Factchecking Congress on Cluster Munitions (pt 2)

Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-6): "If my kids were in Ukraine, I would not want them picking up cluster munitions. But the one thing that I would want even less is for them to be picked up by these criminal Russians, probably kidnapped from their parents sent off to Russia by that criminal oppressive regime, Ukraine has asked for these munitions to save its children, and that's why we should object to this amendment."

MYTH - This is not a black and white dichotomy! No child should be threatened with the risk of harm or death from cluster munitions or kidnapping.

All parties should follow the Cluster Munition Convention, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Rome Statute, the Geneva Conventions and other international humanitarian law (IHL), and applicable international human rights law (IHRL) to prevent any harm to children during conflict. All international laws should be respected. Picking and choosing which ones we respect reduces the force of them all.

During the 118th Congress, cluster munitions have been one of the most bipartisan issues to be considered. In spite of the myths that have been shared during the debates over these amendments, each new vote sees new members of Congress join the effort against these weapons.

This is a problem we can solve. The U.S. should join the international consensus, ban the use and transfer of cluster munitions, and accede to the Convention. The safety of civilians and children around the world depends on it.