Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I have two cloture motions, and then I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to address the Senate before we vote on the resolution.

Mr. President, first, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 364.

Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 116.

Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions filed today, October 19, be waived.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. President, I have a brief statement on this very important resolution we are about to vote on.

Mr. President, October 7, 2023, will go down as a day of infamy. As Israel faces the darkest hour of its 75-year history, the bipartisan resolution we are about to vote on proclaims that so long as there is a United States of America, the people of Israel will never stand alone. So long as there is a United States Senate, the people of Israel will never stand alone.

Today's bipartisan resolution shows exactly where the United States Senate stands. We stand firmly with Israel and her right to defend herself. Today's bipartisan resolution shows exactly where the United States Senate stands. We condemn the heinous, vicious attacks by the terrorist group Hamas. It is rare that all 100 Senators agree on anything, but every one of the 100 of us is here today, united, saying that we are behind Israel. Today's bipartisan resolution shows where we stand.

We demand Hamas stop their attacks and release all hostages, including American hostages. We urge the world to unite against Hamas and against nations like Iran that support global terrorism.

This resolution is not the end; it is the beginning. The Senate will back up this resolution with real, swift, decisive action and resources.

Let the entire world see that today Democrats and Republicans alike stand in total unity. We support Israel's absolute right to defend itself.

To the Israeli people, we say: We stand with you, we feel your pain, we ache with you, and we will act.

To any actor that seeks to take advantage of Israel, the United States Senate says with one unified voice: Don't.

The resolution also does what everyone in this country in elected office and the press should do: condemn Hamas as a heinous terrorist organization.

This resolution is momentous. The entire Senate today is unified in our support of the Israeli people and against Hamas. And again, to repeat, this resolution is just the start. We will follow it up with swift action and get Israel the help and resources she needs.

In conclusion, I want to thank Leader McConnell for joining me in this statement and championing the measure. I want to thank Chairman Cardin of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as Ranking Member Risch, for helping draft this resolution. I thank every Senator, all 99 of my colleagues, for supporting this. We needed to stand united, and today, we are. In the Senate, we will not waiver in our friendship with the Israeli people.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

I announce that the Senator from California (Ms. Butler) and the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate recess from 3:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. to allow for the all-Senator's briefing.

Now, Mr. President, the slaughter of over 1,300 people in Israel on October 7 reminds every Jewish person in the world of darker, more sinister times. It lay bare, sadly, that the ancient poison of hatred against Jews still persists.

We must be clear that Hamas does not speak for the Palestinian people. Hamas is a terrorist organization dedicated to Israel's eradication. Hamas must be defeated. And the violence of Hamas terrorists has tragically put innocent Palestinians in harm's way.

I was deeply saddened and shocked by the awful news of the explosion at the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. The loss of innocent life is a sickening tragedy. My prayers are with the victims, the families, the children, and all innocent people who were injured or killed.

Now, while we await the results of a full review to be completed, as the President indicated and as of this morning--people should look at this--the released signal intelligence confirms, it appears that terrorist fighters within Gaza were responsible for the explosion and deaths, not the Israeli IDF. It is clear that terrorists in Gaza have no regard for civilian human life.

As I have said, and as the Biden administration has made clear, civilian life must be protected. And we must help civilians impacted by the war--Palestinian civilians--who have nothing to do with Hamas. As the Senate considers a supplemental package to help Israel fight Hamas, we will include robust humanitarian aid to help civilians and make sure that the aid goes to those who need it urgently and does not fall into the wrong hands, such as Hamas's.

When I joined my Senate colleagues in meeting with the Israeli Government, we promised to do whatever we could to help Israel defend herself.

In the coming days, President Biden will send Congress a supplemental request that will provide Israel the resources they need to defend themselves and eliminate the threat of Hamas.

The Senate will move this package as soon as we can, without delay, with strong bipartisan support. Democrats want to act, and I know a lot of Republicans want to act, and I was very encouraged to hear my friend the Republican leader, Leader McConnell, express his support too.

At this moment of crisis in Israel and of the chaos in the House of Representatives, the Senate must step into the breach and stand firmly together to get emergency military and humanitarian aid to Israel.

In this difficult moment, the Senate must act as a steady, bipartisan force. We must show that the work of the first branch of government is continuing.

We will not wait for the House--we cannot--because the need for this package is too urgent to sit and wait for them to get themselves out of their own morass. I hope the Senate passing a strong bipartisan package will importune the House to follow suit in whichever way they see fit.

Passing this supplemental and providing Israel the tools they need will show Israel and the world that the United States stands with our ally, now and always.

And I expect very soon--as early as today, maybe tomorrow morning-- the Senate will act to pass a resolution from Senator Cardin, Ranking Member Risch, Leader McConnell, and myself, affirming that the Senate stands firmly with Israel and firmly against Hamas. Our resolution has overwhelming--nearly unanimous--bipartisan support in the Senate. It is cosponsored by 99 Senators, Senator Paul being the outstanding one who hasn't.

Passing a supplemental and passing this resolution will affirm an unchanging truth: So long as there is a United States of America and so long as there is a United Sates Senate, the people of Israel will not-- will not--be alone.

Mr. President, now on the all-Senators classified briefing, later this afternoon, we will have an all-Senators classified briefing on Israel and Gaza. We will be briefed by the top people in the administration: Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. C.Q. Brown, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.

I encourage all my colleagues on both sides to attend today's briefing from our top leaders so we can stay fully updated on the latest information on the ground regarding Israel's security and their efforts to defeat the evil, terrorist, horrible organization named ``Hamas.''

Nominations

Mr. President, on nominations, now, with all the conflagration in the Middle East, it is really important that we have Ambassadors in critical places. It is always important, but a lot of them have been blocked. But now, with the conflagration in the Middle East, it is more important than ever that they be there. When we were in Israel, the lack of an ambassador was apparent. Now, there is a great Charge d'Affaires person; she did a great job. But we still need an ambassador.

So, Mr. President, for that reason, I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working quickly this week on getting critical nominees through the Senate. Last night, we confirmed Ana Escrogima to serve as Ambassador to Oman, and earlier this week, we confirmed Karen Sasahara as Ambassador to Kuwait.

We have more nominees whom we need to pass to fill ambassadorships in the Middle East. More important than ever, we must do more. It is important that the Senate show bipartisan unity right now to get these critical diplomats confirmed. And I hope we keep doing so, like we did with these two Ambassadors, in the days ahead.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Election

Mr. President, now, on what is going on across the way in the House, thanks to MAGA Republicans, the U.S. House of Representatives has now been without a Speaker for 2 weeks, a paralysis in governing unprecedented--unprecedented--in modern times.

Hard-right extremists in the House have ground the people's House to a halt at the worst possible moment: at a time when our ally Israel faces its darkest hour and the U.S. Government would shut down in less than a month if we don't act.

Today, the House will gavel in to try and break the impasse, though it seems like the chaos of the hard right has exposed the deep, perhaps irreparable, divisions within the House GOP.

No matter who becomes Speaker, one lesson remains true: Whether it is funding the government, avoiding default, or helping American families, bipartisanship will be the only way things get done in a divided government.

Bipartisanship is the only way. When there is a Democratic President, a Democratic Senate, and a Republican House, a small band of rightwing, MAGA Republicans in the House cannot say: It is my way, not your way.

You are a minority, MAGA Republicans. You are a minority in the Republican Party. You are a minority with the people of America. You are a minority in this government. Certainly, your voices will be raised, and you will want some say, but it can't be your way or no way.

Bipartisanship will be required to help Israel. It will be required to avoid a government shutdown. It will be required to finish the appropriations process. Bipartisanship will be required for just about everything--everything--that happens in the Congress.

So whoever the House elects as Speaker will not be able to ignore the realities of divided government, no matter what the hard right demands. As former Speakers Boehner, Ryan, and McCarthy have learned, you cannot let the hard right run the caucus or you won't last as Speaker. And, even worse, it will lead to more chaos at a time when the American people need unity and help and stability.

Artificial Intelligence

Mr. President, on the AI Insight Forum, next Tuesday, the Senate will hold our second in a series of bipartisan--let me underscore ``bipartisan''--AI Insight Forums, focusing on our North Star for AI innovation.

Our inaugural AI forum last month was one of the most historic and informative discussions ever held in the Congress. The debate was illuminating, and the discussions were candid, unvarnished, and direct.

Next week, we will turn to AI innovation, both transformational innovation--the kind of innovation that creates new vistas, unlocks new cures, improves education, protects our food supply and our national security--but also to sustainable innovation, which is the kind of guardrails that are needed to prevent the negatives in AI, necessary to prevent against AI's risks and minimize the chance that this technology becomes unmanageable or worse. We are going to focus on both of these types of innovation, both of which are needed.

Congress has taken leaps forward in the past few months, learning more about the benefits and risks of AI from the world's leading experts, getting some of the companies that do AI to sit down with some of the critics, so we can begin to fashion the kinds of guardrails that are necessary. Our committees continue to lead the way, having hosted more than 15 hearings on AI this year, and the bipartisan AI gang is working to supplement the committees' critical work with our AI Insight Forums. But there is still so much more to learn and do on AI, which is rapidly changing as we speak. So these forums are designed to ensure the Senate is asking the right questions, having the right debates, and getting to the heart of this complex issue.

I urge everyone to attend next week's bipartisan forum, and I thank my colleagues Senator Rounds, Senator Heinrich, and Senator Young for helping organize this discussion.

To repeat, our AI forum will be--I am trying to get the date here--I don't have it. We will get everybody the date right away. I believe it is on the 24th of next week, at 3 p.m., in the Kennedy Caucus room.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we start the vote now, 1 minute early.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

I announce that the Senator from California (Ms. Butler) and the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin) are necessarily absent.

Madam President, in two criminal cases pending in Federal district court in the District of Columbia and arising out of the events of

January 6, 2021, the prosecution has requested testimony from a Senate witness.

In these cases, brought against Ryan Samsel and John Earle Sullivan, respectively, trials are expected to commence in late October, and the prosecution has requested testimony from Daniel Schwager, formerly counsel to the Secretary of the Senate, concerning his knowledge and observations of the process and constitutional and legal bases for Congress's counting of the electoral college votes. Senate Secretary Berry would like to cooperate with these requests by providing relevant testimony in these trials from Mr. Schwager.

In keeping with the rules and practices of the Senate, these resolutions would authorize the production of relevant testimony from Mr. Schwager, with representation by the Senate legal counsel.

Mr. President, as I have said before, but still feel it deeply in my gut, no words can fully express the horror of Hamas's attack on Israel two Saturdays ago.

In a single day, 1,300 Jews murdered in cold blood: men, women, children, the elderly, the disabled, as old as nearly 100 years old, down to toddlers and infants.

I was told that at one of the kibbutzim, Hamas rounded up over a hundred people--from 90 years old down to little babies--into the recreation room and then machine-gunned every one of them down.

And now, it is reported that about 200 hostages are being held by Hamas, including Americans. I just walked by the TV, they said they just showed the first hostage, a 22-year-old girl. It wrenches your stomach how evil these people are. How evil. We Jewish people have been used to this for thousands of years. We live with it.

As I mentioned when I talked about the kibbutz, I remembered my great-grandmother. In 1941, the Nazis came into Europe and told her-- she was well-known because her late husband was a famous rabbi--Gather your greater family on the porch of your home. They made the 800 Jews in Chortkiv go to the town square, which was near her home. Thirty-five people gathered, from 88 years old to 3 months. They said to her, You are all coming with us. She said, We are not moving. They machine- gunned every one of them down, in front of the others. This is what we live with, and this is why we are so resolute that the threat of Hamas must be extinguished.

This morning, my four colleagues who traveled to Israel and I will have a phone conversation with President Biden about how we can be most helpful to bring all of the hostages home safely. I promised the families we met that we will do everything we can, and we are exploring every option. The five of us met with the hostage families, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house watching the videos. Some of them had videos; Hamas sent some of the videos to the families. We were just weeping together about the cruel, inhumanity of Hamas and the desperation these families had to get their loved ones back.

October 7 will go down as a day of inextinguishable grief. The deadliest single day for Jews since the Holocaust--

a reminder of much older, darker days we must never return to.

So when my colleagues and I traveled to Israel this past weekend, we delivered a simple message to the Jewish people: America will stand with Israel as an unrelenting partner.

And I promised that I will do everything possible to ensure that the U.S. Senate provides Israel with the support she needs to defend her people. As the highest ranking Jewish elected official ever in America, as the first Jewish majority leader, I will do everything I can to see that that happens, as will so many of my colleagues, Jew and non-Jew alike, Democrat and Republican alike, which we so appreciate.

The Senate must, above all, work quickly and swiftly to draft, consider, and pass a strong aid package for Israel as soon as we can. That includes military support, intelligence support, diplomatic help. On the military side, the Israelis have outlined to us on their trip what they have needed, and we have conveyed that to the administration.

And very importantly, I spoke with the President yesterday, and he said something that I had been urging: that there be a significant amount of humanitarian aid to help victims and innocent Palestinians who have nothing to do with Hamas. While I was abroad, I spoke with the Israeli leadership. Every single member we met with, we said we want to make sure you have what you need to eliminate the threat of Hamas, but we also reminded them that we must provide humanitarian assistance to those who need it, including innocent Palestinian citizens, in the fastest, safest, and most effective way possible. We are going to keep working to ensure that happens.

There are reports in Israel that Hamas was trying to block that aid in certain ways, block the highways that people drove down. Some told us that when Israeli soldiers were putting together water mains to bring water to some of the people, Hamas were shooting at them. But we must persist. We must be above the kind of evil cruelty that we saw from Hamas. We must go by the rule of law and make sure that we do everything we can to minimize the pain and loss of innocent civilians, Palestinians, and everyone else.

I thank my colleagues Senators Rosen, Kelly, Cassidy, and Romney for joining on this bipartisan delegation. Our mission in Israel, as I said, was threefold: to send a clear message of solidarity, to assess what Israel's security needs are right now so we can put together a strong aid package, and show that support for Israel is bipartisan. Standing with the Israeli Government, as I mentioned, we got a list of what military assistance they need in order to fully defend themselves and eliminate the threat of Hamas.

Now, tomorrow, President Biden, too, will travel to Israel, to affirm--as only an American President can--that as long as there is a United States of America, Israel will never be alone.

I have known President Biden since he was Senator Biden and Vice President Biden and, now, President Biden. His support for Israel comes from the heart. He is a believer, and that is so good. And I know he will deliver a strong message of support and solidarity when he comes before the Jewish people.

And I know he will reiterate--as my colleagues and I did when meeting with each Israeli leader--the need to follow the laws of war and minimize civilian Palestinian deaths. This is very important, very important. And civilian casualties are something we stressed strongly when we spoke to Israeli leaders.

Now, make no mistake, the task Israel faces is so, so difficult. Eliminate the threat of Hamas--hard enough. Secure the return of hostages, safely, held by these evil, vicious, horrible terrorists. Cruel. And do so while minimizing the loss of innocent Palestinian lives. This is all not easy, but it is very important we make every effort to achieve all three.

And as we continue working with the Biden administration to stand Israel on the world stage, the Senate has a lot to do here at home. To move on a robust aid package quickly, I am instructing Senators Murray, Reed, and Cardin--our leading national security committee chairs--to work with our Republican colleagues and with the Biden administration on the details of an aid package that the Senate can take up as soon as possible, hopefully within the next few weeks. That package will include military aid, diplomatic help, humanitarian aid, and intelligence aid, all things Israel needs.

With the House in disarray, the Senate will not wait to vote on an Israeli aid package. We can't wait for the House. Who knows what is going to be happening there? The Senate will go first, and it is my hope that if the Senate can move quickly--and pass something with strong bipartisan support--we can importune the House to act, despite its current morass.

And very soon--perhaps as soon as today--I hope the Senate can also act to pass a resolution championed by Chairman Cardin, Ranking Member Risch, Leader McConnell, and myself condemning Hamas and affirming that we stand with Israel and their right to defend themselves. The resolution matters because the Senate must speak in one voice against dangerous false equivalency between the evils of Hamas and the response against them.

Let us not forget that Hamas does not believe in any Jewish State. If you read some of their covenants and charters, Hamas would do to the Jewish people in the rest of Israel what they did to the people along the Gaza border. Israel therefore not only has the right but also the obligation to defend itself and its people, to eliminate the threat of Hamas, so they cannot carry out an attack, a vicious, cruel, heart- wrenching attack like this ever again. And here in the Senate, we have to do our part to help them. So the next few weeks will bring great challenge not just for the Israeli people but for us here in America, as we maintain our resolve to help the Israelis.

The world, unfortunately, moves on quickly from tragedy. Some are already trying to move on from this tragedy, to obscure the nature of Hamas's horror, and undermine Israel's right to defend herself. But for all Israelis and for all supporters of Israel, across this country, Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, Jew, gentile, Muslim, Hindu, anybody, there cannot be any moving on from October 7. It is going to stay here, like a deep weight in our hearts.

We must not allow the atrocities of Hamas to fade into obscurity. If the world shakes its head and says, ``Well, that was yesterday,'' then the horrors of Hamas are going to happen again. We have an obligation to ensure it doesn't happen. I will do everything possible to ensure the Senate acts as soon as possible.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin) and the Senator from California (Ms. Butler) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from California (Ms. Butler) and the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from California (Ms. Butler) and the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from California (Ms. Butler) and the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin) are necessarily absent.