anything that you can do to lock in now in july 2024 to ensure that the u.s. continues to honor obligations an commitments it has made no matter who is running things a year from now? >> so we have done a number of >> we done a a number of thin. look, every administration has an opportunity of course to start its own policies. we can't lock in the future but just a week ago at the nato summit we had more than 20 countries come together to announce that they negotiated and signed ten-year bilateral security agreements with ukraine.e. that means all these countries including the united states committed to ukraine for the next decade to build of its deterrent capacity, build up its defenses. if we were to renege on the i suppose that's possible but happily we have another 20 some odd countries and heading towards 30 that will be doing the same thing. if a long-term commitments to ukraine. >> i want to ask about what it would take for the u.s. to

change its policy on how far ukraine can shoot weapons into russia. and i'm drawing for the question i reached out to colleagues in our tf bureauud including ukraie and collects the mysteries what they would want to ask you. they want to know that washing to be a want ukraine win or not? >> we will break away at this point for live coverage of the u. s. senate pick you can watch this in its entirety if you go to our website c-span.org. today lawmakers are considering the nomination of a member of the federal labor relations authority for another five-year term. a confirmation vote as been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. eastern today. you are watching live coverage on c-span2 c-span2.

the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. o lord of our pilgrim years, the day returns and brings us the round of its concerns and duties. as our senators serve you and country, make them aware that their attitudes, words, and actions influence the structure of events around our nation and world. lord, help these representatives of freedom to master themselves that they may be the servants of others.

in these times of strain, keep them from magnifying the slights and stings that are a part of the legislative process. lord, give them pure hearts and a passion to serve the american people with integrity and honor. and, lord, we thank you for the life and legacy of representative sheila jackson lee. we pray in your strong name. amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic

for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the presiding officer: the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington, d.c, july 23, 2024. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable peter welch, a senator from the state of vermont, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: patty murray, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership

previous order, the leadership

we are brimming with excitement , unity . sunday president biden with the sense of decency and we all know our country and party.

selfless decision with this opportunity behind a new nominee and enthusiastic. the democratic party behind vice president kamala harris. want the opportunity to win the nomination on her own and to do so not back down. in support of the party is she's done so in quick order. vice president harris has done a truly impressive job -- make. the presiding officer: the chair lays before the senate a communication regarding the

resignation of senator menendez. without objection, the letter will be printed in the record and spread upon the journal. mr. schumer: mr. president, i understand that there are two bills at the desk due for a second reading en bloc. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the titles of the bills nor the second time en bloc. the clerk: a bill to amend title 5, united states code and so forth. h.r. 8281, an abilitying to amend the national voter registration act of 1993 a understand so forth and for other purposes. mr. schumer: in order to place the bills on the calendar under the provisions of rule 14, i would object to further proceeding en bloc. the presiding officer: objection having been heard, the bills will be placed on the calendar. mr. schumer: now, mr. president, for as long as i've known joe biden, i've known him for a man of one thing -- a man who

fervently loves his country. from the moment he was elected to the new castle county council to his swearing in as delaware's senator at age 30 to his elevation as our nation's 47th president, to his election as our 46th -- oh, as our 47th vice president, to his election as our 46th president, joe biden's north star has not changed -- serving the people of the united states of america. this weekend president biden made the kind of decision only a true patriot can make, choosing to pass the torch and to step away from the presidency at the conclusion of his term. i know president biden's decision wasn't an easy one, but once again he put the needs of his country and our future first. it's a bittersweet moment with you one that bills every single one of us that knows president biden with limitless gratitude. on behalf of a grateful

democratic caucus, on behalf of a grateful senate and grateful nation, a i wish to say thank you, thank you, to president biden for his dedication to our country. and we will keep working with him every single day until his term is done. by willingly passing the torch, joe biden is precisely the kind of leader george washington would have helped for. in his farewell address, our first president affirmed that elected office belongs to no man or woman alone but to the people above all. 230 years later president biden honors george washington's example in a way few presidents ever have. but to those of us who have known joe biden all these years, we know that this is who he truly is, a man of profound decency. he is at his core an honor man, a family man, a man after faith, and he restored those qualities to the presidency after four years of disaster under the previous administration.

now future generations will look at joe biden's presidency and see it was one of the most consequential in american history. it may seem like a lifetime ago, but when president biden entered office, america was in crisis. a once-in-a-century pandemic was claiming thousands of lives day by day. ourically was on life support and in the aftermath of january 6, american democracy was hanging by a thread. three and a half years later, america is stronger, more prosperous and our future is brighter because of president biden's leadership and it has been an honor for me of a lifetime to work side by side to bring the senate democratic agenda to the life here in the senate. when the -- with president biden we've created 15 million new jobs since the depths of the pandemic. we've lowered the cost of prescription drugs for tens of millions of americans.

we empowered medicare to negotiate with drug companies for the first time ever. we made insulin $35 a month for millions of seniors and expanded affordable health care to more americans than ever before. with president biden, we enacted a generational infrastructure bill to rebuild america, fixing the roads and bridges and highways and lead piping and expanding broadband to so many rural and inner-city areas that didn't have it. i was proud to lead these efforts in this chamber. with president biden, we passed the first gun safety law in 30 years, the first since the brady bill that i led as a member of congress back in the 1990 and i remember working then with senator biden on gun legislation, both the assault weapons ban and the brady law. with president biden, we enacted the boldest clean energy bill in the history of our makers the inflation reduction act. because of this bill, our kids will breathe cleaner air, our

communities will see less pollution, the next generation will enjoy millions of good-paying jobs, jobs with a future. with president biden, we revived america's grand tradition of scientific research and technological innovation. with the chips and science act, advanced manufacturing is coming back to america, to cities like syracuse and albany, but also in states like arizona and ohio and idaho and texas and so many others. and with president biden, america has led the free world to defend democracy in its hour of need. he united the nations of nato to stand with the people of ukraine against vladimir putin and nato is stronger and larger today than it was when he took office. incredibly, mr. president, there is still much, much more. president biden led the way in appointing the first black woman

to ever serve on the supreme court. i thank so many of my colleagues here to help confirm more than 200 federal judges, the most diverse slate america has ever seen. we worked with him on health reform. all this and more. truly, president biden's legislative accomplishments are without equal in our recent here. -- in our recent history. of course, the work is not done. this is not a moment of culmination because we have a lot of work to do. for everything that has transpired, one thing has not changed -- senate democrats will continue working with president biden, with vice president harris, and with the entire biden-harris administration to make life better. it was so typical of the president when he called me to tell me the news that he was not running again. he said, but we have a lot more work to do over the next several months. it shows you the commitment of

the man to make being the lives of people -- to i can mag the lives of people -- to making the lives of people better. for now, i want to say for a grateful nation, thank you, mr. president. thank you, joseph robinette biden. what an amazing legacy president biden will leave for future generations. history will say at this moment, here was one of our great american presidents. he's a leader who made the most difficult choice at the most important moment because he believed it was the right thing to do. here is someone who put country ahead of self until the very end. now, on cossa copa, when you're a parent, there's no greater pain imaginable than the pain of losing a child, or in my case i might say a grandchild as well. we all think of it almost every day, when we have kids, when we have grandkids. what if they're gone somehow?

how would we even go forward? my kids are now adults, and having kids of their own, but i remember when they were little, nothing mattered more to me than keeping them safe. as parents, that's what we want to do. keep our kids safe as much as we can. to shield them from the harms they're too young to handle, and to ensure we as a country guard against those who would prey or exploit or otherwise harm our loved ones. i feel as strongly as ever as a grand patient when i this of my beautiful grandchildren, noah, age 5, eleanor, age 2, henry, age 1. unlike decades past, ensuring our kids' safety today means ensuring their online safety, to protect kids from online bullying and exploitation and other risks to their mental health. social media has helped hundreds of millions of people connect in new ways over the last two decades, but there are also new and sometimes serious health

risks that come along with those benefits. we cannot set these risks aside. on this issue, we desperately need to catch up. so, this week, i'm proud to say, the senate will vote on the kids online safety. for the information of senators, i'm announcing that this week the senate will take up two bipartisan bills to protect our kids while they use the internet, the kids online safety act, kosa and children and teens online protection act, or kopa. today, i intend to lay a message that i intend to use as a vehicle for the substance of those two bills. members should prepare for a cloture vote as soon as thursday. passing kids online safety, mr. president, as we all know, as you for example has been months in the making. this has been a long and bumpy road, but one thing i always new for sure, it would be worth it.

i worked closely with members on both sides of the aisle to get the bills ready. senators blumenthal and blackburn, markey and cassidy, and so many others. i made sure on both sides that members had plenty of time to offer their input, work through disagreements, and arrive at a consensus. and now, after months of hard work, is the moment -- the moment to act has arrived. the senate should pass these bills swiftly. nothing has galvanized me and so many others of us here in the senate more to acts on kids online safety than meeting with parents who've lost loved ones. over the past month i met with many parents, from new york and around the country, whose kids took their own lives because of what happened to them on social media. some of these kids were bullied. others were targeted by predators or had their personal, private information stolen.

practically all suffered deep mental health anguish in some way and felt like they had nowhere to turn. in far too many cases, their suffering ended in tragedy, as they took their own lives. i can't comprehend the pain these parents felt. no one would fault them if they hid away, if they mourned their children away from the spotlight and processed their grief in private. the parents i met are amazing. they've done the opposite. instead of retreating into darkness, they lit a candle to ensure other parents don't have to endure the pain they did. i was talking to one of the new york parents who was here. that's what she said, it so touched me. i want to make sure what happened to my child doesn't happen to others. these parents made their children's memory into a blessing, a blessing that now

bears fruit in the form of legislation that will prevent other kids from meeting the same terrible fate. so, for thee, this effort is personal. to every senator who is a parent, it's personal. when i talk to parents who lost their children, see the pictures of their kids, i think of my kids when they were little and my grandchildren today, the loss shatters your heart, and i think to myself if we could get these bills done it would do so much good for millions of families across the country. so, we're going to get this done. we are going to get this done. i thank the senators who have labored tirelessly on these bills, especially blumenthal and blackburn, for their work on kosa, markey and cassidy for coppa and chair cantwell for her leadership on the committee. i look forward to advancing the bills on the floor later this week. i yield the floor. note the absence of a quorum.

the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

in today's a great day for the democratic party in the country. vice president harris will soon be our nominee ed elected president in november. we are brimming with excitement, enthusiasm, unity. on sunday president biden show the world what a great man he is true patriotism, profound sense of decency came shining through. we all know it was not an easy decision but just as he's done his entire life, president biden's selfless decision not to seek nomination our country, party and future first. he is an honorable man, family

man. we love him, we truly do. i have more to say later this afternoon president biden's selfless decision has didn't given the opportunity to unite behind a new nominee and boy are we enthusiastic. since his announcement, we seen the democratic party to of the colas behind vice president kamala harris. when i spoke with arsenic, she said she wanted the opportunity to win the nomination on her own and do so from the grassroots up, not top-down. we respect that.mr the quorum ca with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: since the senate

last convened, our nation has seen two attempts to circumvent the american people's right to choose their leaders. the first, of course, was the first time in more than a century that a former president of the united states was shot in an attempted assassination. that happened to theodore roosevelt. this murderous assault on our democratic process very nearly robbed millions of americans of their choice for the next president. it's been reassuring to see americans united in their horror at this brazen act of political violence. the near disaster on july 13 violated the trust of the american public and restoring that trust will require

transparency and accountability. i said at the outset that the resignation of the director of the secret service would be an important step in that direction, and i'm encouraged she's taken that step today. the director is on record describing her agents' responsibilities as, quote, a zero fail mission, end quote. clearly, on july 13 the secret service did fail the mission. the importants now are -- the important questions now are why and how, apart from internal inquiries and fbi inves investigations, congress oversight authority entitles us to answers. yesterday, the house oversight committee spent hours questioning the director of the secret service.

unfortunately, the senate majority hasn't yet shown any intention of conducting oversight of its own. democrats, who so often express concern about threats to democracy, have yet to look seriously at the failures of the secret service. the judiciary committee, for its part, appeared more concerned with resurrecting failed judicial nominations than in getting to the bottom of the first near assassination of a former president in a hundred years. until earlier today, chairman durbin apparently intended to spend the committee's time looking at radical judge sarah net burn, a nom beneath his own committee rejected once for engaging in political activism from the bench and lying about her actions under oath.

the homeland committee as well. chairman peters has three meetings on the calendar this week, but not one about the near assassination of a former president. former president of the united states came within an inch of his life just days ago, an innocent participant in the great tradition of american camp campaigns, was killed, and two other attendees were seriously wounded. the american people deserve to know how this happened and what steps are being taken to ensure that it won't happen again. fortunately, a despicable act of political violence failed, but just two days ago a different decision succeeded in erasing the will of millions of american voters. leading washington democrats prevailed upon president biden to toss out primary results and

leave the nomination in limbo while party bosses anoint another candidate. one thing is for certain -- if they formally nominate president biden's preferred successor, the choice facing working americans remains the same. vice president harris owes this -- owns this administration's record. her fingerprints are all over the past four years of failure. she's cast tiebreaking votes for radical judicial nominees, for soft-on-crime prosecutors, and for the reckless spending her party's top economist actually condemned. she floated her responsibilities as the administration's border czar and presided over the worst border crisis in american history. the american people cannot afford four more years of open

borders, violent crime or historic inflation. in november they may well reject it. now on another matter, tomorrow the capitol will welcome prime minister benjamin netanyahu, the democratically elected leader of america's closest ally in the middle east to address congress for the fourth time. it's a pivotal moment for the u.s.-israel alliance and for israel's war against savage iran-backed terrorists. this is an existential conflict for israel, but it's also a test of america's reliability and a challenge to the entire free world. i look forward to hearing the prime minister's remarks. unfortunately, some of the leaders who could learn the most of the experience of the battle-tested duly elected leader of a foreign democracy

apparently will not be among us. the vice president who traditionally presides over joint sessions of congress apparently can't spare the time to demonstrate even symbolic support for the only democracy in the middle east. of course israel deserves more than symbolism. it deserves the time, space, and materiel support to guarantee its security and defeat the terrorists who started this war. but no matter how many times i say it, no matter how many of our colleagues affirm israel's right to exist, no matter how sternly the president insists his commitment to israel is ironclad, america's actions actually speak otherwise. the administration's policy towards israel is often compounded with challenges our ally faces. it has withheld critical military assistance and tried to micromanage israel's military

operations. washington democrats have struggled to forcefully condemn the scourge of antiterrorism and terrorist sympathy running rampant across university campuses and throughout the american left. instead they have indulged the mob engaging in grotesque efforts and called for the removal of the democratic leader. and this is just in the past nine months, but the commander in chief's failure to deter enemies of israel and america is a debacle years in the making, the chaos fomented by iran and its proxies across the middle east is no surprise when you consider the siege this administration has -- the seeds this administration has sown. desperation to return to a failed nuclear deal told iran that once again held leverage over america.

rescinding the houthi's terrorist designation told iran backed group that america isn't serious about imposing consequences for their savage violence. a humiliating withdrawal from afghanistan invited allies and adversaries to question america's competence and america's resolve. failure to respond decisively to iran-backed describings told the world's most active state sponsor of terrorism that the world's super power was unwilling to act like one. today america and our partners are reaping the consequences at the biden administration's weakness. this weekend, this weekend's deadly strike in tel aviv with the latest in more than 200 houthi attacks on israeli soil since october 7, it is merely a coincidence that this attack

landed just yards from a u.s. diplomatic facility. the same terrorists are holding global hostage in the red sea and happily trading thousand dollars drones for u.s. navy interceptor. they concluded correctly that waging war is a low-cost proposition. and this isn't the calculus of some autonomous terrorist. we're talking about a campaign coordinated by the master terrorist in tehran, as one hezbollah field commander told a reporter recently, quote, the iranians want us to escalate, so we are escalating. the iranians control every bullet we have. the sworn enemies of the great satan and the limb satan are

em -- and the little satan are embolden wreaking havoc on america and israel for pennies on the dollar and they're working with russia, china and north korea to challenge the american-led order all around the world. just as core u.s. interests are at stake in russia's war against ukraine, they're at stake in the middle east as well. tomorrow, as on numerous occasions in our history, congress will hear from a close friend of america on the front lines of its global effort to undermine the american-led order. prime minister netanyahu deserves our attention and israel deserves a friend that lives up to a name.

the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, united states tax court, kashi way of maryland to be a judge.

the presiding officer: the majority whip. mr. durbin: i ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: first i ask unanimous consent the senior senator from georgia be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions from july 23, 2024, to july 24, 2024. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. durbin: mr. president, i also ask unanimous consent that the following law clerks to the senate judiciary committee be granted floor privileges until july 26, 2024. nile debib. ella kimbrell, david jaffe, cole hernandez. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: thank you. i heard the remarks of the republican leader of the senate and i wanted to respond because

he referred to the senate judiciary committee. what happened in butler, pennsylvania in the attempted assassination was shocking and unacceptable conduct on the part of those authorized and responsible for his safety. there is no question in my mind that there is a bipartisan feeling that we may have our differences on issues on other matters, but when it comes to the protection of all of elected officials, particularly, and particularly in this case the former president of the united states, we should all put the resources necessary and the strategy necessary to keep them safe at all times. thank god donald trump, with whom i disagree with on many issues, survived that experience. it would have been horrible for this nation and for his family if this had been changed a little bit. he was one inch away from losing his life, let's be honest about it. how in the world did that happen, with all of the law enforcement and all of the

federal officials present? what went wrong? the former director who resigned today said that there was a failure and she accepted responsibility for it. i think we've got to get more information as this case develops, but we want to do it in an orderly fashion. the house hearing yesterday was the beginning. five hours of testimony that revealed some things but clearly not enough when it comes to what happened on that day. and the decision at the senate level has been the subject of bipartisan cooperation from the start. there is nothing partisan about this issue. it shouldn't be. and for anyone to suggest that we're not responding to the needs of the nation to learn valuable information, senator mcconnell is just wrong, and i invite him to reach out to the republican leaders and the committees affected, his committee as well as the judiciary committee, and he will learn we've been working on a hearing for next week, the last

week we're in session before the democratic national convention, and we're going to do our best to get the witnesses there who will produce the information so we learn more about it. this has been a bipartisan effort from the start, and it should be. it should be all the way. there is no partisanship involved in the security and safety of elected officials. it is a bipartisan, nonpartisan issue, and we've got to do everything in our power to keep people. so i'm hoping that senator mcconnell will reach out to the staff of the senate judiciary committee and his committee to realize that we're working on that hearing next week, as we should. i ask consent that the statement i'm about to make be placed in a separate part of the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: mr. president, students of history know that our nation has been shaped not only by those who choose to seek higher office, but many times by those who choose not to. in 1796, george washington announced that he would not run for arrest third term -- for a third term as president in his

farewell address. although the two-term would not be assigned into law until 12 years later, george washington's decision set a precedent, a valuable one. in the years since then washington's voluntary decision to decline a third term shaped our nation's conception of political power and the presidency. on sunday president joe biden's decision to decline the democratic party nomination was certainly in the spirit of that tradition. i have known joe biden for most, almost 30 years. a passionate policymaker, a committed representative, an all-around good man, president biden represents the best of us in public life and what can never be in doubt is his fierce dedication to our nation. throughout his entire public career, president biden put our country first through immense

personal tragedy, through setbacks and obstacles, president biden held steadfast in his faith with america. joe biden was a senator-elect from delaware when he learned that his wife and three children had been involved in a car accident, and tragically his wife and a daughter lost their lives. though living with the pain which he later described as unbearable, two weeks later as joe biden stood by the hospital beds of his two little boys, he was sworn in as senator of the united contact. states. every day he decided to take the amtrak train from washington back to delaware. he went back and forth from washington to delaware every night to be home with his boys. the moniker that we have all become familiar with, amtrak joe was born with that experience. four years -- 40 years later,

joe biden's son bo died of brain cancer and, again, through personal devastation, joe biden continued to faithfully serve america because when our nation needed him, when they needed him most, he was always there. four years ago we faced an election that asked us all to face the reality of what we are as americans. joe biden was determined to beat donald trump four years ago, to bring decency, rationality and empathy back to the white house, to put our country back on track and restore the soul of our nation. he did just that. in the past four years, under president biden's leadership, america has seen an incredible growth, recovery and progress. thanks to joe biden we recovered from the devastation of the covid-19 pandemic. millions of americans were vaccinated. we passed the american rescue plan that financially supported

working families, addressed the public health crisis, rescued the economy. normalcy slowly but surely returned to america. thanks to president biden, we have created nearly 16 million new jobs. the unemployment rate has been at or below 4%, that is the longest stretch in half a century of those good news statistics. thanks to president biden, infrastructure week went from being a broken promise by former president trump to a reality. we passed a bipartisan infrastructure law that is replacing our aging infrastructure, expanded access to clean drinking water and high-speed internet and better prepared ourselves to address the climate crisis we are facing. speaking of the climate, thanks to president biden, we took historic action to address the climate crisis through the flakes reduction act -- inflation reduction act, the

most sig -- sig and can't act in american history, and we laid the groundwork for the future with the chips and science act, bolstering competitiveness for generations to come. we were able to enact the most significant gun safety act, the bipartisan safer communities act. thanks to president biden, nearly $170 billion in student loan debt has been forgiven for nearly five million americans. we made historic healthcare, and as chair of the senate judiciary committee, we have confirmed 202 article 3 judges and adding to the federal bench, keeping joe biden's promise the first black woman in the history of the united states to serve on

the united states supreme court. and that is only domestically. on a global stage, president joe biden has restored faith in america as a trustworthy ally and a world power, a global leader there when the world needs us. for the past four years we have been competing more aggressively with china, rebuilding and expanding nato and standing up for democracy and countering the threats of autocrats like vladimir putin. the legacy president biden will leave behind is nothing short of remarkable. a grateful nation thanks him for his dedication to each and every american. history will surely remember him as one of the most successful modern presidents, he acted in the tradition of great americans such as george washington, he acted in the interest of his country and political party over his own personal interests. it could not have been easy. i am honored to call joe biden a

friend and a fellow american. in a separate part of the record i would like to make this statement i. want to turn to another important topic. if you ask parents or grandparents one of the greatest fears they have for their children, it's this cell phone. how do you know what they're doing on this cell phone? hour after hour we hope it is conversation or games or something innocent but we know it can be much more. i want to congratulate leader schumer with his decision to introduce the kids online safety package. the senate judiciary committee, which i chair, has worked tireless throughout this congress to address the danger big tech is opposing to our -- posing to our children and grandchildren. the committee held a hearing on how to protect our kids online. we heard from a mother who lost her son after he was bullied online, a teen advocate who struggled with mental health.

in january the committee held a historic hearing with five big tech ceo's, the room was filled with survivors, parents, and family members whose lives have been impacted by big tech's failure. the look on their faces was unforgettable, their grief was palpable, but so was their purpose many they were there with a commission to confront the ceo's and demand congress enact legislation to make the online world safer for our kids and hold these tech companies accountable. the hearing demonstrated that the kids online safety has widespread, bipartisan support. mr. president, you know this personally. no other topic has brought the members of that committee together from across the political spectrum as powerfully as this one. we proposed five different measures to enforce the law against the big tech operations that pay no attention to what's

happening with what they broadcast on their media. and the final vote in that committee, a committee which is as diverse as anything ever gathered in congress was unanimous. democrats and republicans agreed. how about that, america? can you believe it on an issue that important? every single senator of both political parties voted for the legislation. that's why i think when we get into annest conversation -- honest conversation about helping families fight this darren to -- danger with their kidsed and grandkids, we need to move towards this provision. the committee unanimously record all five bills, including my stop csam act. the bills that are coming to the floor from the commerce committee are good bills, but they turn to the federal trade commission and other agencies to enforce the law and police these

big tech companies. that's not enough. i talked to the heads of these agencies and their willingness to take on this responsibility but they need personnel to make it work. in the meantime our approach is to hold the companies civilly responsible with the possibility of litigation to enforce it. that will get their attention. the lack of accountability that big tech has enjoyed for decades has allowed amazon, meta and other tech companies to ignore the risks. kosa a-- and kopp are positive steps, we need more. we've got to get serious. if we create civil liability for wrongdoing, there will be an enforcement mechanism to deal with these countries.

-- companies. i will have a vote on the csam to make the internet safe for our kids. with that, i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from texas. mr. cornyn: mr. president, it's been a remarkable couple of weeks in our country. the attempted assassination of president trump, the decision made by president biden to notwithstanding having won all of the primaries and being essentially the chosen leader of the democratic party on the presidential ticket, come november, his decision to step down and what -- in what can only be described as a political coup to install the vice president as the democratic

nominee, even after months upon months of elections where the votes of people who participated this the democratic primary have now simply been disregarded in favor of a handful of leaders in the smoke-filled rooms in washington, d.c., decision who should be their standard bearer. but tomorrow we have another very significant event occurring, prime minister benjamin netanyahu is in washington this week and will address congress tomorrow. more than nine months have passed since that terrible day on october 7 when israel was attacked by hamas terrorists. these attacks were against innocent civilians, not israeli defense forces, and and these terrorists -- and these terrorists brutally murdered hundreds of israelis without any

warning. they took 251 hostages, many, unfortunately, have decide while 120 of them still remain in hamas custody, including eight americans. over the last several months, israeli forces have faced attacks not just from hamas, but from another terrorist proxy, or i should say two of them, hezbollah, from lebanon in the northern part of the region, and its porxy, the houthis in yemen. sadly many on the far left in our country have chosen to take sides, not with our friend and ally israel but with the terrorists, with hamas, with hezbollah, and the houthis, against our friend and ally israel. they've repeatedly called for a cease-fire, notwithstanding the fact that israel is still under

threat from iranian proxies, and they've attempted to frame president netanyahu as the villain here for a war begun on october 7 when terrorists attacked innocent israelis civilians. at a time when many americans, and sadly many members of congress, do not seem to understand why america's support for israeling is so -- israel is so critical, i hope prime minister netanyahu's remarks tomorrow will provide some clarity and some context. there's a saying that's been going around for years, if hamas laid down its weapons today, there would be no more violence. if israel laid down its weapons, there would be no more israel. hamas is not fighting for peace, it is trying to wipe israel off the map. this is an existential threat to

the state of israel and the people of israel. the united states cannot tiptoe down the line between good and evil. we must make a choice and we must make a stand and that stand should be with israel. prime minister netanyahu's joint address to congress is an opportunity to reaffirm our shared values and highlight the pivotal role israel plays in promoting stability and democracy in an admittedly volatile region. i look forward to hearing his remarks tomorrow, but i am concerned about one critical absence. there have been news reports that vice president harris, who is now on track to become the democrats' presidential nominee, will not be in attendance.

reports are she's scheduled to speak at a sorority convention in indianapolis. the date of president netanyahu's speech was announced in early june, and in any event, i'm sure the sorority convention would forgive the vice president for attending to this important event here in washington, d.c., and perhaps reschedule for another time. but to openly boycott the leader of israel at a time like this is irresponsible. the vice president's decision to skip this joint address is clearly a snub and it foreshadows a continuing trend in u.s. foreign policy that started under the current president. and obviously it's designed to send a message to prime minister

netanyahu and israel. we've already heard some members of this body call for prime minister netanyahu basically for there to be an election to replace him, an unprecedent intrusion into the affairs of a sovereign nation, another democracy. it's disgraceful and embarrassing to see the pandering to extremist elements in the democratic party. sadly, the vice president isn't the only one shying away from showing support for one of our critical allies, media reports say that this chamber's president pro tempore, senator murray, is boycotting the speech as well. i'm not surprised that some of the more radical members will boycott but it's shameful whether their top leadership is so willing to abandon a key ally. in light of these dynamics, i hope the majority leader,

senator schumer, will make it clear where he stands and he doesn't condone skipping one of the most important sessions of congress in recent memory just to get more airtime on cable tv. given the partisan antics at play, i'm relieved to hear that the senate foreign relations committee chairman, senator ben cardin, will sit behind prime minister netanyahu tomorrow. i don't recall when the vice president and the president pro tempore declined to sit and the chairman of the standing committee like the foreign relations committee was called upon to fill in, but good for him. he understands the important message that this address sends and has stepped in to do what others have refused to do. still the world is watching the vice president more closely than ever before, now that she is on a path to become the democratic nominee for president. they, of course, are analyzing

every word, every move, every signal, every decision. if the vice president keeps up with her current plans to boycott this address, it will send a chilling message about her foreign policy priorities and the future of u.s.-israel relations under a potential harris administration. it also demonstrates a disregard of the commitments we have made as a nation to our allies at a time when the tyrants and dictators of the world are drawing closer together, america cannot abandon our allies. as israel faces ongoing threats in a hostile neighborhood, it's imperative that the united states stand steady beside israel. israel must have confidence that regardless of who is elected in november, the relationship between the united states and

israel will remain strong. it's not just the message we send to israel. it's the message we send to iran, the number one state sponsor of international terrorism and its proxies, hamas, hezbollah, and the houthis in yemen. we're sending the vice president, whether she appreciates it or not, is sending a message to america's enemies as well. as joseph stalin reportedly said, he said you probe with bayonets. if you find mush, you push on. but if you find steel, you withdraw. unfortunately, the message that the vice president is sending by not attending this address and respecting our friend and ally israel sends a message of mush,

not steel. as we face growing challenges around the globe, including the threat of iran's nuclear ambitions and the spread of terrorism, we need leaders who will unequivocally support our allies and uphold our commitments. i can only hope that the vice president will change her mind and make that commitment this week. i would congratulate her, if she did. but as we look into the future, america needs leaders who understand the importance of our alliances and are willing to stand shoulder and shoulder with our friends. as i said earlier, this is not just a message to our friend and ally, this is a message to israel's enemies and adversaries. because if they sense a lack of commitment and resolve on the part of the united states to stand with our allies, they are going to continue to do what they started on october 7.

as i said, we need leaders who understand the importance of our alliances and are willing to stand shoulder and shoulder with our friends. any leader or would-be leader who fails to meet that bar does not deserve a seat in the senate much less in the oval office. mr. president, i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. a senator: mr. president, i ask that the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. van hollen: mr. president, i come to the floor today as a strong supporter of the

u.s.-israel relationship, to talk about why it was such a big mistake to invite prime minister netanyahu to address a joint session of congress and why i will not attend his speech tomorrow. i do not take this decision lightly, and i want to explain my reasons. at the outset want to underscore the importance of the longtime partnership between the people of the united states and the people of israel. after the horrors of the holocaust, the united states led the effort at the united nations to advocate for the establishment of a homeland for the jewish people. and then in may 1948, the united states under the leadership of president harry truman became the first country to recognize the state of israel. and that support, that solidarity has held firm for 76

years through many conflicts. that was especially true in the immediate aftermath of the vicious hamas terror attack on october 7. ten days later, president biden traveled to jerusalem to embrace the people of israel and let them know that we, the united states, stands with them after that brutal massacre that killed over 1200 people and seized over 250 hostages. those bonds between the people of israel and the people of the united states remains strong today. but the actions and words of prime minister netanyahu and his ultraright extremist coalition, both before and since the october 7 attacks have weakened the ties between the united states and the government of israel.

all of us who care about our partnership both in america and in israel should understand the enormous damage that prime minister netanyahu and his current extremist government coalition are doing to our relationship and to israel standing in the -- israel's standing in the world. so, mr. president, it sends a terrible message to bring him here now to address a joint session of congress. while we warmly welcomed president herzog's speech to congress just over a year ago, prime minister netanyahu remains the leader of the most extreme right-wing government coalition in the history of israel. it is the coalition he personally assembled in a desperate bid to regain power and to prevent a possible prison sentence. to do that he formed a government with certain individuals who had previously been on the dangerous, most

extreme fringes of israeli politics and considered totally unfit to govern. they include the likes of ben-gvir and smotrich, both unabashed racists and religious bigots, former israeli prime minister ahud barack referred to them and i quote as the racist fanatics with whom netanyahu has cast his lot, unquote. that's former israeli prime minister ahud barack. they are the id logic successors to the extremist who wanted to ban relations between jews and nonjews and expel all palestinians. kahani was banned by the israeli supreme court from participating in israeli politics decades ago and his party was placed on the u.s. terror watch list.

but in 2023, prime minister netanyahu gave those ideological december seen tantss of -- descendants key, powerful government positions. these are the individuals who now control prime minister netanyahu's political fate, who threaten to withdraw their support and bring down his government if he fails to do their bidding. and in many ways they are now calling the shots when it comes to the policy decisions of the government of israel, in israel, in the west bank, and in gaza. they have also made it abundantly clear that when it comes to the war in gaza, they do not prioritize the safe return of all the hostages, including american citizens taken by hamas. president biden has prioritized the safe return of all the

hostages. prime minister netanyahu has not. he continues to put his own political survival first above the interests of the people of israel and those american citizens. mr. president, i renew my call for an immediate cease-fire and the return of all the hostages. just last friday, so four days ago, during a visit to israel, i met with israeli families, including american citizens, whose loved ones had been brutally murdered by hamas on october 7. some of them lost parents. others lost siblings or children. all of them, all of them have faced tremendous personal trauma and suffering. so i was shocked to learn that none of the family members that i met with had heard from prime

minister netanyahu or any member of his government since that horrific hamas attack. that's hard to fathom. neither the prime minister nor any member of his government had reached out to them to offer a helping hand. so i say to prime minister netanyahu, before you come speak to members of congress, go meet with the families i saw whose loved ones were murdered on october 7. i also met in televeve this past friday with families whose loved ones were kidnapped by hamas on october 7, including american citizens. some of them had their loved ones returned safely as a part of the agreement reached last november. others said they'd been told that their loved ones have died.

most held out hope that their loved ones were still alive. all of those that i met with expressed deep, deep disappointment in the fact that prime minister netanyahu has not prioritized the safe and swift return of the remaining hostages. recent polls indicate that large swaths of the israeli people, over 70%, want prime minister netanyahu to resign now or when the war ends. and that is certainly what i heard from many israelis during my visit to israel last week. they saw the prime minister's invitation to address a joint session of congress as a political stunt to help him in his efforts to escape legal and political accountability for his actions and inactions, including the massive intelligence failure that allowed the october 7 attack to have such devastating consequences.

that sentiment that i heard expressed directly was captured by a headline in the jerusalem post on the same day i met with those families. that headline reads, and i quote, protestors call on netanyahu to delay flight to u.s. until hostage deal is closed, unquote. the protesters stated that prime minister netanyahu is, and i quote, running away from the hostage families, running away from a deal, running away from decisions about the day after, unquote. i agree with those families. when i heard directly -- what i heard directly from many israelis was also described by a piece written by a well known and well regarded israeli writer and journalist by the name of amir tibone. his family survived october 7 by hiding for hours, hours huddled

in darkness inside a safe room of their family home. until his father arrived at the kibbutz and heroically saved them. here's what amir wrote in the newspaper back on june 2, and i quote, there is nothing, quote, pro-israel about this invitation. it is not pro-israel he wrote to side with netanyahu's party against the brave families of the hostages who are fighting to secure a deal for their release. it is not pro-israel he wrote to help netanyahu address congress while knowing since october 7, he has not found the time to speak with any of the israeli communities invaded by hamas under his watch, unquote.

or take this june 26 op-ed in "the new york times" entitled -- and i quote -- "we are israelis calling on congress to disinvite netanyahu" -- unquote. it's written by five individuals, and i think it's worth the senate knowing their backgrounds. they are david horell, the president of the israel academy of science and humanity. tamir pardo, the former director of mosah, israel's foreign intelligence service. talia assin, special director of the special tasks department in israel's state attorneys office. ehud barak. aaron shehanover, nobel

prizewinner in chem century. and david nostrin, a renowned novelist and essayist. here is what they say you and i quote, mr. netanyahu's appearance in washington will not represent the state of israel and its citizens, and it will reward his scandalous and destructive conduct against our country, inquote. -- unquote. they go on to say, and i quote, giving mr. netanyahu this stage in washington will all but dismiss the rage and pain of his people, as expressed in the demonstrations throughout the country. american lawmakers should not let that happen. they should ask mr. netanyahu to stay home, unquote. well, mr. netanyahu is not staying home. he's coming here. but out of respect to those voices, i will stay away from the joint session and urge my

colleagues to do the same. i will also not attend prime minister netanyahu's speech for another reason -- because his actions and those of his extremist coalition represent a terrible betrayal of our shared values and our shared interests. successive democratic and republican administrations have underscored that our bilateral relationship, our special relationship, is based on shared values. but, mr. president, make no mistake, prime minister netanyahu and his ultra right-wing government do not share those values, as others who have followed and written about the u.s.-israel relationship for decades have noted. he has done more than anyone to damage the special relationship between the united states and israel.

the damage is being done, and the evidence is abundant. i'm going to spend a little time discussing these matters because i just returned from a trip to the uae, to saudi arabia, to israel, and to the west bank. and i want to share with my colleagues in the senate some of my findings. i am not going to focus today on the war in gaza. i have said many times, including on this senate floor, that israel not only has the right but it has the duty to defend itself in the aftermath of the hamas massacres and seizure of hostages on october 7. i've also repeatedly said that how wars are conducted matters. they must be conducted according to the rules of war and ensure the required precautions are taken to protect the lives of innocent civilians. they must also be conducted in a

way that allows innocent civilians to receive desperately needed humanitarian assistance and medical care. as of today, mr. president, more than 39,000 palestinians have been killed. over half of them women and children. for those who doubt those numbers, you're right, credible accounts like estimates from johns hopkins university in my state of maryland and the lancet medical journal project the overall death toll is likely much higher. ten months into this war, the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic. access to basic humanitarian needs -- water, food, medicine, shelter -- and basic sanitation is punishingly scarce. open sewers are running through the streets, and polio was recently detected in the waste water in gaza. there is a real risk of the outbreak of cholera.

gaza is a wasteland, as anybody can see from the photographs. we must end this war and we must bring all the hostages safely home. and in order to prevent any more october 7's, we must both end the military threat from hamas and create hope for a better future for the overwhelming majority of the palestinian people who have nothing to do with hamas. i was deeply moved by the humane and -- the humanity and strength of the israeli families i met with just last friday, who lost loved ones on october 7. they expressed the importance between zinging between the hamas terrorists and the vast majority of the palestinian people in both gaza and the west bank who have nothing to do with hamas. and in the midst of their ongoing profound grief, they

were determined to find a way forward to achieve peace, security, and dignity for all people, to find some way at the -- some light at the end of this very, very dark tunnel. in fact, the families i met with believe strongly that peace and long-term security for their families and for all israelis and palestinians can only be achieved by securing and ensuring dignity, freedom, justice, and self-determination for all. i was inspired by their humanity. i had been similarly inspired by palestinians in both gaza and the west bank who were determined to live in peace despite the terrible personal losses they have suffered. i wish every american, every american had the opportunity to hear directly from these israelis and these palestinians. the united states and most of

the world recognize that in order to ensure the long-term security of israelis and palestinians, both peoples must enjoy equal measures of dignity and the right of self-determination. that is why it has long been the policy of the united states -- both under democratic and republican administrations -- to support a two-state solution that establishes a viable palestinian state, along side the state of -- alongside the state of israel. that is the plan president biden has laid out in a little flicker of hope for long-term peace at this very dark time. president biden has coupled his call for a two-state solution with his push for the normalization of relations between israel and saudi arabia and other arab states that have yet to recognize the state of israel.

those actions would also further strengthen israel's security and provide greater stability throughout the region. but, mr. president, how was president biden's call for a two-state solution, even one accompanied by a normalization agreement with saudi arabia, greeted by prime minister netanyahu? what did the prime minister say in response? he slapped it down, dismisseded it entirely -- dismissed it entirely. that was prime minister netanyahu's reaction to the plan presented by the american president, joe biden, who not only visited jerusalem in the immediate aftermath of the hamas attacks, but immediately deployed u.s. carrier groups to the region to deter a potential escalation by hezbollah or others. the president of the united states who organized a $14 billion supplemental military assistance package to israel, despite concerns about the

conduct of the war, the president of the united states who has deployed the u.s. navy to defend shipping lanes in the red sea from houthi attacks, the president of the united states who on april 13 deployed american air defenses and engaged partners in the region to help israel successfully intercept iranian missiles and drones. prime minister netanyahu and his right-wing coalition continue to rebuff calls from president biden and the united nations security council senator a two-state solution. it is very important to understand what -- what is driving prime minister netanyahu's opposition to the creation of a palestinian state. because it is not because it would create an unacceptable security risk. he knows full well those issues have been addressed on the west

bank through a demilitaryized state. american and israeli military experts, including organizations called commanders for israel's security, have demonstrated that over and over again no -- prime minister netanyahu's oppose summation is much more -- opposition is much more fundamental than that. it is because he and his extremist allies, like smotrich and ben-gvir, want the land of the west bank to be fully incorporated into the state of israel. they want to complete their messianic vision of a greater israel that includes all of the west bank. indeed, that goal is plainly written out for all to see in their coalition government platform. take a look at it. by their telling, god gave the west bank to israel and the

palestinians are interlopers there. in fact, smotrich has said, and i quote, there is no such thing as a palestinian people, unquote. as former israeli prime minister omert has pointed out, the israel right's messianic vision is driving opposition to its two-state solution and inciting violence against palestinians on the west bank. and make no mistake about it, the netanyahu government is working every day to implement this vision of a greater israel by enabling violent settlers on the west bank to push palestinians off their land, to steal their grazing areas, destroy their olive groves, and establish illegal outposts. this is all happening in plain sight. i invite my colleagues to go and see it for themselves.

we are all witnessing ongoing settler violence against palestinians in the west bank, including palestinian americans. the consequences of this violence are dire. last week i also visited ramallah, and i met with palestinian american families whose 17-year-old sons in separate incidents were murdered on the west bank, each of them shot in the back of the head. the united states has not been able to obtain from israeli authorities information on the status of any investigations, if there are any, into the killings of these american citizens. during my trip, i also met in jerusalem with our u.s. security coordinator for israel and the palestinian authority. he is a three-star general. his name is general venzel.

and he has helped document the alarming rise in extremist settler violence and land seizures. he has repeatedly warned that these actions will further inflame an already explosive situation on the west bank. earlier this month, israel's top idf official in the west bank, major general yahuda fuks, in his entire statement echoed these warnings about unchecked extremist settler violence, saying, and i quote from this very recently retired israeli major general, i quote, unfortunately, in recent months, nationalist crime has reared its youing will i head and under the you a suspicion of war and the desire for revenge, it has sowed chaos and fear among the palestinian residents who did not pose any threat, inquote. -- unquote.

the israeli newspaper harretz, read, in his retirement speech, israel's top officer in the west bank real estatevealed the hidden truth, unquote. general fuchs' statement is an admission that while attention has been focused on the war in gaza, the entire effort led by smotrich, who in march 2023 said that israel should erase the palestinian village of herawa, has used weapons to seize palestinians' land on the -- according to rights group

netanyahu poured fire on it by importing the largest land seizure in decades allowing the proliferation of settlements and connecting illegal outposts with essential infrastructure. in june of last year i raised some of these issues in a meeting in jerusalem with prime minister netanyahu. senators merkley, lujan and i raised the issue of palestinians in the south hebron hills who we had met with who had been attacked by armed settlers, pushed off their lands, and denied access to their water wells. prime minister netanyahu at the time suggested he was unaware of these incidents, even though they had been already widespread and reported. he said he would look into the situation and get back to us. he never did.

mr. president, i want to ap -- i want to applaud the biden administration for issuing an executive order to address the actions that under the cover of the netanyahu government clearly are undermining peace and stability in the west bank. and i once again call upon the administration to take rth action to expand the scope of those sanctions to cover all entities and individuals who are directly or indirectly orchestrating these attacks, seizing palestinian lands, and breeding a culture of impunity, including smotrich. time is of the essence to prevent the situation from spiraling even further out of control. these seizures of palestinian lands and what is called area c of the west bank has been accompanied by a calculated campaign by this netanyahu

government to undermine the palestinian authority's ability to administer those areas over which it exercises greater control, areas known as a and b. the netanyahu government, with smotrich wielding his power as minister of finance, is financially squeezing the palestinian authority by withholding ever-increasing amounts of their own funds. these are funds that israel collects on behalf of the palestinian authority in the form of customs duties. it belongs to the palestinians and it is needed to pay for all the individuals involved in palestinian civil administration on the west bank, from teachers, health care works, the police, the palestinian security forces that, by the way, the united states helps to train. and whose salaries have now been cut dramatically.

these actions plus the steep rise in the number of security check points in the west bank and the big drop in the number of work permits in the west bank for palestinians to work in israel are strangling the economy in the west bank and contributing to a more volatile situation. secretary general yellen has spoken to these issues. the netanyahu government knows full well that smotrich seeks to use this power to deliberately collapse the palestinian authority. he's expressly stated that goal. he makes no secret about it. and in his retirement speech, general fuchs also warned about how reckless that would be, stating that, quote, the ability of the central command to fulfill its missions also depends on the existence of a functioning and strong

palestinian authority, with effective security measures, mechanisms to maintain law and order. unquote. the great irony here, the great irony is that prime minister netanyahu and his allies are targeting the palestinian authority which has for over 30 years now recognized israel's right to exist. and with some american assistance cooperates with israel in providing security in parts of the west bank. indeed that cooperation has been so close that the p.a. has often been seen by many palestinians as collaborating with israel to maintain the occupation on the west bank. look, there's no doubt that the palestinian authority has many shortcomings and needs to implement significant reforms to root out cronyism and end the

current payment system. during my visit i met with the newly appointed palestinian prime minister and the newly appointed minister of justice as well as the reappointed minister of interior. and under pressure from the united states and many of their arab neighbors, they have started to make some modest but important steps, including progress on a plan to end the current prisoner payment system. still, as you know, mr. president, the p.a. continues to suffer from very low levels of public support. it has not held a presidential or national legislative election since 2006 and it's been unable to demonstrate real progress on palestinian aspirations to end the occupation of the west bank. but importantly, importantly through all this it has never abandoned its recognition of israel's right to exist and in stark contrast to hamas, the

p.a. seeks to accomplish its goals through nonviolent means. that is why the united states has said that the p.a., with a lot of support from the united states, the e.u. and arab states, should form the nucleus of the governing structure in gaza when the war ends there. but prime minister netanyahu has systemically undermined the palestinian authority, despite its longtime recognition of israel's right to exist. and he took at the same time steps prior to october 7 that had the effect of helping hamas sustain control in gaza, despite the fact that hamas of course has been dedicated to the destruction of israel. this has been well documented. we don't have to go over this again on the senate floor. but prime minister netanyahu

told his fellow likud party members years ago that he facilitated qatar's payment of financial support to hamas in order to foil a two-state solution. according to haaretz, he said, anyone who wants to prevent the creation of a palestinian state needs to support strengthening hamas, part of our strategy to divide the palestinians between those in gaza and those in judea and samaria. unquote. he believed so long as hamas was a going concern he could slow momentum toward a two-state solution. yet now prime minister netanyahu wants to claim that implementing a plan for a two-state solution with the palestinian authority would be, quote, a reward or gift for hamas. this is a congame. everybody knows that hamas' aim has been to destroy israel in

order to establish an islamic state in its place. indeed the split between hamas and the palestinian authority has been over the p.a.'s recognition of israel's right to exist and its commitments to peaceful means to achieve a two-state solution versus hamas' goal of a one state and its use of violence to pursue those goals. so prime minister netanyahu has it exactly backwards. a real two-state solution, especially coupled with the normalization agreement with saudi arabia as president biden has proposed, would be a strategic defeat for hamas. it would be a victory for israel's long-term security. and it would be an important signal to the overwhelming majority of palestinians who have nothing to do with hamas and who have pursued a peaceful but still unfulfilled path towards self-determination. it is true, mr. president, that a two-state solution would not

only be a defeat for hamas, it would also be a defeat for ben-gvir, smotrich and netanyahu, all of those who pursue maximalist one-state positions. it would be a defeat for all those who seek to claim all the land between the river and the sea for themselves. let's be clear, prime minister netanyahu may use different language and tactics, but he has shown that his goal is no different than the extremist allies that he brought into his coalition. in fact, he recently boasted about his strong opposition to former prime minister rabin's decision to enter into the oslo accords which were designed to lead to a two-state solution. and, mr. president, we should remember that prime minister rabin was assassinated by a right-wing israeli who saw peace as a threat because he wanted

israel to have all of the land and opposed rabin's decision. given prime minister netanyahu's misplaced belief that he was successfully managing hamas prior to october 7, it's no wonder he doesn't want to meet face to face with the israeli families who lost loved ones that i spoke to on friday. instead he wants to come to the united states to convince israelis that the united states stands with him personally and supports his words and actions. he repeatedly tells his fellow israelis that he knows best how to handle america in an attempt to boost his very low popularity ratings in israel. but the reality is that the actions and words and policies of prime minister netanyahu and his extremist partners have weakened the u.s.-israel relationship, and we in the united states congress should not be complicit in his ongoing

political deception. let me just say, mr. president, that much of prime minister netanyahu's speech here will likely focus on the very real dangers posed by iran and its proxies to israel and others in the region. president biden and the united states understand full well iran's malevolent role in the region. we've been working for years to contain iranian proxy militias in iraq. president biden secured shipping lanes in the red sea as the houthis launched attacks since the start of the war in gaza. president biden has deployed aircraft carriers in the early days of the war to deter escalation by hezbollah. the biden administration is right now working around the clock to get hezbollah to redeploy its forces north of the latani river and the united states along with partners in

the region provided israel with substantial help in p intercepting iranian missiles p and drones on april 13. we understand the existential threat that iran poses to israel. president biden has made clear, and i agree, that iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. anyone who understands the region also understands that certain groups like the houthis and hamas, while they welcome the support they receive for iran or anyone else for that matter, they are not the puppets of iran. they are not controlled by iran. that is the view of u.s. intelligence and other officials. they were indigenous movements that iran has supported with weapons because of their mutual antagonism toward israel. but those two groups would be carrying out attacks with or without iranian encouragement. they benefit from iran's supply of weapons.

we also understand that iran supports these groups by opportunisticically exploiting the israel-palestinian conflict. but to say that iran exploits those wounds is not to say they are not real. and one way to help bind those wounds rather than allowing iran to exacerbate them is to work with those who have long recognized israel's right to exist and seek peaceful coexistence like the palestinian authority. and to address the legitimate aspirations of the palestinian people to self-determination. that is why president biden and egypt and jordan and saudi arabia and the u.a.e. and others in the arab world worked to establish a framework that secures the long term security of israel by also addressing those aspirations. during my recent visit to saudi arabia i met with the crown prince and senior members of his

government. their interest in reaching a bilateral agreement with the united states on security and other measures. once the war in gaza ends, they are also willing to support reconstruction efforts and work toward advancing a normalization agreement with israel so long as israel is willing to implement an irreversible plan to achieve a two-state solution. and that would significantly enhance security for israel and the region. unfortunately, prime minister netanyahu has consistently rejected that approach in favor of the right-wing extremists in his coalition who want israel to have all the land from the river to the sea. we need leaders who are willing to make tough decisions for peace and security, not those who put their own ambitions

first, as former israeli prime minister barak, netanyahu is exploiting people's fierce, playing into the -- fears, playing into the hands of extreme right-wing allies, as majority leader schumer has said here on the senate floor, there are many obstacles to peace in the middle east, one of them is mr. netanyahu. in my recent visit to israel, i met with many israelis who believe that prime minister netanyahu and his dangerous extremist partners are leading israel down a very dangerous path, one that is weakening the bonds between the united states and the government of israel and will lead to israel's further isolation. i agree with their assessment. i will not be party to a spectacle that will inevitably be used to create the illusion that prime minister netanyahu is the proctor of the u.s.-israel relationship. he is not.

as many hostages' families have said, it would be better for him to have stayed at home and prioritize the release of their loved ones. those who really care about the relationship will work to ensure that it's based on our shared values and as the points i made today reveal, that is not happening right now. the prime minister and his extremist partners are undermining those shared values. so, mr. president, while i will continue to fight for a strong u.s.-israel relationship based on shared values, i will not attend the joint session with prime minister netanyahu tomorrow. and i yield the floor. ms. ernst: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. ms. ernst: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, over 290 days

ago, i ran back to -- a man back to mosque brutally murdered 30 americans and took a dozen more hostage. today, eight of those kidnapped on october 7 remain in the gaza strip, held captive by an inhumane terrorist group that wants nothing more than the death and destruction of israel and the united states. eden alexander, itay chen, sagui dekel-chen, hersh

goldberg-polin, gadi haggai, judith weinstein haggai, o omer nutra, keith siegal. eight of our fellow americans, five of whom we believe to still be alive, are being held hostage right now, today, and yet too many people are seemingly unaware of this reality. it's shameful. and today i am working to help change that and refocus the attention on our hostages and their families. as a mom, my heartaches for our

hostage families. i simply cannot imagine the painn't fear -- the pain and the fear of waiting to hear if my daughter is alive and if i will ever be able to see her again and utter two simple but warm words -- welcome home. these families, who i've repeatedly met with here in d.c. and in israel have waited far too long to be reunited with their loved ones. every day that passes put our fellow citizens at greater risk and diminishes our chances of bringing them home safely. mr. president, i am grateful for the opportunity to honor and rightly recognize our u.s. hostages. this is an issue that i have gained support from my

colleagues on both sides of the aisle. republicans and democrats alike. we all want to see each and every one of our countrymen released and have consistently urged the administration and those negotiating on behalf of the families to use every tool possible in our toolbox. hersh goldberg-polin is a dual-u.s. israeli citizen born in berkeley, california. when he was 7, his family moved to israel. his parents, jon and rachel describe hersh as funny with a

dry sense of humor. he was a loefr of soccer -- lover of soccer, music, reading and travel. hersh even turned his passion of soccer into an opportunity to build bridges between arab and israeli students. days after turning 23, hersh and his close friend attended the n nova music festival with thousands of other young people. before hersh left the house, his mother recalls his last words -- i love you. see you some. -- see you tomorrow. 291 days and tomorrow has still not yet come for the goldberg-polin.

-- goldberg-polin family. on october 7, while at the peaceful music festival hersh and his friend were forced to flee for their lives as a terrorist opened fire killing 364 attend east. -- attendees. mr. president, put yourself in their shoes for just a second. one day you're at a concert enjoying live music, maybe distancing to the beat, and in an instant, your life changes. rockets are flying over head, guns blasting right and left, smoke, fire, chaos, and total confusion follow. hersh and his friend escaped the festival and ran into a nearby bomb shelter, a place to seek

refuge from the attacks, and after likely breathing a very temporary sigh of relief, hamas threw a grenade inside that very shelter to maim and kill more innocent israelis. tragically, hersh lost part of his arm due to the shrapnel from that grenade, and even more gut wrenching, his dear friend lost his life. recent footage released by the israeli government showed hersh being taken that day with his arm wrapped in a tourniquet that he fashioned himself out of part of the shirt that he was wearing as hamas fighters threw him into the back of a pickup truck, lifted his head up by his hair as he sat there dazed and

bleeding in order to take selfies with him and drove him and the other hostages into gaza. sagui dekel-chen, sagui is a dual israeli-american citizen who grew up in bloomfield, new jersey, and is the grandson of holocaust survivors. for the past ten years he worked on a project to be convert old buses into mobile classrooms for underserved communities in southern israel. sagui was working near his

kibbutz on october 7 when he noticed the hamas terrorists entering the kibbutz. after ensuring his wife, who was pregnant with his third child, and that they were safe, he defended his community. his wife heard sagui fighting off the terrorists, but despite their efforts, sagui, was taken captive. we know from hostages who have returned that sagui has been seen in gaza and we pray for his immediate and safe return. since being held by the hamas regime, his wife gave birth to their new daughter and named her shakar, which in hebrew means dawn many we pray that the -- dawn. we pray that this will bring

hope to sagui as they wait in anticipation for the day when they can all be united and a father can meet his precious daughter for the very first time. mr. president, saugi and hersh's stories are unthinkable for many americans, but they're true. it's no myth, it's reality. one that no one should turn a blind eye to. hamas is a brutal regime, one that rapes women and children and preys on innocent civilians, and one that we cannot trust to provide our fellow citizens who remain in gaza with proper medical care and attention while the hostage families remain ever hopeful as i aim that they will one day be able to embrace their loved ones again, it is incumbent upon the

administration, especially at this crucial time, to remain focused on freeing our american hostages. at a minimum, president biden and vice president harris should say their names, share their stories, and be unafraid to tell the truth about hamas, and the need for israel to fully destroy this iran-backed terror regime. today my colleagues and i are standing up for these hostages and standing with their families and our friends in israel. we remain committed to bringing our american citizens home now. this goal should not be

diminished. every second counts. and joining me today on the floor are many of my colleagues. and at this time i would like to yield the floor -- i'll yield the floor, mr. president, to my colleague from iowa, senator grassley. the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. mr. grassley: thank you, senator ernst for bringing this -- and continuing to bring the plight of the hostages to our attention. i'm glad to join you in speaking about just one of these, eden alexander. he grew up in northern -- northern new jersey, he was a swimmer for his high school team and big fan of the new york

knicks. he also had close ties to israel. he was born there, had grandparents there, and had his bat mitzvah there, still his mother was surprised when eden announced that he wanted to postpone college and go to israel. eden joined a program for young jewish adults who want to serve in israel's defense force. eden and 16 other american high school graduates, including a classmate from his high school, moved to a kibbutz in israel. there they did four months of training. eden returned home for a visit in august and expected to return home in april for his brother

roy's b-- he called his mother after the hamas terrorists attacked -- attack began. she said i'm here, i love you, i just protect yourself. just be safe. that's the last she heard from her son. edan needs to come home now. i yield. ms. ernst: i will yield this time now to a very, very good friend and a fellow colleague to the abraham accords caucus, senator jackie rosen of nevada. thank you. the presiding officer: the senator from nevada.

ms. rosen: thank you, senator ernst. i appreciate it. mr. president, 291 days. that's how long it's been since families of thosening held -- those being held hostage by hamas have not been able to hug their loved ones. 291 days. nine and a half months of not being able to rest, to sleep, to breathe. nine and a half months of heartbreak. nine and a half months of agony beyond imagination. i have met with these families in israel and here in the capitol many times since october 7, and my heart is shattered with each and every single conversation.

and each time i've met with them, their ask is clear that we, the united states, and the international community do everything we can to help them reunite with their loved ones. their resilience, their strength, their perseverance, it is nothing short of extraordinary. hostages who have survived and been released have shared stories about their inhumane treatment and kept in dark tunnels with little to no food to eat, some even being tortured, not knowing if they would live or die, not seeing the light of day, and surely not kneeing if they'd ever see their beloved families again. we've also seen evidence of hamas' use of sexual violence, both on and after october 7, including women who are raped in

captivity. while some hostages have been reunitedwith their loved ones in the last few months, there are still families, including those of eight americans held hostage by hamas, still held hostage by hamas, have yet to be made whole again and we will not forget them, 291 days. and their families whose ability to see or hug their loved ones have been taken away forever, forever by hamas terrorists. their loved ones having died at the hands of those terrorists. like the family of itay chen. i met with itay's father ruby just days after the october 7 terrorist attack. as a mother, as a jew, and as a

human being, my heart broke when hearing about itay's story and the unimaginable pain his parents are carrying. they are with us here at the capitol today. i want to apologize. i'm sorry, i have to give this speech. i know how much you loved your son. itay was multitalented, fun loving, a boy scout who played basketball. he was an american who served in the israeli defense forces and was only 19 years old when hamas launched its brutal terrorist attack on october 7, when hamas murdered him. for months we didn't know about itay's condition, whether he was held hostage or even if he were alive. we held out hope.

we held out hope. but the unimaginable heartbreak of going through this nightmare, it didn't stop ruby, never stopped ruby. he's come to congress multiple times to remind us of our responsibility to his son and to all of the hostages being held by hamas. his strength, your strength, itay's parents, the resilience, it is an inspiration to us all. earlier this year we learned itay was one of the many souls whom hamas brutally murdered. again beyond imagination. and while it has been reported that he was killed 291 days ago, his body, his body is being held captive by the hamas terrorists who murdered him.

and this has denied ruby, denied itay's parents and his family the right to bury him, to mourn him and to sit shiva for him. it matters to the family. he and his wife and itay's siblings, they've just been forced to live in grief and in limbo, and it's a tragedy that no one should ever have to go through. there is a proposed deal to free the hostages, and with reports of progress in these negotiations, now is the time to see it through to the end. we must free the hostages for itay, for his family, for the seven other americans held by hamas, for the remaining 120 hostages from two dozen countries, hostages who are muslim, christian, jewish,

hindu, buddhists who are someone's sons or daughters, sisters or brothers, mothers, fathers, loved ones who hamas refuses to release. these are someone's loved ones. hamas refuses to release them. and as we continue to pursue every viable path to bring them home, we will hold them in our hearts and hold hamas' feet to the fire. we stand with the hostages and their families. they are not forgotten. our work isn't done until we bring them home. thank you again, senator ernst, for putting this all together today. i yield. ms. ernst: thank you, senator rosen. joining our colloquy now is the senior senator from maryland, ben cardin. mr. cardin: mr. president. the presiding officer: the

senator from maryland. mr. cardin: thank you, mr. president. first i want to thank senator ernst for arranging this time. this is a critical moment. we are close to having a deal where the hostages can be released. it's important that we all speak out, so i want to thank senator ernst for raising this time, to senator rosen, thank you for your incredible leadership on this issue. i thank you for your comments and i certainly concur in those comments. we just left a meeting with the hostage families that are here. i've been meeting with the hostage families regularly since october 7. i first want to acknowledge their courage for putting a face on these issues, by motivating us to do more. i made a commitment when i was in israel in october that i would do everything in my power to get the hostages released. and every day i looked at opportunities. i asked my staff to look for opportunities so we can get the

hostages released. let me make this clear. hamas is responsible for the hos hos hostages. they'd taken them. they never should have. some died under their custody. and there are still hostages that haven't been released after 291 days. i had the opportunity to be in buenos aires last week representing the united states at the 30th commemoration of the bombing of the jewish community center where 85 lost their lives. it was a very moving ceremony in which the families of the victims of the jewish community center bombing spoke. they wanted to make sure we never forgot the names of those 85. and they demanded justice. it's been 30 years, and justice still has not been handed down to hezbollah and hamas and iran

who were responsible for those attacks. well, we're demanding the release of the hostages that were taken on october 7, and we will not forget their names. the eight americans that have not yet been accounted for. omar. i just met his family. 22-year-old, born leader, grew up in long island. he was the regional president of the united synagogue youth and captain of many sports teams. being held by hamas. we've heard about the others. itay, edan, hersh, sag guy, keith, judith, and ghadi. they are just the eight americans being held. all the hostages need to be released and they need to be released now. 291 days. it's outrageous.

so, mr. president, i wanted to join senator ernst today to make it clear there is no justification for the holding of the hostages. we have an opportunity to reach an agreement. let's do this. let's get it done. let's get the hostages home. let's hold the perpetrators accountable for the atrocities that they have perpetrated. and let's find a path for real security and peace in the middle east for the palestinians and the israelis. there is no room for peace in the middle east with hamas. they need to be held accountable for these atrocities and the hostages need to be released today. let us all join together in unity to get the hostages home. with that i yield the floor. ms. ernst: thank you, senator cardin. thank you for your leadership. senator ted budd represents the great state of north carolina.

he is unable to join us, but he did want to make sure that we read his constituent's bio. eight of these remaining hostages are americans. our final american hostage is a native of the state of north carolina and his name is keith siegel. i have joined north carolina senator ted budd in meetings with the families of hostages as well as former hostages like keith's wife, aviva. keith and aviva have four children alongside five grandchildren. we've heard their stories, and i can attest that senator budd and i look at their photos every single day. we've heard the stories and these families must absolutely live with horrible pain and they

have an uncertainty that is absolutely unacceptable. the fact that we stand here after 291 days and the fate of these eight innocent souls is not the primary topic of conversation on our national media and from the current administration is shameful. now is the time for all nations tore rally together -- to rally together and use all available pressure to force hamas terrorists to release all of our hostages. i do want to thank my colleagues, senator rosen, senator cardin, and senator grassley for coming to the floor and joining in this colloquy to ensure the american people don't forget that we have eight ame americans that are still being

held. let's bring them home now. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island. mr. reed: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that i be permitted to speak for 15 minutes and senator blackburn for 15 minutes prior to the scheduled vote. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. reed: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i rise today to discuss the state of the war between israel and hamas. tomorrow israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu will speak before a joint session of congress. i hope that he will propose a significant change in his approach to the war. i hope he will offer his resounding thanks to president biden for his steadfast support of the defense of israel. and i hope he will thank this

democrat-led senate, the majority leader, and our republican colleagues for our early support of the supplemental appropriations bill that provided billions of dollars to strengthen israel's defenses and provide humayun support to gaza. it it has been more than nine months since hamased carried out its horrific attack against the israel israeli people. hamas terrorized more than 1,200 men, women, and children and took 250 hostages. unspe unspeakable acts of terror were committed on october 7, and they will never be forgotten. in the wake of this attack, the united states has stood resolutely by israel's side, providing billions of dollars of aid and intervening to shield israel from attack by iran and its proxies. for more than 75 years, israel has been one of our closest

allies. since its founding, israel has relied on america's friendship, and we have been proud to give it. it is because of this friendship -- not in spite of it -- that we must insist the israeli government change course in its war against hamas. israel's leaders must refocus their efforts to peace, stability, and the core tenets of israel's democracy. several months ago, i came to the senate floor as chairman of the senate armed services committee and as a friend and longtime supporter of the israeli people to say that the war had veered offcourse. i urge prime minister netanyahu to learn from the united states' lessons in iraq and afghanistan. and i urged him to develop a realistic long-term plan for gaza, including a framework for a two-state solution.

instead, prime minister netanyahu has not just ignored the guidance of israel's friends and allies, he has doubled down on his worst instincts and the dangerous ambitions of the most extreme elements of his coalition government. the situation in gaza is catastrophic. gaza is a tiny enslave, but it is a -- enclave, but it is a home to more man 2 million people who have been living in a war zone for months. tens of thousands of innocent palestinians have been killed. nearly half a million gazans are facing life-threatening food insecurity. efforts to increase humanitarian assistance have fallen far short. mr. netanyahu and is government have failed to develop an exit strategy from gaza. they have no plan for a sustainbling future for the palestinians and no plan to establish security and rebuild gaza's void cities.

even more avarming, a alarming, israel faces a second threat on its northern border. hezbollah, better-trained and better armed than hamas, continues to clash with the idea of threatening all-out war. at the same time, violence on west bank could boil over at any moment, which could spark wider regional conflict. as i said in march, i believe good allies and good friends stand together. but great allies and great friends are willing to speak hard truths and hold each other to the highest standards, especially around the conduct of war. with prime minister netanyahu in washington this week, i am again compelled to say that the israeli government must change its path. there are three specific issues that the israeli government must address if it hopes to secure

lasting peace. first, it must change its strategy in gaza from a counterterrorism operation to a counterurgency campaign. second, israel must wrest control of its government back from the far-right and, third, israeli leaders have to recognize that a two-state solution is the only viable path to peace and stability for the israeli people. to start, we have to acknowledge that prime minister netanyahu has lost his way in leading israel's war against hamas. he appears unwilling or unable to understand that his military strategy cannot destroy a group like hamas. he continues to drive a costly, high-tempo counterterrorism campaign when he should be pursuing a counterinsurgency campaign. the difference between these two

strategies are important. a counterterrorism operation like the one the idf is carrying out is about applying military power to crush terrorist fighters and prevent attacks. certainly israel has degraded much of hamas's military power. u.s. analysts have judged that hamas no longer has the capabilities to carry out another attack like october 7. but hamas is not just a terrorist group, it is an ideology and a political organization with deep roots. political ideologies like hamas cannot be bombed into submission. instead, mr. netanyahu must shift to a counterinsurgency strategy. counterinsurgency campaigns seek to address the root causes of the insurgency and surge to win the support of the local population while building

legitimacy for a responsible government. israel's objective should be to weaken hamas' support among palestinians and ultimately isolate it from political and military lifelines. but in times of trauma, a every nation's first reaction is fear and anger. much like israel's horror on october 7, the united states experienced a deep national trauma on september 11, 2001s we, too, responded militarily, but it took us far too long to learn that a sustainable peace cannot be won solely on the battlefield. the best armies in the world cannot defeat a terrorist ideology. nine months into the war on hamas, it is clear there is no way to wipe out the hamas ideology through military might alone. this is not just my opinion. current and former israeli political and military leaders,

including members of mr. netanyahu's own cabinet, have warned that israel's current strategy is not viable for long-term victory. last month the chief israeli military spokesman, rear admiral daniel ahagarry said, those who think they can make hamas zap disappear are wrong. it is a political party. it is rooted in people's hearts a. it was because of this failure, that a member of netanyahu's war cabinet announced his resignation last month. he argued for months that israel needed to fundamentally change it's approach to the war. but netanyahu could not be reasoned with. i agree with mr. ganz on this issue. prime minister netanyahu's conduct has backfired

strategically. hamas wants to keep israel in a state of perpetual war and netanyahu is falling into that trap. his government must shift from a counterterrorism strategy to a counterinsurgency strategy. much of mr. netanyahu's intransigence may be attributed to the political allies he surrounded himself with. as a way to cling to power, netanyahu has made common cause with far-right extremists who pursue their own agendas at the expense of israel's security. these extremists have been elevated to some of the highest cabinet positions in the government and have encouraged netanyahu's most misguided policies, including his att attempted changes to the israel judicial system. one of these is benben-gvir.

in order to secure his coalition, prime minister netanyahu placed ben-gvir in charge of the israeli national police. he has openly advanced his desire for theeth nonyl nick cleansing of palestinians including in gaza. he as advocated for the settlement of israelis in gaza after the civil war and has organized a campaign to hand out assault weapons in jewish settlers in the west bank. importantly, ben-gvir has threatened to topple the coalition if his demands are not met. in particular, he has pressed mr. netanyahu to reject a hostage deal or cease-fire with hamas that would include the ras of palestinian prisoners. it is eroding israel's stability. another cabinet minute officer is minister smotrich, a settler

activist with a troubling record. as netanyahu's minister of finance and adjunct minister in the ministry of defense, smotrich leverages his official power to advance his agenda of annexing the west backpaging for jewish settlers and evicting palestinians from the area. with prime minister netanyahu's implicit support, smotrich has steadily shifted control of administering the west bank to his handpicked cronies in the defense ministry. an activist group has assessed that 2024 has been the peak year for land seizures in the west bank. distribution of palestinian tax revenues have force the annexation of jewish settlers. these tax revenues constitute almost all of the palestinian

authority's budget, including its police and security personnel. earlier this month, smoking stricture released some -- smotrich released some funding in ex-chaplaining for the authorization of five israeli settlements that had been built illegally. this is extortion, plain and simple, and it has been condemned by the u.s. treasury secretary and national security advisor jake sullivan. i highlight these far-right cabinet leaders because their extreme personald and political agendas are impacting the government's military decisions in gaza. whether through threats orca joeling, ben-gvir and others have pushed the government into governing israel the way they see fit. in announcing his resignation last month, mr. gantz told the press that he had, quote, become exasperated with mr. netanyahu

for agreeing on one thing in the wartime cabinet and then doing the on sit because of pressure from his far-right coalition partners." gantz lamented that fateful strategic decisions are met with procrastination due to political considerations. unfortunately, netanyahu prevents us from progressing to real victory. these dynamics caused former prime minister ehud barak to publicly warn that, quote, this war appears to be the least successful war in history due to the strategic paralysis in the country's leadership. prime minister netanyahu is beholden to the far right. he needs his right-wing partners to stay in his coalition and in turn they cannot abandon him because he is their best chance to accomplish the objectives of their nationalist agenda.

until there is a change in the direction of israel's leadership, the far right will continue to drive israel's security and the war in gaza into the ground many. -- into the ground. the failings of the netanyahu government are not just a matter of bad strategy or the prime minister's willingness to rely on radical political partners to stay in power. it is also his own opposition to a two-state solution. as has been clear for beinged dids, prime minister netanyahu is unwilling to recognize that a two-state solution is only viable path to peace and security for israel. he has been thwarting this option since his first term as prime minister in 1996h -- 1996. one of his most reliable assets for preventing a two-state solution has been hamas. as far back as 2012, netanyahu told israeli press that, quote,

it was important to keep hamas strong as a counterweight to the palestinian authority in the west bank. he knew that by empowering hamas and gaza, a two-state solution would never be possible. in fact, between 2012 and 2018 alone, netanyahu allowed an estimated $1 billion to flow into gaza at least half of which reached hamas. according to the jerusalem post, in a private meeting with members of the likud party in 2019, netanyahu explained his rationale as this -- quote, the money transfer is part of the strategy to divide the palestinians in gaza and the west bank and that way we will foil the establishment of a palestinian state. this open hostility to a two-state solution has only hardened in the aftermath of

october 7. in february, netanyahu bragged everyone knows that i'm the one who for decades blocked the establishment of a palestinian state that would endanger our existence. and in just the last week he led the knesset in passing a resolution that rejects a two-state solution. mr. netanyahu has never been shy about his desire to prevent a two-state solution. his record is now clear beyond a shadow of a doubt. we should not be surprised that he continues to stand in the way of peace. with this troubling record laid out, i feel compelled again as a friend of israel to say that prime minister netanyahu has put israel on a disastrous path. his leadership is eroding israel's security, health and democracy. in march, i came to the floor to call for new leadership for both the israeli and palestinian people. i stand by that call.

ultimately these are decisions for the israelis and the palestinian people. but while prime minister netanyahu continues to lead his nation, i urge him to return to the cease-fire framework that he agreed to in may with the biden administration. this plan includes a sensible and phased approach to bring the hostages home, increasing lifesaving humanitarian assistance to gaza, and a realistic approach for day-to-day security and governance in gaza. israel will not find the long-term security peace it wants by indefinitely reoccupying the gaza strip. in addition the prime minister working with the united states and other regional allies and partners must achieve a diplomatic solution on the israeli-lebanon border. now is not the time to risk opening a second potentially more dangerous confrontation with hezbollah that could spill over into a larger regional war.

further, mr. netanyahu should immediately disavow the far-right members of his cabinet and stop their efforts to inflame violence in gaza and the west bank that is making a two-state solution all but impossible. finally, president netanyahu must accept the legitimacy of a two-state solution with the state of israel and a demilitarized palestinian state can exist side by side in peace and security. this plan is difficult and will require buy-in from israel, the palestinian people, arab neighbors and the international community, but it is necessary and essential. the inability to embrace a two-state solution has profound consequences for the state of israel, its security, its standing in the world, and its ability to remain a democracy. as i prepare to join my colleagues in listening to prime minister netanyahu's address tomorrow, i remain deeply skeptical of his leadership and willingness to change course,

but i hope he will finally listen to his friends and allies who only want the best for israel. the united states is israel's oldest friend, but as a friend we must insist that prime minister netanyahu fundamentally change the path he has put his country on. the eyes of the world and history are upon him. with that, mr. president, i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from tennessee. mrs. blackburn: thank you, mr. president. this week the senate is taking an historic step in the fight to protect children online by bringing the bipartisan kids online safety act to the floor. last congress senator blumenthal and i introduced kosa following disturbing reports that meta leadership knew its mrament

instagram is toxic to teenage girls causing mental health issues but meta down played these harms in public. during a series of five subcommittee hearings, we heard testimony from social media companies, advocates and parents on the repeated failures of tech giants to protect kids, to protect them from pro-suicide -- content, from eating disorders content, human traffickers and so much more. for years big tech giants refused to meaning fli address these problems, but that changes with kosa, which will finally hold them accountable. congress has not passed a major law to protect children online since 1998, and a lot has changed in the last 25 years.

but this moment would have been impossible without the hundreds of parents, including many who have tragically lost their children to social media harms. they've traveled to washington over the past several years to share their heartbreaking stories and to demand action to protect our children. senator blumenthal and i could not have accomplished this without their voices, and i want to thank all of our friends and their allies for their work in getting this bill to the floor. one thing is certain, moms on a mission have always proven to be an unstoppable force. and indeed they are. i also want to thank leader schumer, commerce committee chair cantwell, ranking member cruz, and our 68 senate cosponsors for helping us get

here. once the senate formally passes kosa, our work is not done. we must ensure that the house quickly passes this bill and sends it to the president's desk. mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the next portion of my remarks be placed separately in the record. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mrs. blackburn: thank you, mr. president. recently my fellow tennesseans have had a lot to separate. late last month the tennessee volunteers baseball team made history defeating the texas a of&m aggies in the college world series to win the program's first national title. this is a tremendous accomplishment for the incredible players and coaches, for the university of tennessee, and indeed for our expire state. but for those of us who followed the vols' historic season, this

national championship came as no surprise. in total they tallied 60 wins this season, becoming the first team in the southeastern conference to ever reach this milestone. u.t. had five players who hit 20 or more home runs this season, the first time that has ever happened in ncaa history. and along the way to the college world series, the team won both the s.e.c. regular season and the tournament title, becoming just the fourth program in history to capture all three titles in the same season. it is no exaggeration to say that this team is one of the greatest in college baseball history, a testament to players, coaches, and staffs hard work on and off the field. that's why i introduced a

resolution alongside senator hagerty, joined by tennessee's entire house delegation to officially congratulate the student athletes, coaches, administrators, and fans on a truly incredible season. i know tennesseans will remember the vols' historic 2024 season for many years to come. mr. president, i ask unanimous consent be that the next portion of my remarks be placed separately in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mrs. blackburn: thank you, mr. president. on saturday, july 13, our nation narrowly avoided a catastrophe with the failed assassination attempt of president trump in butler, pennsylvania. in the wake of this disturbing attack, i'm grateful that president trump is safe and recovering, and join tennesseans and americans in praying for the

two victims who were critically injured. tragically our nation lost a hero in the attack. corey comperatore was killed while protecting his wife and daughter from gunfire. this assassination attempt was a shocking act of political violence and one agency more than any other was responsible for preventing it. that is the secret service. but as reports continue to pile up about the secret service's failures leading up to the attempt, i know tennesseans and americans have so many questions. how was the shooter allowed on a structure so close to the rally with a clear line of sight to president trump? and why were there no agents on that roof? how is it possible as senators learned in a briefing with

secret service and the fbi last week that secret service agents knew about a threat before president trump walked on stage, yet they did nothing to prevent him from going on stage? how was the shooter allowed to scope out the rally grounds with a range finder, a device that is often used by snipers to measure the distance to a target, even after he was spotted by law enforcement. why was the assassin able to fly a drone and take footage of the rally grounds just before the speech? and why as the agency has finally acknowledged after initially denying it, why did the secret service turn down previous requests from president trump's security detail for more resources to protect him?

to be sure, many secret service agents bravely put their lives on the line to get president trump to safety following the assassination attempt. we are grateful for them. but as a whole, the agency failed its sole objective, which was to protect the protectee, in this case former president trump. yet secret service director cheatle has repeatedly refused to explain why this tragedy happened on her watch. when my colleagues and i pressed her for answers last week, she ran away. and during the house oversight hearing on monday, she continued to stonewall, repeatedly claiming that she is unable to provide answers while her agency investigates the operational failures leading up to the

assassination attempt. this is inexcusable. while director cheatle has finally done the right thing and resigned, tennesseans and the american people still deserve answers about how her agency let president trump come within inches of being killed by an assassin's bullet. the secret service has the duty to send another representative equipped to answer these questions when the senate judiciary committee holds its hearing on the circumstances that led to the attempted assassination of former president trump. while we await answers, there is one thing we do know. if director cheatle had done her job and upheld her agency's zero-fail mission, this tragedy would never have happened. i yield the floor.

the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of the following nomination which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, federal labor relations authority. colleen duffy kiko of north dakota to be a member. the presiding officer: the question is on the nomination. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote: the clerk: ms. baldwin. mr. barrasso. mr. bennet. mrs. blackburn. mr. blumenthal.

vote:

mr. booker. mr. boozman. mr. braun. mrs. britt. mr. brown. mr. budd. ms. butler. ms. cantwell. mrs. capito. mr. cardin. mr. carper. mr. casey. mr. cassidy. ms. collins. mr. coons. mr. cornyn. ms. cortez masto. mr. cotton. mr. cramer. mr. crapo. mr. cruz. mr. daines. ms. duckworth. mr. durbin. ms. ernst. mr. fetterman. mrs. fischer. mrs. gillibrand. mr. graham. mr. grassley. mr. hagerty. ms. hassan. mal mr. hawley. mr. heinrich. mr. hickenlooper. ms. hirono. mr. hoeven. mrs. hyde-smith. mr. johnson. mr. kaine. mr. kelly. mr. kennedy.

mr. king. ms. klobuchar. mr. lankford. mr. lee. mr. lujan. ms. lummis. mr. manchin. mr. markey. mr. marshall. mr. mcconnell. mr. menendez. mr. merkley. mr. moran. mr. mullin. ms. murkowski. mr. murphy. mrs. murray. mr. ossoff. mr. padilla. mr. paul. mr. peters. mr. reed. mr. ricketts. mr. risch. mr. romney. ms. rosen. mr. rounds. mr. rubio.

the clerk: mr. rubio. mr. sanders. mr. schatz. mr. schmitt. mr. schumer. mr. scott of florida. mr. scott of south carolina. mrs. shaheen. ms. sinema. ms. smith. ms. stabenow. mr. sullivan. mr. tester. mr. thune. mr. tillis. mr. tuberville. mr. van hollen. mr. vance. mr. warner. mr. warnock. ms. warren. mr. welch. mr. whitehouse. mr. wicker. mr. wyden. mr. young.

the clerk: senators voting in the affirmative -- barrasso, blackburn, britt, brown, cornyn, crapo, duckworth, ernst, fischer, grassley, heinrich, kaine, kennedy, reed, rosen, sanders, scott of florida, shaheen, sinema, sullivan, tuberville, warner, whitehouse, wicker, young. ms. hirono voted in the negative.

the clerk: mr. daines, aye. the clerk: mrs. capito, aye.

the clerk: mr. ossoff, aye. mr. schatz, aye. the clerk: ms. cortez masto,

aye. mr. lankford, aye. mr. carper, aye. mr. johnson, aye. ms. warren, no. mr. durbin, aye. mr. peters, aye. mr. tester, aye.

the clerk: ms. stabenow, aye. mr. tillis, aye. the clerk: mr. schumer, aye.

the clerk: ms. klobuchar, aye. the clerk: mr. cassidy, aye.

the clerk: mr. van hollen, aye. mr. moran, aye.

the clerk: mr. graham, aye. the clerk: mr. booker, aye. ms. butler, no. mr. merkley, aye. mr. hickenlooper, aye. mr. lujan, aye. mr. paul, aye.

mr. romney, aye. the clerk: mr. thune, aye.

the clerk: mr. king, aye.

the clerk: mr. markey, no. ms. baldwin, aye u -- aye. mr. trump warnock, aye --

mr. warnock, aye. vote: the clerk: mr. boozman, aye.

the clerk: mr. merkley, no. the clerk: mr. cruz, aye.

the clerk: mr. mcconnell, aye. the clerk: mr. padilla, aye.

the clerk: mr. budd, aye. mr. mullin, aye.

the clerk: ms. smith, aye.

the clerk: mrs. murray, aye.

the clerk: mr. wyden, aye.

the clerk: ms. collins, aye. the clerk: mr. ricketts, aye.

ms. cantwell, aye.

the clerk: mr. hawley, aye.

the clerk: mr. blumenthal, no. mr. cardin, aye.

the clerk: mr. casey, aye. mr. rounds, aye.

vote: the clerk: mr. kelly, aye. ms. hassan, aye.

the clerk: mr. murphy, aye.

the clerk: mr. welch, aye. mr. schmitt, aye.

the clerk: mr. coons, aye. the clerk: ms. lummis, aye.

the clerk: mr. hagerty, aye. mr. braun, aye.

the clerk: mr. bennet, aye.

vote:

the clerk: ms. murkowski, aye.

the clerk: mr. rubio, aye.

the clerk: mrs. gillibrand, aye.

vote:

the presiding officer: on this vote the yeas are 82. the nays are 6. the nomination is confirmed. under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table and the president will be immediately notified of the senate's action. mr. schumer: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. opposed nay. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. schumer: i ask the chair to lay before the senate a message from the house of representatives on s. 2073. the presiding officer: the chair lays before the senate a message from the house. the clerk: resolve the bill from the senate s. 2073 entitled an act to amend title 31, united states code, to require agencies to include a list of outdated or

duplicative rir789s and annual budget justifications and for other purposes do pass with an amend. mr. schumer: madam president, i move that the senate concur on the house amendment to s. 2073 with the amendment 3021 which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from new york, mr. schumer, moves to concur on the house amendment to s. 2073 with an amendment numbered 3021. mr. schumer: i ask that further reading of the bill be dispensed. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i have a cloture motion at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the motion to concur on the house amendment to s. 2073, a bill to amend title 31, united states code and so forth and for other purposes with an amendment signed by 17 senators as follows. mr. schumer: i ask that further reading of the names be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask for the yeas and nays on the motion to concur with the amendment. the presiding officer: is there

a sufficient second? there appears to be. the yeas and nays are ordered. mr. schumer: i have an amendment to amendment 3021 which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from new york, mr. schumer, proposes an amendment numbered 3022 to amendment number 3021. mr. schumer: i ask that further reading be dispinsed with. mr. schumer: i ask that further reading be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i move to refer the house message to the committee on homeland security and governmental affairs with instructions to report back forthwith with an amendment number 3023. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: mr. schumer moves to -- with instructions to report back forthwith an amendment numbered 3023. mr. schumer: i ask that further reading be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask for the yeas and nays on my motion. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the yeas and nays are ordered. mr. schumer: i have an amendment

to the instructions, which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from new york, mr. schumer, proposes an amendment number 3024 to the instructions of the motion to refer. mr. schumer: i ask that further reading be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask for the yeas and nays on my motion. -- on my amendment. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the yeas and nays are ordered. mr. schumer: i have an amendment to amendment 3024, which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the presiding officer: the the clerk: mr. schumer proposes amendment 3025 to amendment 3024. mr. schumer: i ask that further reading be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: now, madam pres president, i have some good news for the senate. before i adjourn this evening -- before we adjourn this evening, i'd like to celebrate two significant bills that just passed the senate two moments ago. first, just now, the senate

unanimously passed a bill to combat the spread of sexually explicit a.i.-generated deep fakes, the defiance act. i commend senator durbin for his excellent work. i was proud to support it. it's a very, very important thing we get this done. as we know, a.i. plays a bigger role in our lives than ever before. while it has many benefits, it's also easier than ever to create se sexually explicit deep fakes without a person's consent. it's a horrible attack on someone's privacy and dignity to have these fake images of them circulating online without recourse. this isn't just some fringe issue that happens to only a few people. it's a widespread problem. these types of malicious and hurtful pictures destroy lives. nobody is immune, not even celebrities like taylor swift megan thee stallion. victims of these deep fakes deserve justice. this is one of the examples of

the a.i. guardrails i often talk about. a.i. is a remarkable technology that can spur incredible innovation, but we must pass guardrails to prevent its worst abuses from causing people grave harm. by passing this bill, we are telling victims of explicit nonconsensual deep fakes we hear them and we're taking action. i urge the house now to take up this piece of legislation so victims of nonconsensual deep fakes can have the justice they deserve. just awful what people do to people with these deep fakes. this bill will end that. it's have ' -- it's a very good thing. we passed another very good bill a few moments ago as well. the preventing financing of illegal synthetic drug acts. this bill gets to the root of financing behind these deadly and destructive drugs, like fentanyl and methamphetamine. i've led the way in the senate for months cracking down on supply chains of drugs like fentanyl. last fall, i met with chinese

president xi and urged him and the chinese government to do more work to crab down -- crack down on companies that allow drugs to make their way to mexico, made into flopped and sent to the -- into the u.s. and sent to the u.s. i led the way in passing the emergency supplemental that including the fend-off fentanyl act. this is another step tin that right direction, to better understand and anticipate how drug traffickers finance their operations. two senators worked very hard on this legislation and deserve credit. two senators from nevada, senator katherine cortez masto and jackie rosen. i commend them. these two bills, they're passing quietly this evening, you they're very important and i hope people take notice and show that the senate is fighting the

scourge of drugs and fighting the scourge of deep fakes. okay, next, madam president,witk therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. i ask that the committee on judiciary be discharged from further consideration of s. the presiding officer: mr. schumer: ski that the bill at the desk be considered and agreed to. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask that the bill as amended be considered read a third time. the presiding officer: without

objection. mr. schumer: i know of no further debate on the bill as amended. the presiding officer: if there is no further debate, the question is on the passage of the bill. as amended. all those in favor say aye. opposed no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the bill as amended is passed. mr. schumer: i ask that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: that, madam president, is the deep fakes bill. it passed right now, as opposed to a few minutes ago. the other bill, i ask unanimous consent that the banking, housi housing and urban affairs committee be discharged from and the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of h.r. 1076. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 1076, an act to require the comptroller general of the united states to taky out a study on the -- to carry out a study of the trafficking into the united states of illicit

drugs and finance and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed on the measure. mr. schumer: i further ask the bill be considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: thank you. madam president, that was the fentanyl bill led by senators cortez-masto and rosen i mentioned. now, madam president, -- mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10:00 a.m. on wednesday, july 24, that following the prayer and pledge, the journal of proceedings be approved to date be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day and morning business be closed; following conclusion of morning business, the senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the way nomination; further, notwithstanding rule 22, the cloture vote on the way nomination occur at 3:15 p.m., and the cloture votes on the

landy and taylor nominations occur at 5:00 p.m. in the order in which the cloture was filed. further, the senate recess from 11:45 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., further, that if cloture is invoked on any of the nominations, the confirmation of votes occur at times to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the republican leader. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: as a reminder tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., his excellency benjamin netanyahu, prime minister of israel, will address a joint meeting of congress. senators should gather in the senate chamber at 1:20 p.m. and will proceed to the house chamber at 1:30 p.m. if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order following the remarks of senators welch and sanders. that the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i yield -- i yield.

the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. welch: madam president, in recent weeks the attention of the american people has been rapidly evolving campaign for the presidency issues, but while our national media and the focus has shifted, it's important we do not lose sight of the crisis in gaza where innocent people have suffered one calamity after another. also in recent weeks, thousands of defenseless homeless people sheltering in schools, including one located in an area reportedly designated by the israeli military as a humanitarian safe zone, have been targeted by the israeli military, with missiles supplied by the united states. regrettably, scores have been killed, hundreds wounded, but little is left of gaza's demolished hospitals that have

no capacity to properly treat injuries. children are particularly vulnerable in this conflict. thousands of children have been killed. thousands have sustained severe injuries that require surgery or advanced medical care. and many suffer from other life-threatening illnesses like cancer that are going completely untreated. in the past nine months, only 19 of these children have been allowed to leave gaza, and that is shocking. today, my colleagues and i send a letter to the ambassadors of israel and egypt, calling on them to work together with the full cooperation of the united states so that these children can leave gaza and get the medical care they desperately need. and i urge their governments to do that. gaza's children have paid far too high a price in this war. madam president, negotiations

for a ceasefire between israel and hamas have been on again and off again. each time we hear of a possible breakthrough, one side or the other makes a new demand, then weeks pass without further words of progress. and the suffering continues. i hope soon they will reach agreement on a ceasefire. in the meantime, it's hard to imagine the depth of misery suffered by the palestinian people. it's also hard to imagine the depth of misery suffered by the hostages, trapped underground for nine months, subject to constant psychological and physical abuse by their captors. madam president, i've spoken many times about the war in gaza. it was a war in my view, poorly conceived, with vague goals that were nothing more than slogans, not unlike our own failed wars in iraq and afghanistan. prime minister netanyahu was

warned not to repeat our mistakes. instead of heeding that advice, he's pursued a scorched earth strategy that destroyed gaza and killed tens of thousands of people who had absolutely nothing to do with the atrocities committed by hamas on october 7. two million destitute people are homeless, suffering from acute hunger and facing the real possibility of death at any moment. and mr. netanyahu, and i use this word intentionally, his extremist ministers have divided the israeli people, divided the american people, and damaged israel's standing on the global stage. mr. netanyahu's war has been carried out with our warplanes, our tanks, our guns, our bombs, missiles, and bullets. it has been carried out in a manner shockingly inconsistent

with the principle of proportionality, a central element of international humanitarian law that is designed to protect the innocent. international law that israel and the united states are both bound to respect. the counterresponse that we hear is that because hamas fighters hide in tunnels and use civilian houses and buildings to carry out their attacks, anything is a legitimate target, even, apparently, if it means killing 50 palestinians, wounding 100, in order to kill one hamas combatant. of course, israel has the right to go after those involved in the october 7 attack. i support that. hamas mercilessly slaughtered 1200 innocent israelis, and the perpetrators of those atrocities must not escape punishment. but that does not give israel the right to use weapons supplied by the united states to

kill 30 times the number of innocent palestinians, as though their lives are worth nothing. that's wrong. meanwhile, in the west bank, attacks against palestinians by israeli settlers, illegal israeli settlers, have skyro skyrocketed, and hundreds have been killed. last week, madam president, the international court of justice ruled that israel's decades-long occupation of the west bank violates international law and amounts to annexation. the court called on israel to cease new settlement activity, which is also the policy of the united states, and it called on it to end the occupation. madam president, as often happens, people's attention fades or shifts to other priorities close to home. that's understandable. but that's not why it's important to remember, to

remember that the bombs keep falling in an appalling number of civilians keep dying in gaza, in a war that has gone on far, far too long. to remember that this war, in which the united states is complicit by providing these arms, was orchestrated by a prime minister who has no strategy, no strategy for peace, between israelis and palestinians, a prime minister who has no vision for the future, who has acted deliberately to undercut u.s. policy at every turn, and still he has in -- he is invited here, to this congress. annexation. i will not attend prime minister netanyahu's address tomorrow. i welcome a constructive discussion on how to achieve laughing peace for israelis and palestinians, i'm not interested

in participating in a political state. we, the united states, have a moral responsibility to do everything we can to help end this war and prevent further loss of innocent lives. that includes holding our allies and partners to the same standards that we expect of ourselves and the rest of the world. madam president, i yield back. mr. sanders: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. sanders: i want to commend my fellow vermonter for his remarks, and i wanted to say a few words on the same subject. madam president, tomorrow, wednesday, will be a unique moment in congressional history. throughout the many years of our country, leaders from dozens of

countries with all kinds of political backgrounds and persuasions have been invited to address a joint session of congress. to the best of my knowledge, however, tomorrow will be unique in bringing prime minister netanyahu to address a joint meeting of congress, it will be the first time in american history that a war criminal has been given that honor. frankly, this invitation to netanyahu is a disgrace and something that we will look back on with regret. with this invitation, it will be impossible with a straight face for the united states to lecture any country on earth about human rights and human dignity. madam president, as you well

know, along with hamas leader, and several others, prime minister netanyahu has been accused of war crimes by the international criminal court, the icc, that court may soon issue arrest warrants for sinwar and netanyahu. the case against sinwar and his hamas accomplices are clear, they were part of the october 7 terrorist attack on israel that began this war and involved the mass murder of 1200 innocent men, women, and children, the taking of hostages and sexual violence. these war crimes are well documented and very few people would dispute the merits of these charges. the icc's prosecutor's charges

against netanyahu are also well founded. the charges focus on the starvation of civilians as a method of war as well as intentional attacks against the civilian population. specifically, the prosecutor says that netanyahu is responsible for, quote, deproifing -- depriving civilians of objects in indissensible to their survival, including relief supplies as provided for under the geneva conventions. end of quote. a separate u.n. independent commission of inquiry likewise found that hamas and the military have committed war crimes since october 7 leading to widespread civilian deaths. the commission said that the israeli military, quote,

intentional use of heavy weapons with large destruction capsty -- capacity is a direct attack on the civilian population particularly affecting women and children. end of quote. madam president, i think we all agree that israel had the right to defend itself against the horrific hamas attack on october 7, but netanyahu's stream right-wing government has since that attack waged what amounts to a total war -- a total war against the entire palestinian people, making life unlivable in gaza and killing tens of thousands. these actions have trampled on international law, on american law, and on basic human values. madam president, i understand that the mass media and many of

us in congress, have been preoccupied in recent weeks with the awful assassination attempt against former president trump and the changes at the top of the democratic presidential ticket, but while all that is going on, it is absolutely irresponsible for us to turn our backs on one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern his history, especially when that disaster has been aided and abetted by u.s. taxpayer dollars and weapons. in other words, it's not just the israeli government, it is us and our money and our weaponry as well. madam president, let us be clear -- let us be very clear as to what is going on in gaza right now. since this war began, among a population of 2.2 million

people, at least 39,000 palestinians have been killed and 89,000 injured. 60% of whom are women, children, or elderly people. most observers believe that the death toll is much higher because thousands of people remain buried under the mountains of rubble. their bodies have not yet been recovered. madam president, some 1.9 million people, out of a population of 2.2 million have been driven from their homes, 90% of the population. take a deep breath. 90% of the population driven from their homes. the vast majority of these desperate and poor people have now been displaced not once, not twice, but in some cases four or

five times herded around like cattle. just yesterday -- yesterday israeli announced another evacuation order for 150,000 people were forced to flee on a moment's notice, just yesterday. madam president, when we talk about housing in gaza, it's not just that people have been displaced time and time again. more than 60% of gaza's housing has been damaged or destroyed, including 221,000 housing units that have been completely destroyed. where are these people going to go to if and when this war ever ends? and with that housing destruction, more than a million people remain permanently homeless. entire neighborhoods have been wiped out.

today more than a million palestinians, almost half of the population of gaza, are living in tents trying to find shelter, trying to find protection from the intense summer heat in that area. but, madam president, it is not just the housing that has been destroyed. gaza's civilian infrastructure has also been devastated. water and sewer systems have been made inoperable, and the result, raw sewage is running through the streets of gaza, spreading disease and there is very little clean water. many roads are impassable and there is virtually no electricity now in gaza. but it's not just the housing that's been destroyed, not just the infrastructure that has been

destroyed. madam president, gaza had 12 universities, schools of higher learning, every single one of those universities has been bo bombed, and 88% of all school buildings have been damaged. in other words, under mr. netanyahu's leadership, the entire occasional system in gaza has been annihilated, in fact 540 people have been killed while sheltering -- sheltering in u.n. schools. but, madam president, it is not just the housing that has been destroyed, not just the infrastructure of gaza that has been destroyed, not just the occasional system -- educational system, which has been destroyed. at a time when almost 90,000 people are dealing with

war-related injuries in gaza, including many, many children who have lost their arms and their legs, who are suffering all kinds of diseases, the health care system in gaza has been systematically obliterated. 21 of gaza's 36 hospitals are completely out of service and the remainder can only partially function. the world health organization has or -- has recorded more than 1,000 attacks on health care facilities since october 7. as a result, disease is spreading due to shortages of clean water, sanitation and hygiene. cases of hepatitis, disin-terry and other intexts are on the rise and cases of polo -- polio have now been detected. malnourished women struggle to

breast feed their newborns, formula is inaccessible, and even when available cannot be used without reliable sources of clean water. so the tiniest children and their mothers suffer as well -- as a result. but, madam president, it's not just displacement of 1.9 million people. it's not just the mass destruction of housing, it's not just the obliteration of the infrastructure, it's not just the destruction of the occasional system, it's not just the annihilation of the health care system in gaza that we are seeing. it is even worse than that. and i hope that my colleagues who attend mr. netanyahu's marks on wednesday -- remarks on

wednesday remember this as they rise time and time again to give him standing oh-- ovations, as a result of israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid, people in gaza are now starving to death. so, remember, when people stand up and applaud, children, women, innocent people in gaza are now starving to death. according to the best available research drawing on leading experts from the u.n. and other aid organizations around the world, some 495,000 palestinians face starvation. these groups estimate that more than 50,000 children require treatment for acute malnutrition and are at risk of starving to death. at least 30 documented, and i expect it's a higher number than

that, have already starved to death. so when you stand up and applaud that guy, remember the starving children that he has created. but even those who get the lifesaving care they need, the children will carry the scars of this disaster for the rest of their lives. as every psychologist will tell you, a child's brain develops fastest in the first two years of life, and childhood malnutrition does lifelong cognitive and physical damage, that is it what netanyahu is doing to the children of gaza. and i would ask my colleagues to stop for a moment and also think about the psychological damage this war has done to the children there. imagine being a child living with a constant buzzing of drones above your head wondering whether those drones are going

to rain fire and bullets on to your home. wondering if they might strike you at any moment. imagine being a little 5-year-old witnessing your relatives killed, your neighborhood destroyed. think about being a ten-year-old going hungry night after night and searching around for water and for food to survive. think about being pushed from one place to another, not knowing where you'll be tomorrow, carrying your little -- few belongings through streets amid piles of rubble and trash. that is what mr. netanyahu, the man congress is honoring tomorrow, has done to the children of gaza. according to the u.n. and

virtually every humanitarian organization functioning in gaza, israel has intensely blocked humanitarian aid, including food, water, and medical supplies from reaching the desperate people in gaza. and let us be clear. there is no, no excuse for this. blocking humanitarian aid, killing aid workers and creating the conditions for starvation, these are not only acts of extreme cruelty but they are clear violations of both u.s. and international law. they are war crimes. they are war crimes. and netanyahu heads the government that has enacted these policies. so tomorrow, madam president, netanyahu comes before congress. i hope that for one second the members who attend will focus

just for a second on the starving children in gaza. i hope while they applaud that they will think about the hundreds of aid workers killed, the dozens of hospitals bombed, the housing destroyed, and the universities obliterated. madam president, when mr. netanyahu rises to speak tomorrow, i also hope that my colleagues remember that all this death and destruction is not just the unfortunate byproduct of a brutal war. revenge and destruction are the explicit policy of netanyahu's extremist right-wing government. two days into the war, two days after october 7, israeli defense minister gallant said, quote -- this is a direct quote -- i have

ordered a complete siege on the gaza strip. there will be no electricity, no food, no fuel. everybody is closed. we are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly, end of quote. and that is exactly how they have pursued this war. they define the palestinian people as human animals. and tragically they have acted consist with that -- consistent with that view. madam president, let us remember and understand that the israel of today is not the israel of the past. it is now run by a right-wing extremist government. national security minister

itamar ben-gvir, the man who oversees the police, has long advocated for the forceable expulsion of palestinians from the region. finance minister bezalel smotrich, the man responsible for the occupied west bank, is also an extreme racist and has called for the expulsion of palestinians from the land. he has called for segregated hospital wards for jews and arabs because, quote, arabs are my enemies, end of quote. and that is the men who is in charge of the occupied west bank. that is the current israeli finance minister as well. madam president, it should come as no surprise that this extremist government in addition to destroying gaza has overseen record israeli settlement in the

occupied west bank in violation of international law and commitments to the united states. israeli forces and virginia ante -- vigil ante senters have killed since october 7, including 131 children. just last week the international court of justice issued a ruling on the israeli occupation of the west bank. a panel of 15 accomplished judges around the world confirmed what most of the world has long known. that occupation is illegal and must end. i know that there are some here in congress, not many but some, who have condemned netanyahu and his extremist government. but condemning netanyahu is not enough.

we cannot condemn a prime minister who the icc considers to be a war criminal while at the same time continuing to provide his government with tens of billions of dollars in military aid. that is hypocrisy at its worst. just today, madam president, i'm happy to say that seven major trade unions here in the united states, including the association of flight attendants, the american postal workers union, the international union of painters, the national education association, the service employees international union, united auto workers, and united electrical workers, some of the largest unions in america representing some six million workers sent a letter to president biden calling on him to immediately halt all military

aid to israel. and they are absolutely right. netanyahu is a right-wing extremist and a war criminal who has devoted his career to killing the prospects of a two-state solution and lasting peace in the region. he should not be rel comed to the -- be welcomed to the united states congress. on the contrary, his policies in gaza and the west bank should be roundly condemned and his right-wing extremist government should not receive another nickel from u.s. taxpayers. thank you, madam president. and i yield the floor. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.

later this week senators will begin work on legislation aiming to protect kidsrom harms of social media and oer online platforms. more work will continue on executive and judicial nominations are out the week. live coverage of the senate will resume tomorrow your on cspan2. democratic senator bob menendez has announced his intention to resignffective august 20. this comes aere was convicted lasteek on corruption charges that included bribery and acting as an agent for egypt's government. reuters points out senor menendez pressure to step downro fellow democrats. he hasee in the senate since 2006 was cir of the foreign relations committee befor t federal indictment became public. new jersey governor phil murphy will now appoint a replacement to serve out the remainder of

senator menendez term which ends in january. >> wednesday fbi director christopher raitt testifies on n oversight of the agency including the ongoing investigation into the assassination attempt on former president donald trump. watch house judiciary committee hearing it live at 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span three. also available c-span our free mobile video app or online at c-span.org. >> on wednesday israeli prime minister benjaminyahu will address a joint meeting of congress' first visit to the u.ce t hamas attack on israel on october 7 many atic members of congress have announced a plan to boycott hish in protestf israel's military operations in gaza. i prime minister's expected to speakut the ongoing against hamas. be the firstborn leaderver to address congress in a joi meeting four times watch live coverage of his remarks in the house chamber

wednesday at 2:00 p.m. e on c online xp span.org under free video app c-span now. c-span is your unfiltered view of government. funded by these television companies and more including media. >> nearly 30 years ago, media, is founded on a powerful idea cutting edge of broadband to underserved communities from coast to coast week connected 850,000 miles. our team broke speed bear is delivered one gig speech to every customer and lead the a platform and out media, mobile is offering the fastest most reliable network on the go. media com decades of dedication, and decades of deliverance, decades ahead. >> me too come support c-span as a publi service on these other television providers. giving you a f