Rep. Jim Himes Chooses AIPAC Over Constituent Concerns

An Open Letter from His Constituents

[Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) questions US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chair \ Joshua Roberts/POOL/AFP via Getty Images, FILE]

The following is an open-letter submitted on behalf of a grassroots group of women in Connecticut.

An Open Letter Regarding Rep. Himes’ Disturbing, Callous Behavior:

We are a grassroots group of women in Connecticut from Congressman Jim Himes district, who have been advocating for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which includes a release of the Israeli and Palestinian hostages, an end to the U.S. sending weapons to the Israeli government to enact its genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people both in Gaza and the West Bank, and for our government to pursue a political solution to end the conflict and bring about peace and liberation for everyone in the Holy Land.  

We are doctors, nurses, mothers, professionals, and most importantly we are American citizens of all different backgrounds, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and unaffiliated.  We have met with Congressman Himes’ office over ten times over the last 9+ months, and we were finally able to meet with the Congressman directly on Friday July 12th.  

We were deeply disturbed by how the Congressman addressed his concerned constituents, many of whom had voted for him many times.  His behavior was unapologetically cruel, dismissive and condescending towards us, and towards Palestinian life both here in America and in Gaza.  We were shocked when one of our group members, a humanitarian nurse who has served on medical missions in disaster zones across the world, including with the United State navy, was not even acknowledged by the Congressman for her service. 

We attempted to appeal to his humanity to showcase the plight of the Palestinians, including intentional starvation, no safe zones, unprecedented killing of children, and destruction of the Gazan healthcare system to no avail.  We tried to appeal to his sense of American values, respect for international law, and the safety and security of Americans while our government supports this genocidal campaign - offering him information about how the vast majority of Americans, especially Democrats and independents, support a ceasefire.  He was unmoved and unbothered by the concerns of the American people. 

We write this because we want to inform the rest of his constituents and the American public about how Congressman Himes treats his constituents in private, as opposed to what he shows publicly.  We came to realize that during Congressman Himes 2022 reelection campaign, Jim Himes top contributor overall was AIPAC.  It leaves us questioning whether Congressman Himes is more interested in his wealthy donors, than his constituents and democratic base. 

Congressman Himes, we will not soon forget that meeting with you, and want America to know exactly who you are. 

Sincerely, 

Constituents of the Fourth District of Connecticut