Statement

As an organization called by faith to seek a more peaceful, more just world based on respect for international law and human rights, the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) urges members of Congress to vote NO on the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The Department of Agriculture recently unveiled a proposed rule that would reduce Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by $4.5 billion over five years. FCNL submitted a public comment on Nov. 26 decrying the proposal, which would have an outsize impact on low-income families and marginalized communities.

The Friends Committee on National Legislation repudiates the statement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the United States government regards all Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory as legal. FCNL supports the right of Israelis and Palestinians to self-determination and security in their own homeland.

As a Quaker organization committed to ending all wars, the Friends Committee on National Legislation calls on Turkey to immediately end its assault on northeastern Syria and urges the U.S. government to pursue a diplomatic solution to this quickly-deteriorating situation.

The Friends Committee on National Legislation supports the ongoing impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump led by the U.S. House of Representatives.

On Sept. 25, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing titled “Protecting America from Assault Weapons.” FCNL submitted this statement in advance of the hearing, calling on Congress to mark up and pass the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 (H.R. 1296).

FCNL sent the following statement to the House Judiciary Committee to be entered into the record for their hearing: The Expansion and Troubling Use of ICE Detention. FCNL urges members of Congress to increase oversight of existing detention facilities and design policies that reduce the overall detention of immigrants in favor of community-based alternatives and support.

FCNL submitted the following statement to the Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship and Committee on Foreign Affairs’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations ahead of their joint hearing on President Trump’s Muslim ban. This is the first congressional oversight hearing on this ban since the first one was issued in January 2017.

On August 1, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted the Secure and Protect Act of 2019 (S. 1494) out of committee. The bill, introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC), would expand family immigrant family detention, erode the U.S. asylum system, and make it harder for families to seek protection. In a statement, FCNL urged members of Congress to oppose this legislation and work instead to protect vulnerable migrants and uphold U.S. asylum law.

As the country reels from three mass shootings in one week, the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) urges policymakers to take every available step to reduce the harm and loss of life caused by guns.