[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 176 (Wednesday, October 25, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H5053-H5064]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  STANDING WITH ISRAEL AS IT DEFENDS ITSELF AGAINST THE BARBARIC WAR 
                 LAUNCHED BY HAMAS AND OTHER TERRORISTS

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 771) standing with Israel as it defends itself 
against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 771

       Whereas on October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists launched a 
     massive, unprovoked war on Israel by air, land, and sea, 
     including firing thousands of rockets;
       Whereas this heinous assault took place just after the 50th 
     anniversary of the start of the multi-front 1973 Yom Kippur 
     War against Israel;
       Whereas Hamas terrorists crossed the land border and began 
     slaughtering Israelis and abducting hostages in towns in 
     southern Israel, including children and the elderly;
       Whereas since October 7, 2023, Hamas launched over 4,500 
     rockets into southern and central Israel;
       Whereas since October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists have killed 
     over 900 Israelis and injured more than 2,600 others;
       Whereas at least 11 United States citizens in Israel are 
     among those killed by Hamas since October 7, 2023;
       Whereas since October 7, 2023, Hamas is directly 
     responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians;
       Whereas the expansion of this war to other fronts by 
     Hezbollah, Iran, or others would create an even more 
     devastating regional catastrophe;
       Whereas Hamas is a United States-designated Foreign 
     Terrorist Organization;
       Whereas Iran has long provided support to Hamas and other 
     terrorist groups and proxies, and prior United States 
     Government unclassified assessments indicated that, ``Iran 
     has historically provided up to $100 million annually in 
     combined support to Palestinian terrorist groups, including 
     Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and the Popular Front 
     for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command'';
       Whereas Hamas used rudimentary, civilian equipment, such as 
     bulldozers, paragliders, and rubber boats in its assault on 
     Israel, demonstrating the importance of fully enforcing tight 
     controls on what materials go into the Gaza Strip, including 
     through thorough vetting of assistance;
       Whereas under the 2016 U.S.-Israel Memorandum of 
     Understanding, the United States pledged to provide Israel 
     $3.3 billion per year in Foreign Military Financing Program 
     assistance and $500 million per year in missile defense for 
     10 years, which Congress has appropriated annually;
       Whereas section 1273 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry 
     National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 
     authorized not less than $3.3 billion in Foreign Military 
     Financing Program assistance for Israel for each of the 
     fiscal years 2021 through 2028, in accordance with the 2016 
     U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding;
       Whereas Congress has responded with additional 
     appropriations beyond the terms of the 2016 U.S.-Israel 
     Memorandum of Understanding as needed, including in March 
     2022 when Congress appropriated an additional $1 billion for 
     Iron Dome defense system after the May 2021 conflict in which 
     Hamas launched more than 4,400 rockets at Israel; and
       Whereas Israel is a major non-NATO ally and Major Strategic 
     Partner of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) stands with Israel as it defends itself against the 
     barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists;
       (2) reaffirms Israel's right to self-defense;
       (3) condemns Hamas' brutal war against Israel;

[[Page H5054]]

       (4) calls on all countries to unequivocally condemn Hamas' 
     brutal war against Israel;
       (5) calls on Hamas to immediately cease these violent 
     attacks and safely release all living hostages and return the 
     bodies of deceased hostages;
       (6) mourns the over 900 Israelis and 11 Americans killed 
     and over 2,600 others wounded in Hamas' unprovoked attack on 
     Israel;
       (7) reaffirms the United States' commitment to Israel's 
     security, including through security assistance in accordance 
     with the 2016 U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding;
       (8) urges full enforcement of the Taylor Force Act (title X 
     of division S of Public Law 115-141; 132 Stat. 1143) and 
     other restrictions in United States law to prevent United 
     States foreign assistance from benefiting terrorists, 
     directly or indirectly;
       (9) condemns Iran's support for terrorist groups and 
     proxies, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad;
       (10) urges full enforcement of United States sanctions 
     against Iran to prevent Iran's funding of terrorist groups, 
     including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad; and
       (11) stands ready to assist Israel with emergency resupply 
     and other security, diplomatic, and intelligence support.

  The SPEAKER. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
McCaul) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) each will control 
20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to extend debate for 
each side by 10 minutes, and I also ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from 
Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, October 7, Israelis awoke to rockets 
raining down on them from Gaza, and gunmen broke down their doors and 
invaded their homes.
  Hamas terrorists killed babies and toddlers. They killed elderly 
grandmothers and grandfathers. They killed moms and dads. They killed 
teenage kids in their homes. No one was spared from their brutality.
  Following World War II, my father's war, I never believed the world 
would bear witness to the slaughter of the Jewish people as we have 
seen at the bloody hands of Hamas. October 7 was the deadliest day for 
the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
  Additionally, Hamas is holding 220 hostages, including Americans. 
This is a flyer with a picture of a mother and son taken hostage by 
Hamas, #bringthemhomenow.
  They are using them as human shields and threatening to execute them. 
They must all be released unconditionally now.
  This is one of the darkest moments in the history of the State of 
Israel.
  I was in one of the kibbutzim right on the border of Gaza last year, 
meeting with members of the community. I saw their daycare center. That 
very same kibbutz was overrun by 70 Hamas terrorists. Many of the 
residents I met were slaughtered.
  Most viciously, the babies and the children I visited in the daycare 
center were slaughtered, shot to death, beheaded, and burned alive.
  When the press says it didn't happen, they are just wrong. It did 
because I have seen the pictures of the burned babies and the 
decapitated children and the blood that you see here in the babies' 
cribs.
  For God's sake, what is going on in this world today?
  In one of the most horrific stories to emerge, a pregnant woman had 
her baby cut out in front of her very eyes as they murdered her baby 
before her and before they shot her in the head.
  Simply put, Mr. Speaker, they are monsters.
  At a music festival to celebrate peace, chaos, gunfire, and 
explosions ripped through the air, piercing hundreds of bodies with 
bullets and shrapnel. While the attendees attempted to flee the area, 
gunmen surrounded them from every direction. In total, 260 attendees 
assembled in peace to enjoy music were massacred.
  Among others, atrocities we have heard reported include children with 
their hands bound, shot in the back of the head execution style; women 
who were raped and slaughtered, one of whom was dragged through the 
streets of Gaza; families, including babies and young children, burned 
alive in their homes in front of their parents; the beheading of 
Israeli soldiers; and parents gunned down as they shielded their 
children before the onslaught of gunfire.
  This is sheer terror. It is evil. It cannot stand in this world.
  We are witnessing in real time Hamas carrying out their covenant that 
outlines their goal of eradicating Israel through jihad. In fact, their 
covenant states: ``Israel will exist and will continue to exist until 
Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.''
  They specifically discuss jihad, noting: ``The day that enemies usurp 
part of Muslim land, jihad becomes the individual duty of every Muslim. 
In face of the Jews' usurpation . . . , it is compulsory that the 
banner of jihad be raised.''
  Mr. Speaker, it was indeed raised on October 7.
  To be completely clear, despite repeated efforts by Israel to secure 
peace, the ``Hamas Covenant'' states: Peace ``initiatives, and so-
called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in 
contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement. . . 
. There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by jihad.''
  This declaration calling on the annihilation of the Jewish state must 
be confronted with zero equivocation.
  That is why I worked with my good friend, Ranking Member Meeks, to 
introduce this bipartisan resolution.
  It condemns in the strongest possible terms the atrocities of Hamas 
and reiterates Israel's right to defend herself, along with America's 
unwavering support for the State of Israel.
  All roads lead back to Iran. Their fingerprints are all over this 
attack. They have consistently funded Hamas and other Palestinian 
groups to the tune of $100 million per year.
  This resolution condemns Hamas and Iran for its support of terrorist 
groups such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic jihad while also 
calling for all sanctions on Iran to be fully enforced.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution. It will 
send a clear message across the world that terrorists and their 
sponsors will be held to account for their atrocities, their crimes 
against humanity, their crimes of genocide.
  On December 7, 1941, in response to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 
President Roosevelt said it was ``a date which will live in infamy.'' 
So, too, will October 7, 2023, live in infamy.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this extraordinarily important 
resolution written with my friend and colleague, Chairman McCaul.

  Mr. Speaker, 18 days ago, the State of Israel suffered the greatest 
mass murder perpetrated against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, 
when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel by land, sea, and air.
  Behaving just like ISIS, Hamas terrorists murdered and beheaded 
soldiers and civilians alike. Babies were shot and burned in their 
cribs and reduced to smoldering piles of ash--babies.
  Children were murdered. Teenagers were murdered. Men and women were 
murdered. Elderly people, including Holocaust survivors, were murdered.
  Hamas has also taken 200 of those who survived into Gaza as hostages, 
including unaccompanied children, Holocaust survivors, and many 
American citizens.
  Mr. Speaker, Hamas' attack was truly unprecedented. When you consider 
the size of Israel's population, proportionately it would be like 
30,000 people dying in New York on 9/11. Just let that sink in a 
little.
  We must all acknowledge that Hamas is a cutthroat terrorist 
organization that exists solely to destroy Israel. Hamas' terrorism 
does not help the Palestinians. In this moment, it is critical for 
Israel to know that the United States of America stands firmly by its 
side in this battle against Hamas.
  Mr. Speaker, what I am about to say next is also very important. 
There are innocent Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank who seek 
normal and free lives and want nothing to do with Hamas or other 
terrorist organizations.

[[Page H5055]]

We cannot lose sight of this. We must keep them--many of whom are also 
children--and their safety and well-being in mind. In the immediate 
term, we must find a way to ensure the safety of those innocents who 
are in Gaza's war zone, and I support the Biden administration's 
efforts toward that goal.
  The United Nations estimates that thousands of Palestinians have been 
killed since the terrorist attacks on October 7. We don't know for 
certain how many of those killed were civilians, but here is what we do 
know: We know that Hamas terrorists used Palestinians as human shields. 
We know that every single one of them would be alive today if Hamas had 
not launched its terrorist attack.
  We must be aware and do all that we can to stop this war from 
expanding beyond its current scope. The administration and our allies 
are working around the clock to send messages and warnings to Iran and 
Hezbollah to stay out. President Biden underscored this message during 
his recent travel to Israel.
  Do not test America's will. This Congress will have Israel's back as 
it degrades and eliminates Hamas' terrorist infrastructure. We know 
that it won't take a day. It will be difficult.

                              {time}  1545

  For too long, too many have been willing to contribute to the 
delegitimization of the State of Israel.
  It is deeply concerning that even global leaders are already 
whitewashing one of the worst terrorist attacks in history while Hamas 
and its allies blanket cyberspace with misinformation about this war.
  Just yesterday, Turkish President Erdogan said: ``Hamas is not a 
terrorist organization, it is a group of mujahideen defending their 
lands.''
  This from the mouth of a NATO ally who has his own concerns about 
terrorists as an existential threat to his country.
  President Erdogan's rhetoric is dead wrong. It is rank with 
hypocrisy, and its timing is extraordinarily dangerous.
  The resolution before us is a bright spot of bipartisanship today 
during a very difficult time in American politics.
  Mr. Speaker, 425 Members of this House of Representatives have 
cosponsored this resolution. There is no question in my mind that it 
will pass overwhelmingly, Democrats and Republicans alike. Most 
importantly, the American people believe in the Jewish state and 
believe in its survival.
  In the days, weeks, and months ahead, I know the United States will 
continue to stand steadfastly with Israel to assure its defense and its 
long-term security.
  We will also, as President Biden has outlined, remain committed to 
ensuring that civilians in Gaza have access to safe areas and continue 
to have access to food, water, medical care, and other assistance 
without diversions by Hamas.
  We must also stay keenly focused on working to get United States 
citizens and their immediate family members to exit Gaza safely.
  I conclude, Mr. Speaker, by raising an issue that the United States 
and Israel must address: What does a successful ground operation in 
Gaza look like, and how do we achieve the goal of leaving Gaza to a 
responsible Palestinian Government if Israel's effort to remove Hamas 
is successful?
  One thing is for certain--the path to peace will require more Arab 
States to recognize that Israel has the right to exist and that we hold 
firm and will make sure that we could thereby have a two-State 
solution.
  If you say Israel does not have the right to exist, you are saying 
that you do not want peace. I urge our Arab friends to join the Abraham 
Accords and acknowledge Israel's right to exist because that is the 
pathway to peace in the Middle East.
  To the people of Israel, I hope you learn of the passage of this 
resolution today and know that the United States Congress and the 
American people have your back.
  We mourn beside you and are working to provide the resources your 
government needs to defend you. We have deployed powerful military 
resources to the region to demonstrate just that support.
  We are working all of our diplomatic channels to assure your success, 
and we are in this together. We will not waver. We will not quit. We 
will stand with our ally Israel.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on 
Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished 
chairman and the ranking member for this extraordinarily important 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, our great friend and ally Israel, with significant 
assistance from the United States, continues to respond to the cowardly 
Hamas invasion that includes Hamas' psychotic terrorist butchering of 
innocent civilians, rape, hostage-taking, the beheading of babies, and 
daily indiscriminate missile attacks that are reminiscent of Nazi buzz 
bombs and V-2 rockets.
  Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu has said in the past that he would 
never allow a second Holocaust, nor should we.
  Anti-Semitism is at the root of Hamas' violence against Israel and 
every Jewish man, woman, and child. Israel's right to defend itself 
from this brutal invasion is absolute.
  Hamas' 1988 charter explicitly demands the absolute destruction of 
the State of Israel and proclaims: ``Israel will exist and will 
continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it. . . . ''
  Article 7 of the Hamas charter demands the slaughter of all Jews and 
says:

       The Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks 
     and trees will cry out, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come 
     and kill him.

  Article 13 explicitly rejects initiatives for peace and 
reconciliation and states, ``Initiatives, and so-called peaceful 
solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the 
principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement.''
  In its 2017 charter, Hamas reiterated its goal of wiping Israel off 
the face of the Earth and said: ``There is no alternative to a fully 
sovereign Palestinian State on the entire national Palestinian soil, 
with Jerusalem as its capital.''
  Like the Nazis before them, Hamas and its chief terrorism sponsor, 
Iran, are committing genocide against the Jews.
  The United States--and all people committed to human rights and the 
rule of law--must stand with Israel. That means our support and prayers 
and the weapons systems to defeat Hamas.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Manning), a member of the House Foreign Affairs 
Committee.
  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, 18 days ago, more than 1,000 Hamas 
terrorists invaded our Democratic ally Israel, and in the most 
gruesome, savage, and unimaginably barbaric manner attacked 22 Israeli 
towns, going house to house slaughtering families, raping 
girls, beheading babies, setting fire to homes where children were 
hiding in safe rooms, burning them alive, and taking more than 200 
people of 40 different nationalities hostage, including taking infants 
and the elderly hostage.

  They massacred more than 260 young people attending an outdoor peace 
concert. They perpetrated the worst attack on the Jewish people since 
the Holocaust, slaughtering more than 1,400 people, including 39 
Americans.
  In committing these horrific crimes against humanity, they have 
brought disaster to the very people they govern--the Palestinian 
people.
  They hide their fighters among civilians. They place rocket launchers 
and weapons in schools, in hospitals, in mosques, and in residential 
buildings, compounding their acts of evil.
  I was so proud that President Biden immediately expressed the full 
support of the United States for the State of Israel.
  He traveled to Israel in a time of war to embrace the Israeli people, 
to show with his presence that the Jewish state has not only a right 
but a duty to defend itself against Hamas, a terrorist group that has 
in its charter as its foundational purpose to murder Jews and destroy 
the State of Israel.
  Make no mistake: When they shout, ``from the river to the sea,'' they 
are calling for the total destruction of the

[[Page H5056]]

State of Israel and ridding the Middle East of all Jews.
  Well, let me say: not on our watch. The United States will stand side 
by side with our Democratic ally Israel. I urge my colleagues to join 
me in voting in support of this resolution.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), the vice chair of the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 771.
  Today, the House has an opportunity to demonstrate moral clarity and 
moral courage. These past few weeks have exposed a level of anti-
Semitism in this Nation that is frightening.
  Whether it is schoolchildren chanting for the genocide of Israelis by 
calling for removal ``from the river to the sea'' or radicalized 
college students projecting anti-Semitic slogans on the side of school 
property, it is clear young Americans are being indoctrinated against 
Israel. These actions must be condemned.
  Hamas is a terror organization that slaughtered innocent women and 
children. Hamas is a terror organization that manipulated Western media 
into doing their bidding by spreading lies about attacks Israel did not 
commit. Hamas is a terror organization that steals foreign aid, using 
it to construct rockets and attack Israel.
  These are not my opinions, Mr. Speaker, they are facts. Yet too many 
refuse to call Hamas out for what it is: evil incarnate, focused solely 
on the destruction of the Jewish people.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States Government must be united in support 
of Israel and against Hamas and anti-Semitism.
  There should be no equivocation from the White House when asked 
whether the rise of anti-Semitism is wrong. There should be no 
equivocation from a Member of Congress about whether to stand with 
Israel or with terrorist groups like Hamas.
  Today, this body is speaking loudly to the international community 
that Israel must have the resources to defend itself from genocidal 
terrorists.
  With one voice, let us support H. Res. 771 and stand with Israel. If, 
Mr. Speaker, you cannot bring yourself to support this resolution 
today, I would encourage any such Member to do the right thing and 
resign from this body.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the former majority leader of this distinguished 
body.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  For millennia, the Jews of the world have been subject all over the 
world to prejudice, hate, and violence.
  Mr. Speaker, I have visited the Kfar Aza kibbutz over four times in 
the last 25 years. It was a place of community. On October 7, Hamas 
turned it into a place of slaughter.
  This brutal terrorist organization will pursue its genocidal, anti-
Semitic mission to fight and kill Jews. That is their purpose.
  The Jewish State of Israel will cease to exist if their objectives 
are achieved. Hamas will not yield, and neither can we.
  As the resolution makes clear, we will stand by our ally Israel; have 
their back, Mr. Chairman.
  Dozens of American civilians have been killed, wounded, and held 
captive in this war. We have also seen the scourge of anti-Semitism 
here in America.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Flood). The time of the gentleman has 
expired.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentleman from Maryland.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, we must follow this resolution with action. 
We must all vote for this resolution and speak with one voice; action 
that shows the world that America will defend its allies in Israel, in 
Ukraine, and around the world.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs 
Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to support 
this bipartisan resolution, which has been offered by our chairman  
Mike McCaul and our ranking member  Greg Meeks.
  I was born with an appreciation for the people of Jewish faith. My 
birthplace of Charleston, South Carolina, at the time of the American 
Revolution had the largest Jewish population in the New World who had 
come here to escape oppression and to achieve freedom, which they 
achieved in America.

  I am grateful today to be the chairman of the Subcommittee on Middle 
East, North Africa, and Central Africa and co-chairman of the Israel 
Caucus.
  Just 7 weeks ago today, I met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 
who is so courageous and is serving there in Jerusalem.
  I pledged then my support of Israel to defend itself from a nuclear 
Iran, which also includes, of course, support of Israel from the 
barbaric invasion of Hamas, the puppets of Iran who have conducted 
murder, killing hundreds of persons, 1,200 at least, and even possibly 
more that, indeed, are puppets of Iran to kill people in Israel.
  Sadly, we are in a conflict we did not choose with dictators with 
rule of gun invading democracies with rule of law.
  On October 7, which is the Israeli equivalent of 9/11 and Pearl 
Harbor, I was grateful to be attending the NATO Parliamentary Assembly 
in Copenhagen, Denmark, where with Finland and Sweden, Western 
civilization has never been more united to defend Ukraine, Israel, and 
Taiwan.
  America's resolve for Israel I saw firsthand on May 14, 2018, leading 
a House delegation to fulfill President Donald Trump's opening of the 
U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem with the extraordinary Ambassador David 
Friedman.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues of both parties to support the 
resolution.

                              {time}  1600

  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Sherman), a member of the House Foreign Affairs 
Committee.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Hakeem Jeffries for his speech in 
favor of the importance of this resolution.
  The scenes from Gaza are horrendous and some cry out for a cease-
fire. Hamas cannot follow a cease-fire. They exist and it is in their 
charter to kill every Jew in the Middle East. If they agreed to a 
cease-fire, they would fall apart. They had a cease-fire on October 6, 
which is why they killed 1,400 civilians on October 7.
  We can get a cease-fire when Hamas agrees to disarm and release the 
hostages. The loud voices demanding a cease-fire should be shouting at 
Hamas demanding those two actions.
  We hear quotes from the Gaza Ministry of Health. The Gaza Ministry of 
Health counts in their death counts the terrorists who are killed and 
mixes them with the civilians. The Gaza Ministry of Health is under the 
control of Hamas.
  Hamas brutally murders Palestinians who dare to dissent. It forces 
innocent Palestinians to act as human shields, and it steals aid meant 
for civilians. Thirty percent of the time when it shoots a rocket in an 
effort to kill an Israeli civilian, the rocket never leaves Gaza and it 
falls down to Earth where it may kill Palestinians, including those who 
died at that hospital in Gaza.
  Israel is characterized as somehow a European colony. Keep in mind, 
the majority of Israeli Jews are there from Arab States and Iran from 
which they have been expelled or persecuted. This is a Middle Eastern 
country of Middle Eastern descent from people who, 2,000 years ago, 
lived there but also lived there right until the Arab States expelled 
them or persecuted them.
  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to a time when we can have a two-state 
solution, that begins with the destruction of Hamas.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman 
from California (Mrs. Kim), the chair of the Foreign Affairs 
Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific.
  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
resolution to demonstrate that this House stands united with Israel as 
it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other 
terrorists.
  On October 7, we watched in horror as hundreds of terrorists poured 
across the Israel-Gaza border and massacred, kidnapped, and raped 
Israelis. It is abhorrent. This is at the hands of Hamas

[[Page H5057]]

and Hezbollah terrorist groups backed and funded by the Iran regime. 
They want to wipe Israel off the map. Thousands of rockets have fallen 
on Israel and continue falling as we speak. This has been the worst 
attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
  I visited Israel last year, and I felt the constant threat of attack 
that the people of Israel face. It reminded me of my time growing up in 
South Korea as a young girl after the Korean war, and I felt that 
constant threat coming from North Korea. This is really personal to me. 
Hamas now holds around 200 hostages from Israel, the U.S., and other 
countries around the world.
  Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorist aggression, 
bring its hostages home, and its right to exist.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Meeks for 
leading this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Schneider), a strong member of the House Foreign Affairs 
Committee.
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul and Ranking 
Member Meeks for leading on this resolution.
  Hamas is a terrorist organization that is backed by Iran, driven by 
hate, and committed to genocide. Since its founding, Hamas has been 
dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews.
  All who cherish life, value democracy, and seek justice must 
resolutely condemn Hamas, condemn its heinous attack on October 7, and 
condemn its war with Israel.
  Israel has the right and the responsibility to defend itself against 
Hamas, to protect its citizens, to secure its borders, and to rescue 
its hostages no matter how long it takes.
  Peace will only come after Hamas releases the hostages, ceases 
launching rockets at Israeli neighborhoods from Palestinian 
neighborhoods, schools, and hospitals, and Hamas no longer governs Gaza 
or threatens Israel. Until then, Palestinians and Israelis cannot know 
peace.
  Three points: Hamas is a murderous organization and its aspirations 
are no different than al-Qaida or ISIS. Twenty-two years ago, the 
United States went to war halfway across the world. Today, Hamas is not 
halfway across the world, but is entrenched on Israel's border.
  Point number two: Israel must be able to defend itself and protect 
its citizens.
  Point number three: The United States, the United States Congress, 
and the American people stand with Israel. Our relationship is 
unbreakable. Our commitment to Israel's security to a Jewish democratic 
State is ironclad.
  Israel has no better friend than the United States and the United 
States has no better friend than Israel.
  To those who cheer Hamas, who turn a blind eye to murder, rape, 
torture, and kidnapping, you cast your lot with the barbarians and 
share in their shame.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Issa).
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, many in this body continue to say that no 
words can describe the horror that the Israeli people are facing. That 
is not true. There are words to describe it and they have to be said. 
Some of those words are simply the facts, the real information that we 
are not seeing. One of them is that we are constantly hearing from pro-
Palestinian groups that in fact you have a right to resist occupation.
  I have been in this body since 2001. I was in Israel under Ariel 
Sharon when he withdrew every single settler and every soldier from 
Gaza. Gaza has not been under occupation, just the opposite. When they 
didn't like the control they had after an election, Hamas seized, by 
violence, the control of Gaza, killing their fellow Palestinians. Since 
that time, they have been a war-making machine that has in fact been 
financed by Iran, equipped by Iran, and today it is Iran that owes an 
apology to the world, and the Palestinian people need to discount 
forever their association.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Costa), another strong member of the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee.
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Meeks), and the chair for putting together this very strong resolution, 
H.R. 771.
  The United States unequivocally stands with the State of Israel and 
its people.
  The world is watching our actions today and tomorrow and by our 
actions will determine the future of democracies around the world; 
therefore, we must be unified and bipartisan.
  Terrorism is never ever justified. Israel has the right to exist and 
defend itself against Hamas. Hamas is a terrorist group whose only 
purpose is to destroy the State of Israel and its people.
  Therefore, Congress and the President must together pass a strong 
bipartisan package to support our ally Israel. We must send a strong 
message to Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah not to escalate the situation. In 
the President's word: ``Don't.'' Don't think about it.
  America defends its allies, Israel, Ukraine, and other freedom-loving 
democracies around the world. We stand by our word.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the majority leader.
  Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member 
Meeks for coming together on this critical, important piece of 
legislation, the first piece of legislation under Speaker   Mike 
Johnson, to stand with our friend Israel as they are under attack from 
Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
  Let's not forget what has happened because there are reports that 
Iran and other terrorist organizations worked with Hamas for not only 
months, but possibly over a year, planning these vicious attacks that 
now result in war and death of so many people--not just Israelis, 
Americans, hostages, so many injured, and thousands more.
  This is horrific. This is an opportunity for people all around the 
world to stand with Israel's right to defend themselves. As we look at 
the casualties, the devastation, and the barbaric nature of the attacks 
coming from Hamas and Gaza, we must recognize that the funding that 
goes to these terrorist organizations can be stopped with stronger 
action from this Congress.
  I know we are going to be coming together again to address some of 
those issues. We need to stand up against Iran's ability to sell oil on 
the world markets because they use those billions of dollars in funds 
to also augment and fund terrorism to groups like Hamas. Everybody 
knows it happens, it has been going on for years and years and it must 
stop. We must stand up against it.
  We must also freeze the $6 billion that still hasn't been transferred 
but that was negotiated as part of a settlement that even Iran has 
admitted can be used for whatever purpose they want, including funding 
terrorism. We can't stand by and let that happen either.
  As we are taking strong action to stand with Israel, our friend in 
the Middle East, we must also stand up to the anti-Semitism that we see 
here in our country that pops its ugly head during ugly times like 
this.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud my colleagues. There are 425 co-sponsors on 
this piece of legislation that shows that even in a divided Congress we 
can come together when it is time to support our strongest ally in the 
region when they are under attack. We strongly stand with Israel.
  Mr. Speaker, let's pass this legislation overwhelmingly.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the former chair of the 
House Appropriations Committee and the current Ranking Member of the 
House Appropriations Committee.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am devastated by Hamas' brutal attacks on 
innocent civilians in Israel, which include taking children, women, and 
elderly people hostage. I strongly stand by our ally Israel and 
unequivocally support its right to defend itself.
  This vicious assault was enabled by Iran, which has publicly praised 
the attacks. Now more than ever, it is vital

[[Page H5058]]

that the United States does not walk away from its global commitment to 
defend democracy.
  This war is against Hamas; it is not the Palestinian people. 
Palestinians have also lost communities and loved ones because of 
Hamas' atrocities. Israel has to end Hamas' role in Gaza, while we work 
together to minimize harm to civilian populations. Hamas' presence is 
an assault on humanity, and I want to work with the unity governmental 
in Israel to create the conditions for peace again.
  As ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am intent 
on ensuring that we do everything that we can to provide the 
humanitarian and military assistance that is necessary for Israel to 
recover from this devastation and continue to defend itself.

                              {time}  1615

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, let's be honest. If Hamas puts down its 
guns, peace will happen. If Israel does that, they will be slaughtered.
  In these brutal attacks by Hamas terrorists, they have killed over 
1,400 Israelis and taken over 200 hostages, including American 
citizens. I thought it was very telling when I saw a Jewish father on 
the news celebrating the fact that his daughter had died in the initial 
attack because he was afraid that she had been abducted and all these 
horrible, horrible things these dirtbags would have done to her.
  We have had a few weeks of discontent here in this body, but today, I 
think we all stand united with Israel as a body. Israel and the Jewish 
people have long been targets. Hamas must understand their time is 
over, and they are about to meet their fate and their maker.
  We stand in solidarity with the people of Israel in their fight 
against these worthless thugs--Hamas, Hezbollah, and any other Iranian-
backed terrorist group. Our enemies must know that we are committed to 
our allies and that our enemies will die.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr.   David Scott), the former chairman of the Agriculture 
Committee, the current ranking member.
  Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the very first thing I want 
to say is this: Take note, those of you who are around the world 
watching this House of Representatives in action, that the very first 
bill that we are putting out is a bill to send a powerful message that 
we not only stand with Israel, but we will fight with Israel.
  There is absolutely no way, as God is our maker, that we are going to 
stand by and see Israel destroyed. Make no mistake about it. It is as 
clear as a bell. In the Holy Scriptures brought down by the mighty hand 
of God Almighty: Stand with my people, the people of Israel.
  Mr. Speaker, I was called upon as a member of the NATO Parliamentary 
Assembly to go to Iran to write the paper on Iran. I met the people of 
Iran, and I want the people of Iran to listen: Go to your mullahs. Go 
to your leadership. They are the ones that control Hamas, Hezbollah.
  Then, I call upon our friends in Saudi Arabia. The answer to this is 
in your hands.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Jackson), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. JACKSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there has never been a more 
important moment in the relationship between the United States and 
Israel. I call upon this body to take all necessary actions to 
unequivocally stand with Israel as it fights for its very existence in 
this unprovoked war launched by Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists.
  I have and always will do everything in my power to stand with 
Israel. I, like the rest of the civilized world, have been disgusted 
with the unspeakable and barbaric atrocities imposed on innocent 
Israeli women and children by these animals that call themselves Hamas.
  We must enact policies to provide Israel with anything and everything 
it needs to defend itself, to immediately end all illegal aid payments 
to the Palestinian terrorists, and to hold Iran accountable. As long as 
I have a vote in Congress, I will always cast my vote in support of the 
Jewish state.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the 
great State of California (Ms. Pelosi), the Honorable Speaker Emerita.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution 
to support one of our closest allies in the world and partners, Israel, 
as she defends herself against terrorist attacks.
  I thank Chairman McCaul for his leadership in bringing this to the 
floor. I also thank Chairman McCaul as well as Ranking Member Meeks for 
their leadership and working together, crafting this resounding 
statement of support, and doing so in a unifying, bipartisan way.
  Mr. Speaker, on October 7, we watched in horror as Hamas terrorists 
unleashed a brutal assault on Israel's families and slaughtered so 
many. We have gone into some detail about the brutality of it all. It 
is brutality outside the circle of civilized human behavior. The 
attacks were horrible.
  With this resolution, the United States Congress resoundingly 
declares our support for Israel, not with revenge but with justice, 
that justice will be done.
  While doing so, we continue to remain concerned about the 
humanitarian situation in Gaza, with civilians caught in the middle of 
the war. I echo Secretary Blinken's call for a humanitarian pause so 
that innocent lives can be saved.
  Mr. Speaker, 80 years ago, on the floor of this House, my father, 
Thomas D'Alesandro, as a Member of Congress from Maryland, called upon 
the Roosevelt administration to support the establishment of the State 
of Israel in what was known as Palestine at the time. He was early in 
calling for that, so it is in my DNA to protect that State of Israel.
  Hamas is dedicated to the destruction of the State of Israel. Hamas 
has been declared a terrorist organization by the United States. Hamas 
must be destroyed, but in destroying them, we must protect the children 
in Gaza. They use them as shields. We want to protect them.
  This resolution, with overwhelming bipartisan support on the floor of 
the House, is so necessary. I urge a unanimous vote and thank the 
chairman and ranking member for their leadership.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Barr), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

  Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this important resolution 
affirming Israel's right to self-defense against this savage war 
perpetrated by Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorists.
  While it was Hamas terrorists who invaded peaceful communities across 
Israel, decapitating babies, burning elderly women alive, kidnapping 
innocent civilians, including Holocaust survivors, it was Iran that was 
working behind the scenes to fund these acts of terror.
  I support this resolution because it calls out the mullahs in Tehran 
for funding Hamas and enabling this attack to occur.
  How did this happen? In short, it happened because the Biden 
administration's foreign policy allowed it to happen. Our government 
designated Iran as a state sponsor of terror, yet the Biden 
administration pursued a policy of weakness and appeasement toward 
Tehran.
  Since the Biden administration took office, Iran has generated 
approximately $80 billion in revenue from oil sales, and that is 
because this administration rolled back the Trump administration's 
successful maximum pressure campaign.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentleman from Kentucky.
  Mr. BARR. In 2021, the administration lifted oil sanctions on Iran. 
The sanctions relief was so helpful to the regime that the deputy chief 
of the Central Bank of Iran said that Iran's foreign currency reserves 
were growing due to the growth of oil and other exports.
  For months, Secretary Blinken, National Security Advisor Sullivan, 
and other officials have chased another JCPOA to release billions of 
dollars in sanction assets. Now we see the administration effectively 
incentivize Hamas

[[Page H5059]]

to take American hostages by facilitating the transfer of $6 billion 
from South Korea to Iranian banks in Qatar, a deal that this 
administration claims it has frozen for now but Qatar and Iran say is 
available to them today. Support this resolution.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 7 minutes 
remaining. The gentleman from Texas has 10 minutes remaining.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
resolution and the State of Israel and to speak out against the 
horrific murder of 1,400 Israeli civilians and the kidnapping of 
hundreds more.
  The unspeakable, genocidal violence inflicted on Israelis and the 
Jewish people by Hamas terrorists goes beyond condemnation. It demands 
action.
  As part of a bipartisan and bicameral delegation, I was in the region 
in pursuit of peace when Hamas launched their cowardly attack on 
civilian communities. Three days later, I met with Israeli's unified 
leadership and pledged continued U.S. support for the defense of the 
Jewish state.
  President Biden has led our Nation in mourning the dead, praying for 
the kidnapped, and mobilizing to support Israel in eradicating Iranian-
backed death cults like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic jihad, which are 
dedicated to the elimination of the Jewish people.
  Israel has never had a stronger ally and the Jewish community has 
never had a stronger advocate or stronger voice in the Oval Office.
  The unconscionable apathy of many nations and many in our own Nation 
is a sobering reminder of the fact that Israel remains surrounded by 
hostility and danger.
  As a proud Jewish American and Zionist, let me be clear: Israel has a 
right to defend itself, and Hamas must be destroyed.
  As an advocate for peace, normalization, and a two-state solution, it 
must be stated that Hamas is the primary obstacle to all three.
  We should not tolerate Americans who rationalize massacres and 
lionize monsters while spouting off anti-Semitic tropes and 
accusations.
  I will not equivocate because there is no equivalence between 
Israel's righteous efforts to protect its civilians and democracy from 
terror and Hamas using innocent Palestinians as a human shield, 
broadcasting carnage, burning families alive, and raping teenage girls 
to death. ``Am Yisrael chai''; ``the people of Israel live.''
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Hill), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member 
for their work on this bipartisan, strong resolution.
  Iran and Russia are locked in a poisonous partnership committed to 
terror--terror in Ukraine, terror in Syria. Iran, as the world's 
largest state sponsor of terrorism, is further committed to the 
destruction of our ally Israel. On October 7, Iran's puppet, Hamas, 
commenced its most recent sick, savage slaughter of innocents.

  America was the first nation to recognize Israel in 1948. Over the 
decades, we have stood at her side when she has been attacked by force 
over her borders. We have stood by her side at anti-Semitic rhetoric in 
the halls of the United Nations. Together, we have been at the peace 
table seeking solutions.
  Today, united we stand on this House floor in prayer for the safe 
return of all the hostages taken by Hamas. I urge adoption on a strong 
bipartisan basis of this resolution in support of our ally Israel.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Thanedar).
  Mr. THANEDAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 771.
  I firmly stand with Israel in the face of terrorism from Hamas.
  When I visited Israel in August, I saw how they were surrounded by 
threats. Now, those threats have come true in the most violent and 
terrible possible way.
  Let me be clear, our goal is the eradication of terrorists and 
terrorism from the face of this Earth.
  We call on and expect the Israeli army to try to minimize civilian 
casualties. We should make every reasonable effort to protect innocent 
Palestinians, but there can be no cease-fire until Hamas releases all 
hostages, stops its rocket attacks, and surrenders the leaders of the 
terrorist attack.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Kean), the chair of the Subcommittee on Europe.
  Mr. KEAN of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the chairman 
of the Foreign Affairs Committee, for yielding me time.
  On the morning of Saturday, October 7, Hamas launched the most brutal 
and expansive surprise attack on Israel since the Yom Kippur War 50 
years ago.

                              {time}  1630

  The world stood in shock as reports and images began to surface of 
civilians murdered, young children beheaded, and Holocaust survivors 
being dragged into Gaza as hostages. Like many of my colleagues in this 
Chamber, I spent the past weeks engaging with the Jewish community 
leaders in my district, reassuring them of their communities' safety 
and speaking with constituents who had to flee back to the United 
States.
  I stand here in support of this overwhelming bipartisan resolution, 
which has almost every single Member of the House of Representatives as 
a cosponsor.
  As the House of Representatives, we support Israel's right to self-
defense and survival. We stand against Hamas, against its terror, and 
against its masters in Tehran. We stand with Israel in its fight for 
survival and against anti-Semitism in all of its forms.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel).
  Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, my grandfather, Abe, fled 
the Holocaust as 6 million Jews were shot and tortured and gassed and 
starved. We often say, ``never again.'' Yet on October 7 it happened 
again, and make no mistake: The brutal, barbaric attacks by Hamas was 
not about freeing innocent people; it was about destroying Israel and 
killing Jews.
  Today, I am proud to stand with all those who condemn Hamas, support 
Israel's right to defend itself, and reaffirm the United States' 
commitment to Israel's security.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Lawler), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, women, children, babies slaughtered. The 
worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Israel has a right to 
exist, a right to defend itself. We have Members in this body that do 
not believe that. We have Members in this body that cannot muster the 
courage or the strength to condemn the slaughtering of babies but have 
the audacity to repeat a vile and disgusting lie that Israel bombed a 
hospital.
  They are not worthy of serving in this body, and the fact that we 
have people that didn't even sign on to this resolution tells you 
everything you need to know. If you cannot stand with Israel, our 
greatest ally in the Middle East, a beacon of democracy and hope and 
freedom, you do not belong in this body. Those Members should resign in 
disgrace.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 4 minutes 
remaining. The gentleman from Texas has 7 minutes remaining.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Kustoff).
  Mr. KUSTOFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of this 
critical resolution to condemn Hamas' brutal attack on Israel and 
reiterate our Nation's support, our strong support, for our greatest 
ally in the Middle East--Israel.
  We all know that Hamas' heinous and unprovoked attack on innocent 
Israelis is barbaric. It is our responsibility as Members of Congress 
to stand united with Israel.
  Let me be clear: Israel has a fundamental right to defend herself and 
her people during this war.
  I am honored to be chairman of the bipartisan House-Knesset 
Parliamentary Friendship Group. From both

[[Page H5060]]

sides of the aisle, our members' support for the only democracy in the 
Middle East is absolutely ironclad.
  This resolution demonstrates our unwavering commitment to Israel and 
our relationship. It is important for our Nation and the rest of the 
world to hear this strong support and commitment from the United 
States' House of Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Meeks for 
their leadership.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of this resolution, which expresses unwavering support for 
Israel.
  This past August, I traveled to Israel. I find it absolutely heart-
wrenching as I think of the very place that I visited just days later 
was attacked by Hamas at the Kfar Aza kibbutz where 58 people in the 
community were massacred and 17 kidnapped. It is just awful to think of 
babies being killed, people being slaughtered and gunned down in cold 
blood. At least 33 Americans have lost their lives. Others are missing.
  Let's be clear: A nation must respond, and, yes, we must respond. Let 
us continue to extend our unwavering support to Israel and ensure that 
the people of Israel have everything necessary to defend themselves and 
dismantle these egregious Hamas fighters.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Moran), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, as a Christian, freedom-loving Texan and 
sitting member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, the events 
in Israel these past weeks are of utmost concern, but beyond that, they 
should concern every American and, frankly, every member of humanity 
regardless of religion, ethnicity, race, gender, or political 
affiliation.
  What we have seen in these past weeks is pure hate and pure evil. 
Hamas is a well-known, Iranian-backed terrorist organization whose 
official charter calls for the obliteration of Israel and the Jewish 
people.
  Let's consider that for a moment. These last few weeks have been 
proof of their commitment to this goal.
  How should we respond in the United States? The U.S. should act 
strategically with strength and steadiness so that those enemies of the 
U.S. and Israel are overwhelmed and ultimately defeated in their 
entirety. We must stand firmly with Israel with whatever they need.
  Now is not the time for timidity. It is the time for strength and 
unity with Israel. Such action will help deter evil in the future, 
preserve life, and promote liberty.

  Now is the time for us to be all in. We need to offer strength and 
steadiness in this time. Let us begin by standing with Israel.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Rose).
  Mr. ROSE. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of America's greatest 
ally in the Middle East--Israel, its people, and its right to defend 
itself against the horrifying Hamas terrorist attacks that have taken 
the lives of so many innocent individuals, including 33 Americans.
  Since that deadly attack, I have been working to assist Tennesseans 
and their families and friends in Israel in their attempts to come 
home. I have also joined members of the Tennessee delegation in a 
letter to President Biden urging him to support Israel by any means 
possible, including by providing any weapons and munitions necessary 
and punishing all involved in aiding the Hamas terrorists.
  Lastly, I was proud to be an original cosponsor of this resolution we 
are here voting on today, which reaffirms our commitment to Israel and 
condemns Hamas' brutal terrorist attacks.
  Mr. Speaker, we must do everything we can to protect and defend our 
friend Israel.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Pfluger).
  Mr. PFLUGER. Mr. Speaker, it is great to be back at work, doing the 
important work of the House.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States stands united in the face of the 
horrific, barbaric attacks on our greatest ally in the Middle East--
Israel.
  The October 7 attack, nearly 50 years to the day after the Yom Kippur 
War, was horrific. More than 1,500-plus people murdered, hundreds more 
taken hostage, including American citizens. The brutality is unlike 
anything we have seen in modern times. With women and children being 
raped and babies beheaded, this cannot be the norm.
  Israel has every right to protect themselves, to defend themselves 
and their sovereignty. Our country must support Israel's efforts to 
protect its citizens and uphold its sovereignty without question.
  With misinformation and the horrible pro-Hamas demonstrations across 
the world, the U.S. Congress must reaffirm our unwavering support for 
Israel. Together, we must work toward a lasting peace that ensures the 
security and prosperity of our Jewish friends and Israel.
  Let us stand shoulder to shoulder in this pursuit, unwavering in our 
commitment to justice, freedom, and the enduring bonds that bind our 
nations together. We stand with Israel today and forever.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Idaho 
(Mr. Fulcher).
  Mr. FULCHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Israel and H. Res. 
771.
  Israel is our most important partner in fighting terrorism. In fact, 
they are the first line of defense for the U.S. when it comes to 
terrorism because the sources of that terrorism are the same for both 
of us.
  Israel is a fabulous intelligence partner. I liken them to a giant 
antenna in the Middle East that serves and provides information to 
America.
  As the only true democracy in the Middle East, Israel is a beacon for 
the American ideals of freedom, personal liberty, and market economy.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand together and support 
Israel and H. Res. 771.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, let me start off by thanking my friend and 
colleague, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. 
McCaul, for his friendship and for working collectively together to 
make sure that the world knows that there is no daylight between us 
when it comes to us standing with our friend and our ally the State of 
Israel, and I appreciate you.
  When we first started this, after this horrendous attack on October 
7, we had a conversation. We said, let's make sure that we put out a 
statement collectively, us giving our opinions as chair and ranking 
member of this committee. Then immediately thereafter, we went to work 
on a resolution so that the world would know where the United States' 
House of Representatives stood.
  We thought we would get it done earlier, but we knew that the first 
bill, the first resolution that would come to the floor after the House 
resumed its business, would be this bill because this bill is so 
significantly important to state that we have the back of our friend 
and ally, and we want to make sure that Hamas does not exist.
  Mr. Speaker, I have had the privilege and the opportunity to visit 
Israel several times. I have been in some of those tunnels. I have 
talked to the people, and when I have talked to the people of Israel, 
all they say is that they want to live in peace. When I talk to the 
Palestinian people in Gaza or in the West Bank, they say they want 
peace, but the Hamas terrorist organization when you look at their 
mandate, they say they want the destruction of Israel.
  You cannot have peace. You can't even negotiate peace if one side 
says you should not exist. How can you say that you want a better 
relationship if you are saying that Israel should not exist?

                              {time}  1645

  You can't forget the horrific terrorist ISIS-like atrocities that 
were committed on October 7. You cannot be silent. You can't sit back 
and make believe that it didn't happen because it did.
  Mr. Speaker, I say, as we end this debate, thank you to the American 
people for standing with our friend and ally, the State of Israel.

[[Page H5061]]

  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Mr. Meeks, as well.
  Mr. Speaker, that is how the Foreign Affairs Committee operates. The 
fact that this is the most bipartisan resolution in modern history with 
425 cosponsors, over 97 percent of this body, speaks volumes. It sends 
a strong message to the people of Israel that the United States 
Congress and the American people stand firmly behind you.
  The Hamas Covenant states, ``Ranks will close, fighters joining other 
fighters, and masses everywhere in the Islamic world will come forward 
in response to the call of duty, loudly proclaiming: `Hail to Jihad.' 
This cry will reach the heavens and will go on being resounded until 
liberation is achieved, the invaders vanquished, and Allah's victory 
comes about.''
  In response to this, we will strengthen our resolve to stand with our 
ally Israel. This resolution sends a clear and unequivocal message that 
the United States House of Representatives and the American people 
condemn the barbarity of the genocide and war crimes perpetrated by 
Hamas. We want to make it clear that Israel has the right to defend 
herself to prevent an event like this from ever happening again.
  We assure you that the United States will be shoulder to shoulder 
with Israel supporting her right to self-defense.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this resolution, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to make it clear: I have condemned 
Hamas for their heinous attacks on civilians and call for an immediate 
release of the Israeli hostages. I continue to call for the safety of 
all civilians in the Middle East.
  Unfortunately, today's resolution H. Res. 771 is horribly one-sided. 
By failing to acknowledge the growing loss of Palestinian lives or that 
all Palestinians are not Hamas, this resolution creates further 
division and spurs harmful rhetoric.
  We must defend our Jewish brothers and sisters from Antisemitism. 
Muslims must also be defended from Islamophobia, and not have their 
patriotism questioned because they believe in justice for Palestinians.
  As a senior Member of the Intelligence Committee and through my work 
on the Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation 
Subcommittee--and having spent many years working in law enforcement--I 
am concerned that these kinds of one-sided resolutions have become and 
will continue to be recruitment tools for extremists.
  This is why I am co-leading H. Res. 786, the Ceasefire Now 
Resolution, which I believe is the best way to prevent further tragic 
loss of life to Palestinian civilians and simultaneously ensure the 
safe return of hostages. Only then can we begin to move towards a long-
term, two-state solution that includes both Palestinians and Israelis 
living in peace and liberation, side by side.
  This resolution rightly mourns the nearly 1,400 Israelis and 
Americans killed and wounded. But it completely ignores the mounting 
deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza since October 7th, 
which has reached an estimated 5,761--including over 2,360 children 
killed and over 870 children missing under the rubble of destroyed 
buildings. Provided below, for the Record, are updated assessments 
about the destruction and deaths that civilians have suffered.
  Pain and grief know no boundaries. The United States fails in our 
duties as an international leader if we do not wholeheartedly condemn 
all violations of international law, whether it is committed by Hamas 
or the Israeli government.
  The United States urgently needs a new approach to this decades-long 
conflict. The roots of these problems existed long before October 7th. 
The Israeli government's 16-year blockade on Gaza has been identified 
by major human rights organizations as collective punishment and a war 
crime--and it has resulted in poor health, social, educational, 
physical, and political infrastructure throughout Palestine.
  Although I will vote ``no'' on this resolution, I urge every 
colleague who will vote today for H. Res. 771, to join me in bringing 
H. Res. 786 to the floor for a Ceasefire Now.

 UNRWA Situation Report #14 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the 
                  West Bank (including East Jerusalem)

All information valid as of 24 October 2023 at 18:00 (local time)--Day 
                           17 of hostilities

                             1. Key Points

       More than 613,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) are 
     sheltering in 150 UNRWA facilities across the Gaza strip.
       In the last 24 hours, another three UNRWA staff members 
     have been killed, bringing the total to 38 staff killed since 
     7 October. Two have been injured, one of whom is in a 
     critical condition.
       One school in Rafah, sheltering 4,600 IDPs, sustained 
     severe collateral damage due to a close proximity strike. One 
     IDP was killed and 44 more were injured, including nine 
     children.
       Fuel is urgently needed to continue the UNRWA lifesaving 
     humanitarian operations. If fuel is not received into Gaza, 
     UNRWA will be forced to significantly reduce and in some 
     cases bring its humanitarian operations across the Gaza Strip 
     to a halt. The coming 24 hours are very critical.

                          2. Overall Situation


                             The Gaza Strip

       According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 5,791 people 
     have been killed since 7 October, including 2,360 children, 
     1,292 women, 295 elderly, and 16,298 were injured. This is in 
     addition to the 1,550 reported missing, presumably under the 
     rubble of destroyed buildings, including 870 children.
       Overall, nearly 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have 
     been killed in Israel, according to the Israel authorities, 
     the vast majority on 7 October (OCHA).
       In the West Bank, 95 people have been killed and nearly 
     1,900 injured since 7 October.
       Overcrowding conditions in UNRWA shelters remain a serious 
     concern, as the current facilities can no longer provide 
     dignified living conditions. Some shelters are currently 
     hosting 10 to 12 times more people than their designed 
     capacity.

            3. Humanitarian Access & Protection of Civilians


                             THE GAZA STRIP

       Since 7 October, 38 UNRWA colleagues were killed and 20 
     have been injured, with one in critical condition.
       At least 42 UNRWA installations have been impacted since 7 
     October.

                           4. UNRWA Response


                             THE GAZA STRIP

       UNRWA Shelters:
       The average number of IDPs per shelter has reached 2.7 
     times capacity, with some shelters reaching 12 times intended 
     occupancy. In the Middle Area, one school is hosting up to 
     13,300 IDPs, while another facility in Khan Younis is hosting 
     21,000 persons.
       UNRWA continues to distribute assistance in shelters; 
     however current conditions severely constrain access to 
     essential services and represent a health and protection risk 
     for IDPs.
       Health:
       The eight UNRWA health centres that remain operational in 
     the South (out of 22) recorded 4,200 visits on 24 October for 
     refugees and non-refugees. In addition to essential primary 
     healthcare, post-natal and high-risk pregnancy care services 
     resumed on 24 October with 40 displaced women receiving this 
     service. Healthcare support for non-communicable diseases 
     (NCDs) patients continued.
       Healthcare services were maintained within the UNRWA 
     shelters, with the support of 93 mobile medical units and 
     medical teams, serving around 10,000 cases at shelters.
       According to initial health assessments from the mobile 
     medical teams there are over 37,500 persons with NCDs, over 
     4,660 pregnant women and around 390 post-natal cases 
     requiring medical attention among the IDPs. In addition, 
     medical teams are increasingly identifying cases of acute 
     respiratory and diarrhea among children under five years old.
       UNRWA's stocks of medicines are critically decreasing with 
     availability for a few more days only.
       UNRWA primary health centres are running out of fuel, 
     threatening the provision of essential healthcare services.
       Psychosocial Support:
       UNRWA has counsellors and social workers in the shelters, 
     who provide psychological first aid and other specialized 
     protection services. Since the beginning of the crisis, UNRWA 
     social workers provided 8,900 people with psychosocial 
     support and social work services. These include cases that 
     are referred for medication and other specialized mental 
     health and psychosocial support interventions.
       Protection/Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU):
       UNRWA conducted a Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) to identify 
     the different impacts of the war on women, man, girls and 
     boys and better understand their different needs and coping 
     strategies. The RGA highlighted the following:
       There is a shortage of feminine hygiene supplies and very 
     few toilets. This results in increased challenges for females 
     to maintain menstrual hygiene.
       Overcrowding and limited privacy increase familial tensions 
     (which can increase the risk of GBV) and broader tensions 
     between males.
       There are critical gaps in access to health services that 
     particularly affect women and adolescent girls, including 
     access to comprehensive emergency obstetric care, newborn 
     care and sexual and reproductive health services.
       Water and Sanitation Services (WASH):
       Some solid waste collection from the camps and from 
     emergency shelters and transfer to landfills continues in 
     Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas with difficulties due to 
     the scarcity of fuel and staff.
       Water wells in Jabalia, Khan Younis and Rafah are 
     functional with about 11,000 m\3\ being pumped from nine 
     water wells.

[[Page H5062]]

       Despite the limited availability of fuel, desalination 
     plants continue to operate in the shelters for the provision 
     of potable water. Water trucking operations in shelters in 
     Rafah and Khan Younis also continue; however, the potable 
     water provided is not enough to meet all needs.
       Maintenance and rehabilitation work at shelters continue on 
     a daily basis. This includes essential repairs and upgrading 
     of shelters to accommodate additional IDPs when possible, as 
     well as the installation of mobile showers and toilet units.
       This resolution, while mourning the devastating loss of 
     Israeli civilian life, fails to even acknowledge the killing 
     and targeting of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli 
     military. It uses incendiary language that encourages the 
     suffocating military siege of the Gaza Strip and that 
     escalates violence and war.
       Furthermore, by stating Congressional support for possible 
     shipment of further US weapons to the Israeli military, this 
     resolution will significantly worsen and exacerbate violence 
     against Palestinian and Israeli civilians alike.
       Since this resolution was introduced, the Israeli 
     government and military have continued to carry out shocking 
     and horrifying violence, including clear and documented war 
     crimes against Palestinians in Gaza. It does not even so much 
     as acknowledge the overwhelming loss of life of Palestinians.
       The Israeli military has already targeted Palestinian 
     residential buildings, in some cases wiping out entire 
     generations of the same Palestinian family, killed over 2,000 
     children, attacked first responders, demolished mosques, and 
     bombed schools. The Meeks McCaul resolution fails to name or 
     address any of these war crimes, or to even acknowledge that 
     Palestinian civilians have been killed by the Israeli 
     military.
       Several days ago, after this resolution was introduced, the 
     Israeli Air Force announced that it had dropped 6,000 bombs 
     on Gaza in six days. Experts have said that this means Israel 
     has dropped, in less than a week, the same amount of bombs 
     that the U.S. dropped in a year of war in Afghanistan--and in 
     a much smaller and more densely populated area. Those of us 
     who want to build a future toward peace must wake up and 
     speak out against this.
       Israeli officials themselves have stated clearly that they 
     are carrying out collective punishment of Palestinians in 
     Gaza and use dehumanizing rhetoric that fuels the violence. 
     Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said: ``I have 
     ordered a complete siege on Gaza. No electricity, no food, no 
     water, no fuel. Everything is closed. We are fighting human 
     animals, and we act accordingly.'' As members of Congress, it 
     is our moral obligation not to support or echo these calls.
       Last Friday, after this resolution was introduced, the 
     Israeli military called for all civilians of Gaza City--1.1 
     million people--to relocate south within 24 hours, as it 
     amassed tanks for an expected ground invasion. The UN 
     responded that evacuating everyone was impossible, with power 
     supplies cut and food and water running short after Israel 
     placed Gaza under total siege, and said this would have 
     ``devastating humanitarian consequences.'' The scale of 
     atrocities is enormous.
       Doctors Without Borders staff say that painkillers and 
     anesthesia for operations have run out in Gaza, and sick 
     patients are screaming in pain while they also face the 
     looming threat of bombardment. They have called on Israel to 
     ``show humanity''--and we in Congress must do the same.
       More quotes from Israeli government officials reflecting 
     dehumanizing and violent rhetoric, and intentions to carry 
     out collective punishment against Palestinians in Gaza:
       ``I have ordered a complete siege on Gaza. No electricity, 
     no food, no water, no fuel. Everything is closed. We are 
     fighting human animals, and we act accordingly.'' Israeli 
     Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant
       ``This is a war between the children of light and the 
     children of darkness . . . It will be a deadly war.'' Israeli 
     Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
       ``Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electrical switch will be 
     turned on, no water hydrant will be opened and no fuel truck 
     will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home.'' 
     Israeli Minister of Energy Israel Katz
       ``Gaza will eventually turn into a city of tents. There 
     will be no buildings.'' Israeli security official
       ``I say to the residents of Gaza: leave now because we will 
     operate forcefully everywhere.'' Israeli Prime Minister 
     Netanyahu. Palestinian civilians are literally unable to flee 
     or leave, because they are trapped under a 16-year Israeli 
     military siege.
       ``Right now, one goal: Nakba! A Nakba that will overshadow 
     the Nakba of 48.'' Israeli Member of the Knesset Ariel 
     Kallner, referring to 1948 when hundreds of thousands of 
     Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes and 
     land.
       ``It's time to be cruel.'' Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel 
     Smotrich
       ``We need to deliver a blow that has not been seen for 50 
     years and take down Gaza.'' Israeli Member of the Knesset 
     Haim Katz
       ``Hamas has opened the gates of hell into the Gaza strip.'' 
     Head of the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in 
     the Territories
       Specifics notes on the resolution:
       ``Whereas on October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists launched a 
     massive, unprovoked war on Israel by air, land, and sea, 
     including firing thousands of rockets;''
       This whereas clause decontextualizes this violence, which 
     did not begin on Saturday. Between January and September 
     2023, Israel killed 227 Palestinians, according to the UN. 
     Israeli settlers have rampaged throughout Palestinian 
     communities, torching houses and killing people. Entire 
     Palestinian communities have been driven from their homes by 
     Israeli settler violence. Israel has repeatedly attacked the 
     more than 2 million Palestinians living under its more than 
     16-year siege of Gaza, killing thousands of Palestinian 
     civilians, including hundreds of Palestinian children. 
     Palestinians have endured more than 75 years of brutal 
     Israeli rule, during which time tens of thousands of 
     Palestinians have been killed. They have suffered from the 
     systematic violation of their human rights by Israel since 
     1948 and have been denied their freedom and self-
     determination.
       Whereas since October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists have killed 
     over 700 Israelis and injured more than 2,500 others;
       The failure of this whereas clause to mention the fact that 
     Israel has killed more than 6,546 Palestinians since October 
     7, including over 2,000 children, is deeply problematic. All 
     human life is precious and sacred. This deliberate erasure of 
     Palestinians killed by Israel is deeply dehumanizing.
       Whereas since October 7, 2023, Hamas is directly 
     responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians;
       This whereas clause blames Palestinians for their own 
     deaths. War crimes go not justify more war crimes. Israel has 
     decided to attack Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by targeting 
     residential buildings, hospitals, ambulances, schools, and 
     mosques in one of the most densely populated places on earth, 
     knowing full well the grievous toll that such attacks will 
     inflict on Palestinian civilians. Israel, especially as the 
     occupying power of the Gaza Strip under international law, is 
     responsible for any violations of human rights and 
     international law it commits, just as Hamas is responsible 
     for any violations that it commits.
       Whereas Hamas used rudimentary, civilian equipment such as 
     bulldozers, paragliders, and rubber boats in its assault on 
     Israel, demonstrating the importance of fully enforcing tight 
     controls on what materials go into the Gaza Strip, including 
     through thorough vetting of assistance;
       This whereas clause advocates for the tightening of 
     Israel's more than 15 year illegal siege against 2 million 
     Palestinian civilians trapped in the Gaza Strip. Imposing 
     collective punishment against civilians by denying them 
     access to food, clean water, electricity, fuel, healthcare 
     and medicine, etc.--all prominent components of Israel's 
     illegal siege on Gaza--is a grave war crime.
       Stands with Israel as it defends itself against the 
     barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists;
       Congress should stand with all victims of violence, not 
     express selective concern for the lives of some but not 
     others. This resolved clause dehumanizes the Palestinian 
     people.
       Mourns the over 700 Israelis killed and over 2,000 others 
     wounded in Hamas' unprovoked attack on Israel;
       The failure to even mention Palestinian deaths in this 
     resolved clause is deeply problematic. Congress should mourn 
     the loss of all civilians killed, including the more than 
     6,546 Palestinians since October 7, including over 2,000 
     children. All human life is precious and sacred. This 
     deliberate erasure of Palestinians killed by Israel is deeply 
     dehumanizing.
       Stands ready to assist Israel with emergency resupply and 
     other security, diplomatic, and intelligence support.
       Congress should be taking steps to save lives and end the 
     violence, not exacerbate the violence by sending additiona1 
     weapons to Israel. Israel is already committing apparent war 
     crimes by targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in 
     Gaza. Providing Israel with more weapons deepens U.S. 
     complicity in Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians 
     and reinforces the existing, untenable status quo of Israeli 
     oppression of Palestinians.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, it is hard to describe the anguish I 
feel in the aftermath of the horrific attack on Israel by Hamas. It 
continues the record I've seen from Hamas for as long as I've been in 
Congress. Under Yasser Arafat, Hamas torpedoed a peace agreement that 
was almost adopted with President Clinton. The pain was magnified 
because we were so close to an agreement for lasting peace. Even though 
optimism for the two-state solution has faded, I still believe it is 
the best chance for long-term peace and security. Ultimately, there is 
no military solution to this conflict.
  I've traveled to Israel several times over the last 25 years and am 
heartsick that the optimism I first encountered there appears to have 
melted away. During my first trip to Israel in 1999, I met at a police 
command center in Ramallah led by both an Israeli officer and a 
Palestinian officer who were working cooperatively towards keeping the 
peace. Now we are on the edge of a humanitarian catastrophe made even 
worse with the widening scope of this war.
  I am deeply concerned for the safety and security of the two million 
civilians in Gaza,

[[Page H5063]]

half of whom are children. Israel cutting off water, electricity, 
medicine, fuel, and humanitarian aid has already created horrific 
consequences. These actions are not recipes for lasting peace in the 
region.
  It was important for President Biden to acknowledge the mistakes that 
America made in our military response to 9/11 in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
We lost our perspective. We overreacted and the world is still paying 
the price.
  I hope the Israeli government pays attention to the President's words 
of caution--to follow international law and responsibilities for the 
rules of war. They must work to avoid civilian casualties.
  As someone who has worked for years trying to solve the water and 
sanitation crisis in Gaza, I know full well the consequences they face.
  As Congress provides funding to deal with this crisis, I hope we can 
redouble our effort for humanitarian assistance, using our leverage to 
urge restraint, and move as quickly as possible to help the Palestinian 
people. I hope there is a humanitarian pause with a corridor for 
civilian safety so that it can allow a reset for food, water and 
medicine, and fuel to help them survive.
  I pray that everyone will work together to avoid having this 
humanitarian crisis spill out in the region and engulfing more people 
and accomplishing nothing.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, and still I rise, cognizant of the 
urgency of the situation in the Middle East and the spirit in which 
this resolution has been put forth.
  As we conscientiously denounce the horrific crimes against humanity 
committed by Hamas, let us remember our ultimate goal of peace, the 
need for diplomacy, as well as our commitment to a two-state solution. 
I regret that the vision of peace between Israel and Palestine by way 
of a two-state solution is not referenced in the resolution. I 
sincerely believe that this non-inclusion risks conveying an incomplete 
representation of our nation's long-standing position on this pressing 
matter at a critical time in our history. The situation in Israel and 
Palestine is highly sensitive, and our response should denounce the 
violation of human rights, while supporting Israeli and Palestinian 
victims. Omitting such judicious principled concepts from our 
resolution could inadvertently give the erroneous impression that we 
have abandoned the Palestinians as well as the two-state solution to 
peace. I called these issues to the attention of the Foreign Affairs 
Committee in a letter delivered to the committee on October 12, 2023.
  To this end and because I had no hand in drafting the resolution, I 
propose that we amend the resolution under consideration to include the 
following: ``Whereas the U.S. House of Representatives desires lasting 
peace between Israel and Palestine.'', ``Whereas the two-state solution 
has and continues to be the best path to lasting peace.'', ``Whereas we 
mourn the deaths and suffering of babies as well as innocent 
Palestinian and Israeli people of all ages.'', ``Whereas our support 
for humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian babies and innocent 
civilian Palestinian people is a necessity.'', and ``Resolved that the 
House of Representatives desires a two-state solution that leads to 
peace between Israel and Palestine.''
  The resolution without these principle points will lead me, as a 
matter of conscience, to not vote ``yea.'' I realize that on this vote 
I may stand alone. However, on votes of conscience I believe it is 
better to stand alone than not stand at all.
  As we witness the calls for war, let us remember our moral imperative 
to stand for peace at the genesis of war. Doing so will make clear our 
unwavering commitment to not only Israel's defense but also to the 
ultimate vision of peace that we all wish to see materialize in the 
region.
  Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in the immediate aftermath of the 
horrific October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas militants, I co-
sponsored H. Res. 771 in solidarity with the people of Israel. The 
resolution was intended to send an immediate message of bipartisan 
support. Unfortunately, Republican dysfunction (inability to elect a 
speaker of the House) prevented the resolution from moving to the floor 
for nearly three weeks.
  In the interim, as the conflict deepened, my Republican colleagues 
refused to update the text of the resolution to reference the 
humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the civilian casualties in both Israel 
and Gaza. While I support many of the goals of this resolution, 
Congress must recognize that the suffering from this war is not one-
sided.
  As I will vote present on this resolution, I hope that Congress can 
put partisanship aside, helping Israel and pushing Hamas to work toward 
an immediate ceasefire--or, at minimum, a temporary cessation of 
hostilities to protect civilians, transport humanitarian aid, and 
secure the safe return of all hostages.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 771, the 
bipartisan resolution condemning the heinous October 7 terrorist 
attacks by Hamas that have resulted in the senseless deaths of 
Israelis, Palestinians, and more than 30 American citizens. Hundreds 
remain missing and many are held hostage--including women, children, 
and even infants.
  Savage attacks killing innocent civilians are never justified, and 
the Hamas attacks of October 7 were perpetrated against Israeli 
communities for the goal of annihilation. These crimes cross a red line 
and must be unequivocally condemned as they are clear violations of 
international human rights law.
  Israel has a right to defend its citizens from this Hamas terrorism. 
But Israel's response must be proportional and consider the innocent 
Palestinian lives at stake in Gaza. In the past two weeks, we have seen 
an escalating wave of violence across the region. It is clear that a 
broader conflict must be prevented. That is why I have publicly called 
on President Biden to work with all involved parties on negotiating an 
immediate regional ceasefire to avoid the loss of more innocent lives. 
A one-sided ceasefire is not sustainable and will fail. It must include 
Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and other parties, with the 
support of the international community.
  The international community must also continue working together to 
facilitate critical humanitarian aid to Gaza--the population of which 
is nearly half children--so Palestinians have access to food, water, 
medicine, and fuel.
  I also recognize that this violence is not just a far-away matter; it 
is hitting close to home. Many families here in the United States and 
overseas are living in unimaginable fear while mourning those they have 
lost. I am hearing from many Jewish constituents and community leaders 
who are in pain and who have loved ones among the injured, killed, or 
missing. I commend the U.S. State Department for their work bringing 
Americans home from Israel, but more work needs to be done--there are 
American citizens in Gaza who seek to come home and have been prevented 
from doing so.
  I am deeply saddened and outraged about the brutal murder of an 
innocent six-year-old boy in Illinois, because he happened to be 
Palestinian-American. The violent, hate-filled targeting of Wadea AI-
Fayoume or anyone else based on ethnicity or religious affiliation is 
unconscionable and should be condemned by everyone. Hate has no place 
in America, and Antisemitism and lslamophobia must not be tolerated.
  It is my hope for the future that every Israeli child and every 
Palestinian child to be tucked into bed at night by their parents 
without fear of bombings and perpetual violence. All people deserve 
safety and security, and the only sustainable path forward is one where 
international human rights and international law are at the forefront 
and democratic ideals are upheld.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 771.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 412, 
nays 10, answered ``present'' 6, not voting 5, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 528]

                               YEAS--412

     Adams
     Aderholt
     Aguilar
     Alford
     Allen
     Allred
     Amodei
     Armstrong
     Arrington
     Auchincloss
     Babin
     Bacon
     Baird
     Balderson
     Balint
     Banks
     Barr
     Barragan
     Bean (FL)
     Beatty
     Bentz
     Bera
     Bergman
     Beyer
     Bice
     Biggs
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NC)
     Blumenauer
     Blunt Rochester
     Boebert
     Bonamici
     Bost
     Boyle (PA)
     Brecheen
     Brown
     Brownley
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Budzinski
     Burchett
     Burgess
     Burlison
     Calvert
     Cammack
     Caraveo
     Carbajal
     Cardenas
     Carey
     Carl
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (LA)
     Carter (TX)
     Cartwright
     Case
     Casten
     Castor (FL)
     Chavez-DeRemer
     Cherfilus-McCormick
     Chu
     Ciscomani
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Cleaver
     Cline
     Cloud
     Clyburn
     Clyde
     Cohen
     Cole
     Collins
     Comer
     Connolly
     Costa
     Courtney
     Craig
     Crane
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Crockett
     Crow
     Cuellar
     Curtis
     D'Esposito
     Davids (KS)
     Davidson
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (NC)
     De La Cruz
     Dean (PA)
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Deluzio
     DeSaulnier
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donalds
     Duarte
     Duncan
     Dunn (FL)
     Edwards
     Ellzey
     Emmer
     Escobar
     Eshoo
     Espaillat
     Estes
     Evans
     Ezell
     Fallon
     Feenstra

[[Page H5064]]


     Ferguson
     Finstad
     Fischbach
     Fitzgerald
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Fletcher
     Flood
     Foster
     Foushee
     Foxx
     Frankel, Lois
     Franklin, Scott
     Frost
     Fry
     Fulcher
     Gaetz
     Gallagher
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garbarino
     Garcia (TX)
     Garcia, Mike
     Garcia, Robert
     Gimenez
     Golden (ME)
     Goldman (NY)
     Gomez
     Gonzales, Tony
     Good (VA)
     Gooden (TX)
     Gosar
     Gottheimer
     Granger
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Green (TN)
     Greene (GA)
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Grothman
     Guest
     Guthrie
     Hageman
     Harder (CA)
     Harris
     Harshbarger
     Hayes
     Hern
     Higgins (LA)
     Higgins (NY)
     Hill
     Himes
     Hinson
     Horsford
     Houchin
     Houlahan
     Hoyer
     Hoyle (OR)
     Hudson
     Huffman
     Huizenga
     Hunt
     Issa
     Ivey
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson (NC)
     Jackson (TX)
     Jackson Lee
     Jacobs
     James
     Jeffries
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (LA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson (SD)
     Jordan
     Joyce (OH)
     Joyce (PA)
     Kamlager-Dove
     Kaptur
     Kean (NJ)
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     Khanna
     Kiggans (VA)
     Kildee
     Kiley
     Kilmer
     Kim (CA)
     Kim (NJ)
     Krishnamoorthi
     Kuster
     Kustoff
     LaHood
     LaLota
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Landsman
     Langworthy
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latta
     LaTurner
     Lawler
     Lee (CA)
     Lee (FL)
     Lee (NV)
     Leger Fernandez
     Letlow
     Levin
     Lieu
     Lofgren
     Loudermilk
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Luna
     Luttrell
     Lynch
     Mace
     Magaziner
     Malliotakis
     Mann
     Manning
     Mast
     Matsui
     McBath
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClain
     McClellan
     McClintock
     McCollum
     McCormick
     McGarvey
     McGovern
     McHenry
     Meeks
     Menendez
     Meng
     Meuser
     Mfume
     Miller (IL)
     Miller (OH)
     Miller (WV)
     Miller-Meeks
     Mills
     Molinaro
     Moolenaar
     Mooney
     Moore (AL)
     Moore (UT)
     Moore (WI)
     Moran
     Morelle
     Moskowitz
     Moulton
     Mrvan
     Mullin
     Murphy
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neguse
     Nehls
     Newhouse
     Nickel
     Norcross
     Norman
     Nunn (IA)
     Obernolte
     Ogles
     Owens
     Pallone
     Palmer
     Panetta
     Pappas
     Pascrell
     Pelosi
     Peltola
     Pence
     Perez
     Perry
     Peters
     Pettersen
     Pfluger
     Phillips
     Pingree
     Pocan
     Porter
     Posey
     Quigley
     Raskin
     Reschenthaler
     Rodgers (WA)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rose
     Rosendale
     Ross
     Rouzer
     Roy
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Rutherford
     Ryan
     Salazar
     Salinas
     Sanchez
     Santos
     Sarbanes
     Scalise
     Scanlon
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schneider
     Scholten
     Schrier
     Schweikert
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, Austin
     Scott, David
     Self
     Sessions
     Sewell
     Sherman
     Sherrill
     Simpson
     Slotkin
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (WA)
     Smucker
     Sorensen
     Soto
     Spanberger
     Spartz
     Stansbury
     Stanton
     Stauber
     Steel
     Stefanik
     Steil
     Steube
     Stevens
     Strickland
     Strong
     Swalwell
     Sykes
     Takano
     Tenney
     Thanedar
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thompson (PA)
     Tiffany
     Timmons
     Titus
     Tokuda
     Tonko
     Torres (CA)
     Torres (NY)
     Trahan
     Trone
     Turner
     Underwood
     Valadao
     Van Drew
     Van Duyne
     Vargas
     Vasquez
     Veasey
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Waltz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson Coleman
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Wexton
     Wild
     Williams (GA)
     Williams (NY)
     Williams (TX)
     Wilson (FL)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Yakym
     Zinke

                                NAYS--10

     Bowman
     Bush
     Carson
     Green, Al (TX)
     Lee (PA)
     Massie
     Ocasio-Cortez
     Omar
     Ramirez
     Tlaib

                        ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--6

     Casar
     Castro (TX)
     Garcia (IL)
     Jayapal
     Pressley
     Velazquez

                             NOT VOTING--5

     Correa
     Gonzalez, Vicente
     Lesko
     Payne
     Van Orden

                              {time}  1722

  Ms. BROWN changed her vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and 
the resolution was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  Stated for:
  Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted 
``yea'' on rollcall no. 528.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote for rollcall 
528--had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on the motion to 
suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 771.

                          ____________________