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Floor Speech

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Mr. MARSHALL. Madam President:

As Israel is under attack from Iran, we stand with Israel and its people, and the United States will do everything we can to support Israel's defense against Iran.

Now, I have said similar things to that, but that is actually a quote from the Democratic Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer:

As Israel is under attack from Iran, we stand with Israel and its people and the United States will do everything we can to support Israel's defense against Iran.

The majority leader said basically the same thing several months ago on the Nation's Mall when he said he wouldn't sleep until we help the people of Israel.

It has been almost 200 days since Iran-backed Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and brutally killed innocent civilians--women, senior citizens, and children--since that horrific day on October 7. I called for aid to our ally Israel, with no strings attached, on this floor four times.

Sadly, Democrats have blocked our efforts every single time. Every time we come to the floor to have this debate, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have stood on this floor and lectured us on why the bipartisan House-passed, stand-alone Israel legislation that maintains the spending levels requested by President Biden is somehow unreasonable.

Well, what is unreasonable to me and to most Americans across this country is this body's reluctance to help our ally Israel in their time of need following not just one but now two unprecedented attacks on Israel's sovereign soil. Unreasonable is the Biden administration coming out today admitting that they are yet again holding Israel funds hostage. And why? That is a question I get back home: Why? I will tell you why.

Because they are, again, using this crisis as a lever to secure more money for Ukraine. And they object to protect their members who are pro-Iran, who are pro-Hamas, from a tough vote, as they call it.

Over the weekend, everybody has now seen that Israel was attacked-- this time by the head of the snake, Iran; not its proxies, but the head of the snake, Iran. Iran, the nation that harbors terrorists who scream and shout out: Death to America. Iran, who time and time again has shown us they hate Americans, they hate Israel. Iran, a terrorist, authoritarian, evil regime that cannot be trusted launched more than 120 ballistic missiles, 30 cruise missiles, and 170 one-way suicide drones at Israel on Saturday night.

Thankfully, through the strength and resolve of the Israeli people and with military help from the United States, British forces, Jordan, and many others who successfully neutralized these attacks, Israel was hardly scathed, let alone defeated.

I want to just take a moment and pause, though, and also say thanks to all those American soldiers who put their lives on the line to protect one of our long-term, most valued allies in the Middle East-- the people of Israel. And, of course, not just our soldiers but the soldiers of our many other allies there. These unprecedented attacks on Israel and ever-increasing aggression by Iran cannot be ignored by weak pacifist U.S. policies with no redlines any longer.

Instead, we must stand with our decades-long friend with whom we share a strategic alliance based upon shared democratic values, security interests, and cultural and religious values.

We must help Israel in its time of need. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Today, we are here once again offering an olive branch to pass the bipartisan House-passed Israel aid bill that could be signed by the President tonight. The House has passed it. We could pass it and the President could sign it tonight and get that aid to Israel.

It is time to show where America stands. Is it with Iran and Hamas, or is it with Israel? It has to be one or the other; you can't choose both. As for me and my family and my colleagues, we choose Israel. Time and time again, I see Members, even the Democratic majority leader this weekend, say they stand with Israel. My message today to my colleagues is that actions speak louder than words. We are tired of hearing the pro-Israeli lip service while simultaneously blocking every effort to help Israel in its time of need. History will not forget this. Let's do the right thing.

As in legislative session, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 241, H.R. 6126; I further ask the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

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