ICYMI: Senator Marshall Calls for Immediate Passage Of Israel Standalone Funding on Senate Floor

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall led the charge in the Senate Floor today, demanding the immediate passage of the Israel standalone funding package that passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. 

It’s been a month now since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, killing over 1,400 Israeli and 36 Americans and taking hundreds of hostages. Senator Marshall is fighting to ensure the standalone Israel aid package gets to the president’s desk immediately to help our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel. 

You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full remarks.

Senator Marshall’s full remarks as prepared: 

What if this were your family in these body bags?

What if your wife, your daughter, or your mom were raped, tortured, and killed? 

What if videos of your baby or grandchild being massacred were posted all over social media?

And what if a month had passed and there had been no meaningful action from your ally, the most powerful nation in the world? 

Well, Mr. President, I stand here today to right this wrong.

Today, we will show the world that, once again, America will be there to do justice, to stand up for humanity, and to ensure Hamas does not become more powerful. As I stand here in this Chamber, we have the opportunity to send a real message to Iran and its terrorist proxies that we will stop their hatred and evil from spreading. 

This morning, I rise in support for the bipartisan, House-passed standalone legislation to provide aid to the people of Israel, our strongest ally in the Middle East, during their ongoing war with Hamas.

It’s hard to believe that today marks one month since the October 7th savage attacks by the Hamas army of terror on the people of Israel. Hamas unleashed an attack that was worse than animals, killing thousands of Israelis and 34 American citizens- and right now, there are as many as 240 people taken hostage by these savages that only know one language: death and destruction. Right now, there are families of hostages here at the U.S. Capitol begging for their loved ones to reach safety from the grips of this evil.  

Mr. President, time is of the essence, and it is imperative that the Senate not delay delivering this crucial aid to Israel another day.

A timely military aid package with a unified voice from Congress showing support for Israel will not only add to Israel’s stability, it will slow down and hopefully stop the evil plots of Hamas, Iran, and its proxies. 

Our bill provides military assistance and resources to Israel at the exact spending levels the Biden Administration has requested. I want to emphasize this: these are the exact spending levels President Biden put forth that he agrees Israel needs in this time of war.

You can imagine my surprise to hear that our Commander in Chief, amid a significant security crisis in the Middle East, has threatened to veto this aid package. Think about that. The President is threatening to veto the aid he requested from Congress? 

With his veto, he would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Why?

Just because it isn’t being leveraged for a 105-billion-dollar boondoggle package with another blank check to Ukraine. 

Today, I plan to call the president’s bluff and deliver this critical standalone measure and a bipartisan victory to the White House. We must fast-track this much-needed assistance to one of our staunchest allies, the people of Israel.

If this military aid and our strong message of support is not delivered soon, Israel will find itself fighting a war on three fronts. We know that Iran has those capabilities, that through their proxy forces, they have the ability to send long-range missiles at Israel from Lebanon and Yemen.

Helping our ally, who is fighting a war from all angles against Hamas, shouldn’t require a prolonged battle here in Congress. This is a no-brainer and should have been done yesterday.

Mr./Madam President, the support for this aid package to Israel is bipartisan and bicameral. Again-our legislation honors the spending levels outlined by the Biden Administration for Israel and keeps aid to Israel separate from other conflicts. 

What I want to make clear to every American is that our standalone package is an opportunity to secure a huge bipartisan win and get aid to Israel quickly.

The legislation we’ve brought to the Floor today ensures that funding for Israel is not coupled with billions of additional dollars in aid to Ukraine, Taiwan or for mass amnesty at the southern border.

By passing this standalone spending bill today, the Senate will expedite the arrival of the assistance to Israel after the House and our newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson passed, with bipartisan support. 

Many of us have concerns about the Ukraine conflict, and until the White House answers the 12 questions posed by the House, including the need for an Inspector General and a clear-cut peace strategy, many of us will continue to block sending billions more in American tax dollars to what looks like a stalemate that has already tragically cost over 200,000 lives.

On the home front – what’s even more disheartening for the American people is this White House’s embrace of open border policies that has allowed almost 10 million illegal crossings of our border – making every state a border state and every American less safe. 

And as a poke in the eye to every member of Congress who has been to the border and advocated for border security- this president sends us a $105 billion dollar bill – gaslighting the American people with a small fraction of this money going to Israel aid, and funds to make our border even more porous- with an asylum assist program on steroids. This is a slap in the face and disrespectful for the families who lost a loved one to the Fentanyl crisis, for the communities who are overwhelmed by our open borders, and for every American who feels less and less safe in their own homes every day. This is the only unserious package in town, jammed with very serious topics, and each of these issues must be debated individually.

But today we have an opportunity to make a difference for Israel. The legislation we’ve brought to the Floor would provide $14.3 billion to Israel, including $3.5 billion for foreign military financing and $200 million in diplomatic funding to help protect U.S. embassies and personnel. 

This bill would provide funding for the Iron Dome and Iron Beam defense systems. It allows the U.S. to stockpile more weapons in Israel and provides more funding to protect U.S. embassies. Importantly, this bill strips all aid to Gaza, which we know is frequently commandeered by Hamas.

All this will make Israel safer and help stop this war. Israel has the right to defend itself. 

Our legislation is a real opportunity to find common ground and unite to help our ally. It passed with 226 bipartisan votes in the House. Let’s stop playing politics and pass this standalone bill for Israel right now.

The House has moved quickly to deliver this legislation to us here in the Senate. We should do the same and get it to the president’s desk- today! 

I am pleased to be joined by my colleague from the great state of Ohio, Senator Vance, in leading this effort in the Senate and pushing for its passage today so we don’t delay this critical funding to our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel, and stop the spread of terror.

I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.