Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper joined U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and a group of 46 of their Senate colleagues to announce their intent to file an amendment to the forthcoming national security supplemental funding legislation that reiterates longstanding U.S. policy in support of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“It is in the interest of Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans that Israel works with the United States and Arab partners to help create a genuine pathway toward a two-state solution. I firmly believe that such a solution is necessary for a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East,” said Bennet.
“A two-state solution will give Israelis and Palestinians mutual security, peace, and a path to a better future,” said Hickenlooper. “Anything short of that will only prolong this conflict.”
“The U.S. government has long supported a two-state solution as a path to a just and lasting peace in the region, and our amendment reaffirms our continued commitment to that vision,” said Schatz. “The horrors of the war on and since October 7th have underscored the fundamental reality that in order for both Israelis and Palestinians to live in safety and with dignity, they need to have distinct, inalienable, and mutually-recognized states that coexist side-by-side in peace.”
In addition to Bennet, Hickenlooper, and Schatz, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) also cosponsored the amendment.
The text of the amendment is available HERE.