Scalise Calls on Schumer to Take Up Israel Security Assistance Support Act
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), and Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to condemn President Biden’s withdrawal of weapon shipments to Israel, abandoning our ally in their fight to defend themselves against terrorists. With the Israel Security Assistance Support Act coming to the House floor today for a vote, Leader Scalise noted that every Member of Congress will have to make a choice whether to stand with Israel or Hamas. Leader Scalise also called out Senator Schumer for stating he won’t put the bill on the Senate floor, choosing to side with the radical pro-Hamas faction of his party instead of Israel.
Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.
On the critical need to support Israel's right to self-defense:
“Later today, the House is going to be making a very historic and important vote, and that's whether or not we continue to stand with Israel; whether we're going to ensure that the Biden Administration follows through on their promise to deliver the weapons that in many cases, Israel already paid for. Just think about that: many of the weapons that President Biden is holding back right now are weapons that Israel paid for months ago – in some cases, things that they paid for before Hamas actually invaded Israel.
“Right now, while they're at war, and whether President Biden completely understands the severity of this war or not, the people in Israel surely do. The duly elected leadership in Israel understands that they're in a war that they have to win. They have to eviscerate Hamas, which is a terrorist organization which is funded and supported by Iran. Now, while President Biden is impeding the ability for Israel to defend themselves, Iran is not holding back. You saw them fire over 300 drones and missiles into Israel. Hamas is not slowing down. Hamas, by the way, still has over 130 hostages, including American citizens.
“Where is President Biden caring about the lives of those American citizens that are being held hostage right now in tunnels under Gaza? And he is supporting – President Biden is supporting Hamas's position against Israel? This is disgusting."
On the Senate’s refusal to take up this bill:
"And Chuck Schumer is going to hold this bill up? I think the public pressure, when this bill passes with a bipartisan vote today through the House, the public pressure will grow so large that Chuck Schumer will have to take this bill up. If this bill does pass the Senate, like some other bills that President Biden threatened to veto that he ultimately signed because the public finally had enough. This is one of those cases because this is a time for choosing, as the Speaker said. And the choice is very clear: right now, there is a war going on between Israel and Hamas and if you're not supporting Israel, you're supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization. When President Biden said he wants to hold back on those arms sales, he is holding back on Israel's ability to go and fight a war against Hamas. The only other person that really wants that is Hamas. Why would President Biden choose that side?
“Well, today on the House floor, every Member of Congress is going to have the opportunity to make that choice. This House majority leadership on the Republican side has been crystal clear from the beginning: We support Israel in their right to self-defense. They are under attack from a terrorist organization, and they will defend themselves. They have a right to defend themselves and they're going to have our support in that right to self-defense. We will have Israel's back, and we're going to see who else does when the vote happens later today. And then we send that bill over to Chuck Schumer, and he's going to have to make a decision. He can give a bunch of hot air and rhetoric today, but when that bill comes over to the Senate, there's going to be a lot of other people, I think, that are going to have a say in whether or not he sits on that bill and sides with Hamas or else supports Israel.”