NEW YORK (Press Release) — The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has compiled a list of the eight U.S. Senators and 48 members of the House of Representatives who did not attend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint meeting of Congress on March 3. All of the absentees were either Democrats or independents.
Jewish members of Congress who stayed away included Senators Al Franken (D-Minnesota) Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont); and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). Others were U.S. Reps. Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee), Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois), and John Yarmuth (D-Kentucky).
Among others who stayed away, of note, were U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) whom the progressive MoveOn organization is trying to persuade to run for U.S. President, and the two Muslims members of the House, Andre Carson (I-Indiana) and Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota).
Carson and Ellison are both members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Another 16 members of that caucus stayed away from Netanyahu’s speech—less than half its total membership.
ZOA President Morton A. Klein commented: “To avoid hearing the Prime Minister’s address on a vital issue was a dereliction of their duty to do all they can to protect Americans, which includes listening to world expert like Mr. Netanyahu on Iranian nukes, a subject which affects the security of every American.”
Following is a list of those who did not attend Netanyahu’s speech:
U.S. Senate
Al Franken (Minn.)
Tim Kaine (Va.)
Patrick Leahy (Vt.)
Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Brian Schatz (Hawaii)
Martin Heinrich (N.M.)
Elizabeth Warren (Mass.)
Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.)
House of Representatives
Rep. Karen Bass (Calif.)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (Ore.)
Rep. Corrine Brown (Fla.)
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (N.C.)
Rep. Lois Capps (Calif.)
Rep. Andre Carson (Ind.)
Rep. Joaquin Castro (Texas)
Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.)
Rep. Lacy Clay (Mo.)
Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.)
Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.)
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.)
Rep. John Conyers (Mich.)
Rep. Danny Davis (Ill.)
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.)
Rep. Peter DeFazio (Ore.)
Rep. Diana DeGette (Colo.)
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Texas)
Rep. Donna Edwards (Md.)
Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.)
Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pa.)
Rep. Marcia Fudge (Ohio)
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.)
Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (Ill.)
Rep. Denny Heck (Wash.)
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (Texas)
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (Ohio)
Rep. Rick Larsen (Wash.)
Rep. Barbara Lee (Calif.)
Rep. John Lewis (Ga.)
Rep. Dave Loebsack (Iowa)
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.)
Rep. Betty McCollum (Minn.)
Rep. Jim McDermott (Wash.)
Reps. Jim McGovern (Mass.)
Rep. Jerry McNerney (Calif.)
Rep. Gregory Meeks (N.Y.)
Rep. Gwen Moore (Wis.)
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.)
Rep. Beto O’Rourke (Texas)
Rep. Chellie Pingree (Maine)
Rep. David Price (N.C.)
Rep. Cedric Richmond (La.)
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.)
Rep. Bennie Thompson (Miss.)
Rep. Mike Thompson (Calif.)
Rep. John Yarmuth (Ky.)
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Preceding based on materials provided by the Zionist Organization of America