Erik Sperling 🌍
@ErikSperling
Executive Director @JustFP. Past: Policy Adviser/Counsel @RepRoKhanna @RepJohnConyers @HouseForeign. JD @GeorgetownLaw (+Bucks/Packers, Sk8/Snow)
"Biden officials had put together a blueprint for decimating the Houthis that required a long-term commitment" Biden's @DStroul attacks Trump for ending the Yemen war. A decade of unauthorized US war — costing a million Yemeni lives & billions in taxpayer funds — wasn't enough
“The administration was clearly looking for an off-ramp for this campaign against the Houthis" According to two U.S. officials, the agreement pertains only to U.S. ships. The Houthis are expected to continue firing on Israel The effort under Trump came at great cost:
🚨This is big: Unilateral sanctions kill >500k people per year — comparable to global armed conflict deaths — finds a new study in the prestigious, peer-reviewed @LancetGH by @frrodriguezc, @SilvioRRendon, & @MarkWeisbrot of @ceprdc bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
U.S. officials frame sanctions as a "peaceful" alternative to war. A new study finds they kill as many people as armed conflict. thelancet.com/journals/langl…
NEW: @ceprdc’s @TheLancet study finds unilateral sanctions kill about 564K people annually - that rivals the death toll from armed conflicts. Sanctions are as deadly as war itself. bit.ly/Sanctions_Study
"The Government of Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death" -Statement signed by 111 organizations, including @MercyCorps, @NRC_Norway, @RefugeesIntl
More than 100 largely aid and rights groups called for governments to take action as hunger spreads in Gaza, including by demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the lifting of all restrictions on the flow of humanitarian aid reut.rs/4kW2eNk
"Sanctions can cause as many fatalities as armed conflict" 🆕 study in @TheLancet ⚠️ "[U]nilateral sanctions cause more than 560,000 deaths each year worldwide," lead to a "substantial increase in mortality that disproportionately hurts children younger than five years old"
Graham knows that consumers in US & Europe pay higher prices for oil, due to US sanctions — while China, India, Brazil pay "cheap" market rates If his new tariff policy succeeds, it will cause oil and gas prices to spike even more for US consumers Do US voters support that?
Advocates of the Ukraine war should make their case overtly to voters: gas price hikes for Zelensky. See how that goes. But, of course, they don't do that. Wait for elections, and then seek to undermine the people's verdict in DC. x.com/ErikSperling/s…
Advocates of the Ukraine war should make their case overtly to voters: gas price hikes for Zelensky. See how that goes. But, of course, they don't do that. Wait for elections, and then seek to undermine the people's verdict in DC. x.com/ErikSperling/s…
Gas prices are always a top priority for US voters and impact costs across the economy But 85 Senators are backing sanctions that that they know will raise gas prices for Americans? (Notably, Senators who focus on working families like @SenSanders @HawleyMO haven't joined)
If providing defensive weapons in no way confers support for an offensive campaign (which you call a genocide) then does this mean you would vote in favor of an iron dome for Iran or Russia? If the goal is abstract protection of civilians regardless of context?
The dirty secret of sanctions policy is that these harms are often intentional. truthdig.com/articles/lifti…
The six House members who voted tonight for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's amendment to cut $500 million in missile defense support for Israel: Al Green, Summer Lee, Thomas Massie, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. (Omar had introduced an identical amendment.)
US reveals more evidence of direct US support for proxy forces seeking to conduct regime change in Yemen Clearly a US-led operation, but @CentcomCdr Kurilla said: “We commend the legitimate government forces of Yemen who continue to interdict the flow of Iranian munitions"
Yemeni Partners Successfully Interdict Massive Iranian Weapons Shipment Bound for the Houthis Congratulations to the Yemeni National Resistance Forces (NRF), led by Gen. Tareq Saleh, for the largest seizure of Iranian advanced conventional weapons in their history. The NRF…
HASC Chairman @RepMikeRogersAL has accepted over $2.7 million in campaign cash from military contractors over his career, including $536,550 during the last election cycle.
WATCH: Armed Services members mock @RoKhanna for voting against the largest military budget in US history All other @HASCDemocrats (except @RepSaraJacobs) voted to spend 1 TRILLION on war — even as working families continue to struggle across the country #NDAA @HASCRepublicans
WATCH: Armed Services members mock @RoKhanna for voting against the largest military budget in US history All other @HASCDemocrats (except @RepSaraJacobs) voted to spend 1 TRILLION on war — even as working families continue to struggle across the country #NDAA @HASCRepublicans
I am used to the good-natured ribbing from my colleagues. But I do not believe we need a $1 trillion budget to have a strong, modern defense. And I want to see more investment in good jobs at home than billions spent on more wars abroad.
Erik, you're being overly generous when you say the NYT should "rethink" something here.
You may not follow politics closely, but aside from both being families, the Grijalvas and Cuomos couldn't be further apart in every possible way In general, you may want to rethink how Bernie-backed leftist defeating former Kamala staffer signals something bad for Mamdani
I am used to the good-natured ribbing from my colleagues. But I do not believe we need a $1 trillion budget to have a strong, modern defense. And I want to see more investment in good jobs at home than billions spent on more wars abroad.
The final vote out of the House Armed Services Committee for the FY26 NDAA had only two "No" votes. Reps. Ro Khanna and Sara Jacobs. The chamber started cheering "Ro, RO, RO!" until they were surprised by Jacobs joinging him. Khanna is usually the lone no vote.