico. "Today, we write to implore our bosses, Members of the United States Congress, to join calls for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas."

"We have appreciated seeing nearly every Member of Congress express quick and unequivocal solidarity with the Israeli people, but we are profoundly disturbed that such shows of humanity have barely been extended to the Palestinian people. Only a fraction have called for a ceasefire or at least cessation of hostilities. We believe that Palestinian civilians deserve to be remembered, mourned, and defended with the same rigor that Jewish Israelis deserve from the U.S. Congress," the letter states.

"We sign this letter anonymously out of concern for our personal safety, risk of violence, and the impact on our professional credibility on Capitol Hill," the letter reads before going on to state that the staffers are concerned they could lose their jobs if they openly sign the appeal for a ceasefire.

Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, who have both been among the Democratic lawmakers advocating for a ceasefire, expressed their support for the anonymous staffers who joined the letter.

"I applaud the courageous Muslim and Jewish congressional staffers who led a letter calling for a #CeasefireNOW. I'm aware of the risk you're taking to stand on the right side of history. I see you. We see you. You are loved, valued & appreciated," Bush tweeted.

"Grateful for the 400+ brave staffers, led by Muslim & Jewish staff, putting themselves at risk in pursuit of justice," Pressley tweeted. "As a former staff member, I know how hard it can be to do this work in the midst of your own fear, grief & trauma. We need a #CeasefireNOW to save lives."

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Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has disagreed with the notion of pressing for a ceasefire.

"Now is not the time to talk about a ceasefire," he said in a tweet. "We must support Israel in efforts to eliminate the Hamas terrorists who slaughtered innocent men, women, and children. Hamas does not want peace, they want to destroy Israel. We can talk about a ceasefire after Hamas is neutralized."

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Dem staffers claim they put their 'bodies on the line' by protesting in Chuck Schumer's air-conditioned office



Congressional staffers claimed they put their "bodies on the line" Monday by staging a protest to bring attention to climate change.

The dangerous location of the protest that required risk to life and limb? The air-conditioned office of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

What happened?

Saul Levin, a staffer for Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), announced on Twitter that 17 congressional staffers had staged a sit-in protest to demand Congress take action and pass "climate justice policy."

"We are putting our bodies on the line because we have no other choice," Levin said.

\u201cHAPPENING NOW: We\u2019re asking Senator Schumer to negotiate like this is the coldest summer of the rest of our lives (it is).\u201d
— Saul (@Saul) 1658761651

Unfortunately for the staffers, their protest did not last long.

U.S. Capitol police officers quickly ended their demonstration by arresting them. The entire demonstration lasted only half an hour, according to journalist Andrew Marantz.

\u201cNow getting arrested\u201d
— Andrew Marantz (@Andrew Marantz) 1658761766

Ultimately, Capitol police officers arrested six staffers for refusing to leave Schumer's office. Those staffers are:

  • Saul Levin, who works for Bush.
  • Aria Kovalovich, who works for Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).
  • Rajiv Sicora, who works for Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.).
  • Courtney Koelbel, who works for Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).
  • Philip Bennett, who works for Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).
  • Emma Preston, who also works for Khanna.

The staffers were reportedly arrested for violating D.C. Code §22-3302 Unlawful Entry.

The purpose of the protest, Levin later told an NBC News reporter, is to force Schumer to restart negotiations with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to force through a reconciliation bill on climate policy.

When asked why they protested Schumer's office and not Manchin's, Levin said, "Because there's always going to be a sheep that strays away from the herd. It's the job of leadership to get the party together."

\u201cUSCP arrested six House staffers this afternoon for protesting inside @SenSchumer\u2019s office demanding the majority leader restart negotiations to pass climate legislation.\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s giving up, but some of us are going to live through the climate crisis,\u201d @saaaauuull told @NBCNews\u201d
— Julia Jester (@Julia Jester) 1658769107

Ironically, Levin's father is Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.). One thus wonders why Levin is not petitioning his father to do more to act on climate policy.

Levin, in fact, comes from family of political pedigree.

Not only is Levin's father a congressional representative, but his grandfather Sander Levin, served in the House for nearly three decades and his great uncle, Carl Levin, served in the U.S. Senate for 36 years.