When US Representative Maxine Dexter (Oregon CD 3) stood on the House floor on November 20, her message was unequivocal: “I will not continue to willingly be part of that complicity.”

The Portland congresswoman was calling out what many in Congress have avoided naming directly—alleged war crimes in Gaza, where tens of thousands of civilians have been killed through months of Israeli bombardment. While the international community and some members of Congress have criticized Israel’s military operations, the majority continue voting to fund the military aid that has enabled Netanyahu’s government to prosecute the war.

Dexter is among the original 21 cosigners of Rashida Tlaib’s H.Res.876: “Recognizing the Genocide of the Palestinian People in Gaza.” Her floor speech marked a rare moment of explicit criticism: “Many in this body have been reticent to clearly call out the war crimes taking place in Gaza,” she said. “As a US Representative, my job is to stand up against the power and the resources of this country being used in such ways.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Dexter and Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts have engaged 100 Congress members to send a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the United States to work with both Israeli authorities and international partners to push toward rebuilding accessible hospitals and medical infrastructure in Gaza.

What You Can Do

The MultDems’ Foreign Policy Study Group has submitted a letter of support to Rep. Dexter. We encourage all Multnomah County Democrats to do the same. Write or call Rep. Dexter using any of these contact points:

Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (CD-3)

• Email: https://dexter.house.gov/contact/email-me
• Website: https://dexter.house.gov/
• Phone:
  • Portland: (503) 231-2300
  • Washington DC: (202) 225-4811
• Mailing address:
  • Portland: 911 NE 11th Ave., Portland, OR 97232
  • Washington DC: 1207 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515

Related: Read the Multnomah County Democrats resolution passed in October calling for enforcement of a ban on use of US weapons that violate human rights.