Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) Statement Regarding the Violence in Gaza

Minnesota native Congresswoman Betty McCollum currently represents Minnesota’s 4th Congressional District which includes Minnesota’s Capitol city, St. Paul.  She received her BA at the College of St. Catherine in Minnesota.  Her work experience includes 25 years retail sales and management as well as teaching social studies.  Elected to the Minnesota State House of Representatives in 1992 as a progressive who emphasizes health care and education, she was elected to Congress in 2000 where she serves on two important committees for American foreign policy: the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee for State Department and Foreign Operations.  She is also the Senior Democratic Whip within the House Democratic Caucus.

We admire the courage of Congresswoman McCollum.  For instance, in 2006 she publicly rejected an invitation to a gala honoring Israel because the guest speaker was Reverend John Hagee.  "How does one ‘honor Israel’ with an individual whose toxic statements pollute the environment of peaceful religious coexistence, cooperation and respect that we strive to achieve in America, and especially in Minnesota, among Christians, Jews, Muslims and people of all faiths?" she demanded.  Rep. McCollum then added that "unlike Pastor Hagee, I support working for the ‘roadmap for peace’ in the Middle East, Israel living side-by-side in peace and security with an independent Palestinian state.  This is a goal many of us in Congress share with both Israeli political leaders and citizens."

Congresswoman McCollum supports aid to Israel and also believes that the Palestinians must be supported.  She believes that the U.S. must be seen as an honest broker on issues of Middle East peace and argues that settlement expansion must stop.  She has supported her rhetoric by co-sponsoring a House Resolution expressing support for the appointment of former Senator George Mitchell as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. She also signed the Price-Lahood letter of 2008 calling for a ceasefire around the Gaza Strip and signed the Cohen-Boustany-Carnahan letter to President Obama supporting his Middle East policies. In addition, Congresswoman McCollum opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning, yet has still traveled there twice to meet with U.S. troops and Iraqi leaders.  As strong a critic as she is of America’s Iraq misadventure, she is equally committed to veterans issues.

J Street is proud to re-endorse this courageous Congresswoman