Some six of the seven leading candidates for the Democratic nomination for president voted against a bill that will tackle the anti-BDS movement in America last week. The bill, which passed in the Senate by 77 to 23, was opposed almost solely by Democrats.
Who are the 23 individuals who voted against the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act?The names in bold are considered top presidential contenders.
- Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
- Tim Kaine (D-VA)
- Cory Booker (D-NJ)
- Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
- Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
- Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
- Kamala Harris (D-CA)
- Edward Markey (D-MA)
- Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
- Chris Murphy (D-CT)
- Tom Carper (D-DE)
- Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
- Jack Reed (D-RI)
- Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
- Dick Durbin (D-IL)
- Tom Udall (D-NM)
- Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
- Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
- Tammy Baldwin (D-WS)
- Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
- Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
- Brian Schatz (D-HI)
- Rand Paul (R-KY)
This bill was the first introduced in the new congress – which among other provisions such as sanctioning the Bashar Assad regime in Syria and reaffirming long-term defense aid agreements with Jordan and Israel – reaffirms that states retain the right not to contract with businesses engaging in the BDS movement.