welcome back to "face the nation." senate republican leader mitch mcconnell has not done many interviews this year. but he invited us to capitol

hill friday to talk about president biden's request to congress for more than 100 billion in aid for ukraine, israel, and u.s. border security. and that's where our conversation began. >> we have big power competition from china, from russia, and we still have terrorism problems as the israelis have certainly experienced in a brutal way in the last week. so i think it requires a worldwide approach rather than trying to take parts of it out. it's all connected. the chinese and the russians said they're now friends forever. iranian drones are being used in ukraine and against the israelis. >> there's resistance among some republicans including here in the senate about bundling things together. is it possible to pass ukraine aid if it's not tied to israel? >> i just think that's a mistake. i mean, i know there are some republicans in the senate and

maybe more in the house that think ukraine is somehow different. i view it as all interconnected. >> and you've said that you believe there is enough oversight of aid to ukraine. why hasn't that persuaded some members of the republican caucus? >> if you look at the ukraine assistance, let's talk about where the money's really going. a significant portion of it's being spent in the united states in 38 different states replacing the weapons that we sent to ukraine with more modern weapons. so we're rebuilding our industrial base. >> that's what president biden is seeking to do. >> it's correct. no americans are getting killed in ukraine. we are rebuilding our industrial base. the ukrainians are destroying the army of one of our biggest rivals. i have a hard time finding anything wrong with that. i think it's wonderful that they're defending themselves. and also the notion that the

europeans are not doing enough. they've done almost $90 billion. they're housing a bunch of refugees who escaped. i think that our nato allies in europe have done quite a lot. >> you sound like you have a lot in common with president biden and his world view based on what you just laid out. >> well, not on the domestic side, but on this issue that we're discussing today. we're generally in the same place. >> on the issue of israel that does seem to be a unifying issue for many republicans. and i want to ask you about this $10 billion request the president is making. do you think there need to be any provisions in there that would account for the risk of human rights violations in gaza? >> well, we want to make sure we're not sending money to hamas. i can tell you that.

but there are genuine humanitarian needs of the people in gaza who are not hamas, who've been thrown under the bus by what hamas, innocent people. but we want to be careful about how the money is spent, be sure it actually gets where it's supposed to get. >> for any military aid that's going to israel right now, do you think there needs to be -- need to be strings attached? >> israel's our strongest ally in the world. we trust them, and we have a very tight relationship with them both on an intelligence side and a military side. so, i don't think the kind of oversight we are talking about for ukraine, for example, would be necessary for israel. >> you know, to do all of these things, you need a partner in

congress. senator welch said you are the only republican negotiator right now because of all the disarray in the house. how can you deliver on this at a time when you're saying it's essential? >> well, i hope we're going to have a speaker some time soon. and -- >> before november 17th? >> we need one because the house can't do anything without a speaker. and it's a problem but i hope it's going to get solved pretty quickly. >> is there anyone in the house who can lead the republicans? >> look, i'm not an expert on the house. i have my hands full here in the senate. and we're going to do our job and hope the house can get functional here some time soon. >> there is no current u.s. ambassador to israel right now. and some of your republican colleagues have voiced concerns about president biden's nominee. do you have concerns about jack lu? >> he is a very controversial nominee because of his

relationship with the iran nuclear deal, which was opposed by everybody in my party. and i hope that flirtation with iran is finally over with regard to the nuclear deal. and senator kotton and i also have a bill to freeze the $6 billion that was on the way to the iranians in relation to the hostage release. >> well, it's in qatar, and the white house says iran hasn't been able to make any withdrawals from it. >> yeah, but we'd like to make it law so that it can't be undone. look, i think we need to get tougher with iran, and i do think the weakness of both the and the thought that somehow we could do business with iran on something. and i think it's pretty clear we can't. they are funding hezbollah, hamas, creating problems all

over the middle east. and we shouldn't be doing any business with them. >> president biden said he's going to hold iran accountable. what do you think that means? >> i think the proof will be what are we going to do to hold him accountable. and it's got to be credible. you can't, on the one hand, be negotiating with iran on some kind of nuclear deal that you know they won't keep and then turn around and declare that you're going to get tougher with iran. i think, number one, quit talking to the iranians about any kind of nuclear deal. number two, don't give them the $6 billion. and, number three, back up the israelis in every conceivable way after this attack by iran-sponsored hamas. >> you oppose all diplomacy with iran? >> it's not a question of whether you ever talk to them or not, but it's a question, what

do you do, what do you do. and, clearly, the nuclear deal that the obama administration agreed to and the biden administration tried to reconnect is not the way to go. there is an axis of evil in the world, china, russia, north korea, and iran. and we need to stand up to the axis of evil, not try to do business with them. >> i want to ask you as well about the moment here in washington that we are in. a number of members of congress including representatives miller meeks, ferguson, bacon, ken buck have said just this week that they have had death threats against them. how concerned are you about violence against lawmakers working here? >> well, i think there have been more threats lately, and i am

concerned about it. >> are you concerned about more political violence going into an election year here? >> look, i think, since 9/11, and january 6th, we've had heightened security here at the capitol. i'm sure we're a target for all kinds of evildoers both in the united states and abroad. >> people wonder about your health. how are you feeling? how are you doing? >> i'm fine. i'm completely recovered, and just fine. >> you and your office felt the need to share and disclose some of the details about your health because of some of these public incidents. and the doctor here said there was no evidence of parkinson's disease or stroke or a seizure. and i wonder, is there anything the public should know that wasn't disclosed? >> i'm in good shape, completely

recovered, and back on the job. >> so, does that mean that you think you are able to continue serving and you want to continue serving here at a time when we are talking about incredible dysfunction in washington? >> i think we ought to be talking about what we were talking about earlier rather than my health. >> you've made clear you have a lot of policy disagreements with the former president donald trump. doesn't it trouble you that he is the frontrunner for the republican nomination given the questions he has raised about aid for ukraine, for example? >> i'm not going to comment on the various candidates for president on either side. i've got my hands full here in the senate. >> former secretary of defense gaetz told us this is one of the most dangerous moments that he has ever seen for our country. and we're talking about the basic functioning of our democracy being a problem right now. i'll ask you again, who can lead

the republican party not just in the house but to deliver on the vision that you are laying out here? >> typically, it's the candidate for president when you have a presidential election who becomes obviously the most visible person in your party. and we don't know who that's going to be yet. in the meantime, we have divided government. we have a job to do. the election's not until next year. dabble in the presidential election is something i'm just not going to do. i don't think it's productive. >> more of our interview with republican leader mcconnell will air on our cbs news streaming politics program "america decides," tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. (gasp) you need weathertech. [hot dog splat.] laser measured floorliners front and rear. [drink slurp and splat.] (scream) seat protector to save the seats.

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the commissioner general of the united nations relief and works agency for palestinian refugees, the u.s. is its largest donor. good afternoon to you.

>> good morning, margaret. >> i want to go straight to questions, but i did want to first acknowledge our condolences. i saw that 29 of your employees were killed in gaza according to the announcement some, while sleeping in their beds at home during these bombings. we're sorry. can you tell us what people at home need to know about what's happening inside of gaza right now? >> listen. this is an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, which is unfolding under our watch. we have 1 million people who have moved from their home. gaza city has been shut down, hospital have been hit, people have been hit. more than 30 -- of the u.n. have also been hit. thousands of people have been killed there.

and, as you indicated, we have 29 staff also killed, teachers, doctors, social workers, and certainly we might have more people to come. what we know is gaza is under -- until yesterday, absolutely nothing enter into gaza. >> well, i saw that those 20 trucks did make it in yesterday through the rafah gate but that the u.n. estimates that's 4% of an average day imports. secretary blinken said he expects more trucks. what do you know about what aid is coming? >> what we need is the significant scaling-up of a supply line into gaza. and it needs to be sustained and it needs to be uninterrupted. before october 7th, we have up to 500 trucks entering into

gaza. this was under a blockade at the time already 80% of the population was dependent of international assistance. so we need, margaret, much more than that. >> understood. i do want you to address something, though, that got a lot of political attention here in the united states. there was a tweet from your agency that strongly implied aid was being taken by authorities who have links to hamas. that tweet was then deleted from your account. issued a statement saying no looting had taken place. was there looting, is aid ending up in the hands of terrorists? >> there was absolutely no looting. medicine and fuel have been taken from our headquarters in gaza, gaza city. and it has been handed over to

local workers coordinated with the local coordinator of the world health organization. and this material ended up in various hospitals and the fuel which has been taken also ended up in the hospital. >> and you are running short on fuel now? >> today i issued a statement, an alarm, because in three, four days we will have no fuel any more in gaza. what does it mean? no fuel, no water, no bakery, no running hospital. but, beyond that, also there will be no operation. we need fuel to move the trucks to reach the people in need. >> this week, you said was on the verge of collapse. there was already a $75 million president biden did announc that the u.s. would provide about $100 million to help

palestinians in gaza in the west bank from already allocated funds. will that help your organization? >> as you mentioned, the u.s. is our largest donor for the time being. i do not know yet to bring down all this 100 million additional dollar. but it is true that our agency has been weakened for a financial crisis. and if there is no input of additional financial resources, we will certainly not be up to the challenge. in the west bank, the men hope for them. >> you are essentially filling the void of a government in providing some of these services. unruh, will it be able to continue operating after israel launches this expected ground invasion? >> listen, i have no intent to

interrupt any operation. we have to continue to advocate to keep the border open to bring fuel inside, to bring the supplies inside, and also asking to the israeli and also the armed group in the gaza strip, the hamas, not to target any significant infrastructure, not to target our shelter where we have half a million people seeking a protection in the school, and basically whether there is a ground invasion or not, we need to continue to provide assistance and protection to the civilians more than ever. >> thank you very much, mr. commissioner general for your time. we'll be back in a moment.

according to the israeli government, there are more than 200 hostages being held in gaza, including some americans. president biden has vowed to get them all out. freeing hostages from captivity is one of the most sensitive and complicated forms of diplomacy. just last month, five americans

held hostage in iran were finally freed in a controversial deal that involved $6 billion in iranian oil revenue. i spoke to one of those hostages for tonight's "60 minutes." here's part of that interview. that emotional up and down and the isolation, i mean, how are you getting yourself mentally through all of this? >> you think about what other people in life have gone through, and everything is relative. we know people who've gone through far, far worse things. so you always count your blessing, and you just make sure that that day turns into night, and one more day is finished and perhaps you are one more day closer to freedom. >> how do you do that? how do you stay sane? >> all of those times, there was never a doubt in my mind that my government would get me out. that was my hope.

>> why did you think that? >> i had to cling onto something. the only hope i had is that i was an american, that i was caught because of the blue passport i kept in my pocket. i knew my government would come to get me. i just didn't know when. >> tell me what it was like for you when you landed back on u.s. soil for the first time at the fort? >> on the aircraft for the first time in 5 1/2 years, we felt like human beings again. and to be treated like a human being again, it's a wonderful feeling. everyone was extremely nice to us. it was a jovial atmosphere. and landing right outside of washington was amazing, just to come over the city at around 5:15 in the morning, all the lights of the suburbs were on. we could see the lights of d.c. we landed, and we opened the

door and stepped out. our families rushed towards us. i haven't seen my daughters for 5 1/2, six years. i had missed all their graduations, birthdays, anniversaries with my wife. it's like being born again. so, you know, we hug, we kiss, we had throughout we were going to be freed so many times, and this was it. and then you walk out and then you see american servicemen and women in uniform at 5:30 in the morning with the american flags on their arms, and they treat you like -- they treat you like a human being. people who are at the height of their career, they are there to welcome you home, and they say welcome home, sir, it's an honor to be here. i shall never be able to look at

another american serviceman and servicewoman not remembering those seconds. i'm forever indebted to them. they were so kind, they were so nice. when you're viewed as a criminal for 5 1/2 years and you come back to that warm reception, it's the greatest boost in the world. >> do you think, though, that in giving iran access to $6 billion, even in a restricted account, it's a significant sum of money. does it incentivize future hostage-taking? does it put a price on other americans' heads? >> hostage-taking didn't start with us, and it won't end with us. it didn't, you know, start with the $6 billion, and it won't stop with the $6 billion.

these are macro policies that governments have to come up with to stop this behavior by certain governments around the world. and we all know who they are. now, it is incumbent upon us in the united states and in europe to come up with policies that stops innocent people being taken as hostages. and those policies need to be stronger than sanctioning somebody. >> and there are at least two dozen americans considered wrongfully detained and held in countries all around the world. u.s. diplomats are trying to bring them home in addition to those held by hamas. we'll have more of my interview which will air tonight on "60 minutes" right after football.

that's it for us today. thank you for watching. "face the nation." i'm margaret brennan in washington. riend sophie says you've been a huge help. at ameriprise financial, more than 9 out of 10 of our clients are likely to recommend us. our neighbors, the garcias, love working with you. because the advice we give is personalized, hey, john reese, jr. how's your father doing? to help reach your goals with confidence. my sister has told me so much about you. that's why it's more than advice worth listening to. it's advice worth talking about. ameriprise financial. i am in love with mixtiles. you just pull the adhesive off the back and stick it to any surface, and there's no damage to your walls. go to mixtiles.com and pick sizing, filters and it really makes it fit the decor of your home. order now and get up to 50% off. this is american infrastructure, a prime target for cyberattacks. but the same ai-powered security that protects all of google also defends these services

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this group of international intelligence chiefs don't sit for group interviews. >> what is the most important takeaway for our audience? but they did for "60 minutes," tonight. kealy, cbs news,

new york. this is the cbs overnight ws