Congresswoman Ramirez, Human Rights Organizations Call for Recommitment to Human Rights, Dismantling of Systems of Oppression, including DHS and Defense

Washington, DC - Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) and national human rights leaders introduced the Renewed Mandate for Human Rights, a resolution to designate a United States Human Rights Commission. The resolution also serves as a comprehensive roadmap outlining the policies members of Congress must commit to, including affordable housing, universal health care, climate resilience, humane immigration, the abolition of detention, the dismantling of the Department of Homeland Security, the redirecting of the Department of Defense's funding, and more.

In a moment when many Americans are demanding a democratic response to the rise of fascism, the resolution presents a progressive commitment to universal human rights, calling Congress to reject policies of racism, colonialism, capitalism, imperialism, White supremacy, and patriarchy.

It is not enough to simply protect the rights and freedoms we have now when our people are still unhoused, foreclosed, detained, and deported, poor, hungry, sick, and drowning in crisis after crisis. We must use every tool at our disposal to claim and create a future that reflects our progressive, people-centered values," said Congresswoman Ramirez. "Our rights and freedoms are not negotiable - they are guaranteed to us because we are human, we are beloved, and we belong to one another. That is why I am proud to stand with courageous, bold leaders to introduce the Renewed Mandate for Human Rights Resolution to recognize the interconnectedness of our struggles, reaffirm our commitment to upholding universal human rights and dignity, and pursue policies grounded in human rights."

The resolution is cosponsored by Representatives Yvette Clark (NY-09), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07).

The legislation has the endorsement of local and national organizations, including IMEU Policy Project, Center for Constitutional Rights, Women Cross DMZ, Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America, MADRE, Climate Justice Alliance, Illinois Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, Muslim Civic Coalition, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Equality Illinois, and The Peoples Lobby.

"This renewed mandate for human rights affirms what MADRE partners and women human rights defenders worldwide already know: human rights matter, and they are a valuable blueprint for policymaking. Too often, harmful policies attack vulnerable communities, rob social safety nets of critical resources, and erode safety for all of us. This resolution is a critical step, not only demanding that the United States face these real harms in its policymaking, but also offering a guide to achieve real security through a renewed commitment to universal human rights," said Yifat Susskind, Executive Director for MADRE.

"IMEU Policy Project applauds Congresswoman Ramirez for her steadfast commitment to speaking out for communities which have been systematically shut out from power and the right to self-determination, both domestically and globally," said IMEU Policy Project. "The world has watched as Palestinians have endured a genocide before our eyes, and it is long past time for the United States to reaffirm its commitment to human rights and the values which we claim to stand for as a country."

"In a global moment characterized by backsliding democracies and rising authoritarianism, this rights-based, people-centered vision is a necessary antidote to dismantle increasingly entrenched oppressive systems of power, including white supremacy, economic oppression, gender oppression, and abusive state practices," said Brad Parker, Associate Director of Policy at the Center for Constitutional Rights. "Recognizing the interconnectedness of the pain, violence, and oppression experienced by the global majority, often directly related to United States belligerence, is also a call for justice and accountability. We thank Congresswoman Ramirez for her bold leadership as a champion for human rights," said Brad Parker, Associate Director of Policy for the Center for Constitutional Rights.

"As a Korean peace activist, I have seen first hand how forever wars and militarism undermine human rights and harm women disproportionately. We must protect our inalienable right to live in a world free from war, imperialism, and gender-based violence. No democracy can thrive under militarism, and peace is essential for the flourishing of rights. As multi-generational women organizing to end the Korean War, the longest-running U.S. overseas conflict, Women Cross DMZ is thrilled to support Congresswoman Ramirez's Renewed Mandate for Human Rights resolution in pursuit of collective human security," said Cathi Choi, Executive Director for Women Cross DMZ.

¨Congresswoman Delia Ramirez has demonstrated unique leadership not only in Congress but alongside our communities. She has stood with the Guatemala diaspora, the Latin American community, and working-class people across Chicago, grounding her work in solidarity rather than political convenience. Her work to establish a U.S. Human Rights Commission builds on the legacy of the civil rights movement, anti-war resistance during the Vietnam and Iraq wars, and goes further, centering the demands of the global majority. Making it clear that systems of militarism, imperialism, economic exploitation, and U.S. intervention need to be dismantled and abolished. Today, we face global challenges and crises, and Congresswoman Ramirez proposes structural transformation that is urgently needed," said Jhonathan F. Gomez, Co-Director of Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America.

"Human rights and environmental justice are inseparable. The same systems that fuel militarization and extraction are accelerating the climate crisis and deepening global inequality. Today, the world's militaries are estimated to account for roughly 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with the U.S. military being the largest institutional greenhouse gas emitter in the world. War and climate chaos go hand in hand," said Mar Zepeda Salazar, Climate Justice Alliance Legislative Director. "A sustainable future requires a comprehensive international human rights framework that centers dignity, self-determination, and collective well-being and is adhered to by all, rather than selectively to suit political agendas of the most powerful. We are proud to endorse the Renewed Mandate for Human Rights and stand in solidarity with all the communities and movements it uplifts."

"What this country needs more now than perhaps ever before is a genuine commitment and true plan to end all human rights abuses, particularly the disturbing abuses and outright murder of far too many of our neighbours in horrific gulags across this country! These gulags and the abuse of government agents in our communities represent a historic legacy of this country, from its genocide of the indigenous peoples to the horrors of slavery, Jim Crow and to the murder of hundreds of thousands of workers who came from across the globe to build this country, who were merely fighting for dignified lives," said Sheilah Garland-Olaniran, Coordinating Committee Member of Illinois Poor People's Campaign; A National Call for Moral Revival. "We are proud of Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, as she puts forth this Declaration of Human Rights Resolution, and we stand with her in her resolve to fight. History demands that we fight and so we must and we shall!"

"With each passing day, our communities are facing crises mounted upon crises. When force overpowers law, when entire groups of people are dehumanized and when the dollars of a few drown out the voices of many, the security of every American is at risk. In this moment, we need vocal support, solidarity and, most importantly, action from members of Congress," said Muslim Civic Coalition Executive Director Amina Barhumi. "Congresswoman Ramirez's resolution affirms both the need for and a renewed commitment to policies that uphold our God-given rights and the freedoms we profess to defend as a democratic society. The Muslim Civic Coalition is proud to endorse this resolution and thanks the Congresswoman for her decisive leadership on human rights."

"Congresswoman Ramirez's Resolution on Human Rights offers a forward facing vision of what a values-based and progressive US foreign policy could be: one that centers people and humanity, not imperialism and corporate greed. From Chicago, to Palestine, and beyond, the U.S. must dismantle the systems of harm and militarism and invest in life-giving infrastructure. Jewish Voice for Peace Action is proud to support this legislation," said Beth Miller, Political Director of Jewish Voice for Peace Action.

To read the full text of the resolution, CLICK HERE.