US House rejects budget amendment aimed at halting cluster bomb supply

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Jul 2023 11:33

The measure, which was proposed by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, was voted down by a majority of 276 voting against a minority of 147.

The House of Representatives is seen on Election Day, at the capitol in Washington, November 8, 2022 (AP)

The US House on Friday rejected a proposed amendment to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would have stopped the US from supplying cluster bombs to Ukraine.

The measure, which was proposed by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, was voted down by a majority of 276 voting against a minority of 147.

Speaking about the proposed amendment on the House floor, Greene said that cluster bombs result in civilian deaths and could cause an escalation of the war rather than deterrence.

Cluster munitions are brutal, inhumane weapons that cause lasting harm to civilians.

The US is a part of the Convention on Cluster Munitions banning the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of these weapons.

Sending them to Ukraine is a clear escalation.

What’s next?… pic.twitter.com/70iFcCWFw9
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) July 14, 2023

The lower chamber likewise rejected an amendment proposed by Greene to subtract $300 million in funding for Ukraine from the bill.

It also rejected an amendment from Congressman Matt Gaetz aimed at banning federal funds from being spent on providing security assistance to Ukraine.

The US' latest military assistance package to Ukraine, which was unveiled last week, includes cluster munition.

On Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russia's military will be forced to use similar weapons against Kiev's forces if the US supplies the bombs.

Under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the weapon is banned in 123 countries. Among those who did not sign the convention include the US, Ukraine, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, "Israel" and South Korea.

On July 13, Brigadier General Aleksandr Tarnavsky told CNN that Washington has already sent the cluster munitions promised to Kiev, reaffirming that the weapons are now with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The US also confirmed this information.

Tarnavsky said “We just got them, we haven’t used them yet, but they can radically change [the battlefield],” adding that the cluster munitions, according to his claims, could assist Ukrainian Forces in pushing Russia away from their lines of defense.

In turn, Joint Staff Director for Operations Lt. General Douglas A. Sims confirmed during a press briefing that "There are cluster munitions in Ukraine at this time," revealing that even prior to the US delivery there had been cluster munitions available in Ukraine provided by third-party countries.