[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 64 (Monday, April 15, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2731-S2732]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Unanimous Consent Request--S. 3168

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, we have all watched what has 
happened with the Iran strike this weekend. And my colleagues across 
the aisle like to say that they support Israel. But in this moment of 
peril for the world's only Jewish state, I fear that what they are 
doing is deciding to play politics. And, in the months after the 
October 7 attack, they insisted on tying aid for Israel to supplemental 
packages that do not have the votes to pass through both Chambers.
  Now, Republicans have been very clear: Any supplemental bill that 
fails to address the security crisis at our southern border is a 
nonstarter.
  We already have a solution to President Biden's border crisis. It is 
H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. But for almost a year--and bear in 
mind, that border security bill landed over here in May of last year. 
So it has been almost a year. And our colleagues--the Democrats--who 
are in charge, have refused to bring that up for a vote.
  Now, Democrats voted to table different measures that came along. My 
colleague from Kansas is going to have one in a few minutes, and they 
are going to vote to table that also. And they are going to object. And 
they are doing this at a time when legislation we bring forward would 
provide billions in aid for Israel as it fights to destroy Hamas and 
bring some innocent hostages--including Americans--home.
  Now, the reason the bill--and this is their reason. They say the bill 
would pay for itself--my colleagues's bill that he is going to bring 
forward--because it would use the funding for Biden's army of 87,000 
IRS agents. They say they don't like that. And Democrats would rather 
hound small businesses on Main Street, which we know most of those 
would be targeted toward, than deliver aid that is necessary for our 
closest ally in the Middle East.
  Now, think about what they are saying when they say this. They would 
rather keep those IRS agents than to give this aid. They would rather 
tie aid to Ukraine. They would rather tie it to Taiwan. They don't want 
it to stand alone.
  So for months, they have delayed, and, now, after these months of 
delay, Iran, for the first time ever, directly attacked Israel from 
Iranian territory. It launched 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 
ballistic missiles toward the Jewish State. This was the largest aerial 
attack ever carried out in the Middle East.
  So if Democrats are objecting to everything that would, in any way, 
tie up aid to Israel, then let's look at it another way, because this 
issue is too important for any more delays. That is why I am calling 
for unanimous consent for S. 3168, the Israel Supplemental 
Appropriations Act.
  This bill is nearly identical to legislation that passed the House 
and would provide $17.6 billion in aid to our cherished ally, including 
$4 billion to replenish the Iron Dome, $1.3 billion to help Israel 
counter mortar attacks, and $3.3 billion to support U.S. military 
operations in the region.
  But my bill does not make any cuts at all to Joe Biden's army of IRS 
agents. It doesn't make any cuts to the budget. It doesn't have any 
offsets. My legislation very simply says: They need this aid. Let's 
send this aid. Let's make certain Israel has what they need to protect 
themselves.
  The world's only Jewish State is in a fight for its survival. Time 
and time again, Iran and its proxies have vowed they would annihilate 
Israel. We have heard them say: ``Death to Iran. Death to Israel. Death 
to the U.S.''
  Iran funds these proxies. So let's give Israel what they need to 
defend themselves. Let's do it unencumbered, no offsets. Let's all 
stand together.
  And I would ask my Democratic colleagues: How much longer do you 
think Israel can wait?
  Let's push this forward, and let's allow Israel to have the funding 
they need to protect themselves without ties to anything else.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Madam President, I want to thank my senior Senator from 
the State of Tennessee for leading the charge on this important issue.
  Time and time again, my colleagues across the aisle have blocked 
passage for a fully funded, standalone aid package for Israel. We have 
heard them claim they won't support our bill because cutting the IRS 
would allow millionaires to get away with tax evasion.
  So Senator Blackburn and I are rising once again to make things easy 
for our colleagues who want a bloated IRS. But I have to tell you, not 
once in my lifetime have I heard any Kansan come to me and express 
interest in inflating the IRS, of all Agencies.
  But we will press on, calling this bluff and putting forth the exact 
same bill without the IRS pay-for. For several months, I have said: If 
you don't like my pay-for, show me another. But at the end of the day, 
what matters is getting the aid to Israel.
  Since this body won't allow us to make cuts to the IRS--on tax day, 
no less--to pay for the aid, unfortunately, it just won't be paid for. 
We will do away with the cuts if it means Democrats will stop holding 
aid to Israel. Let's make this deal right now. The people of Israel 
need us to make the deal.
  But, once again, we will see the Democrats block this bill. That is 
because it is not about the cuts to the

[[Page S2732]]

IRS. It is time to stop politicking. Senate Democrats' opposition here 
against this live unanimous consent proves to the American people and 
Israel that this was never about the IRS cuts being used as a pay-for. 
It was never about tax cheats or millionaires. It is about using our 
ally, Israel, as a pawn in their underlying mission to send another 
blank check to Ukraine, and it is about a handful of pro-Iranian and 
pro-Palestinian votes in swing States. It is that simple.
  Again, I call on my Democratic colleagues to do the right thing. Drop 
the political posturing and let's secure a gigantic bipartisan victory 
for Israel in their time of need.
  I yield the floor.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, I ask for the immediate 
consideration of S. 3168, the Israel Supplemental Appropriations Act.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mrs. MURRAY. The Senator from Washington.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Is it my understanding the Senator is asking unanimous 
consent to proceed to consideration of the bill?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is the Chair's understanding.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, let me just say, reserving the right to 
object, Iran's attacks over the weekend underscore the precarious 
moment that we find ourselves in and the urgent need for Congress to 
act decisively to confront the many challenges we and our allies face.
  Of course, the surest and fastest way to do that is to pass the 
carefully negotiated comprehensive national security supplemental that 
the Senate actually cleared in an overwhelming bipartisan vote over 2 
months ago. There is urgency for aiding all of our allies facing grave 
threats. We cannot afford half steps or half measures like this one, 
because for months now, Ukraine has been desperately waiting for more 
aid and counting how many bullets they have left, how many missiles, 
and how many Iranian-made drones they can still intercept, and how much 
longer they can hold out if we don't keep our word.
  At a time like this, we simply cannot settle for a bill that helps 
one ally and ignores all the rest. Ukraine hasn't just been calling for 
aid for months. Many House Republicans, including the Speaker, have 
been saying for months: We will not abandon them. This bill would leave 
Ukraine in the dust. It would ignore the threat that the Chinese 
Government poses in the Indo-Pacific, and it would fail to take action 
to address the dire humanitarian crisis we are seeing around the world, 
which will lead to more instability.
  Not on my watch.
  Let me make this simple. If we want a safer world with strong 
American leadership, then we cannot send the message that America only 
keeps some of its promises to some of its allies some of the time. 
Otherwise, how are our partners supposed to trust us? Why would our 
adversaries take us seriously?
  How do my colleagues offering this bill plan to answer all of the 
allies who come knocking after something like this asking: Are we a 
priority like Israel or a bargaining chip like Ukraine?
  That is not a rhetorical question. How do you plan to answer them?
  We cannot tell the world that we forget some of our allies in their 
time of need; that partnering with us might mean getting left behind. 
And that means we cannot ignore the reality that Israel is not the only 
ally of ours in the middle of a brutal conflict facing grave threats. 
The people of Ukraine are fighting and dying for their homeland as we 
speak. They are literally running out of bullets fighting off Putin's 
bloody invasion. Are we going to pretend, with the whole world 
watching, that we do not hear their cries for help?
  That is not an acceptable outcome, especially when, right now, we 
already have a comprehensive bipartisan bill to support all of our 
allies and address the many threats we face across the globe. The 
Speaker has said many times he wants us to get aid to Ukraine. Well, 
all he has to do is prove he is serious and put that bill up for a 
vote. That is it. Further delaying, including by going back to the 
drawing board and sending something back to the Senate will waste more 
time that we simply do not have.
  So the Speaker needs to put the bipartisan national security 
supplemental up for a vote because, unlike the bill before us right 
now, the bipartisan Senate bill stands by all of our allies. It leaves 
no one behind. It includes support for Israel and Ukraine; and, 
importantly, it includes badly needed humanitarian aid and absolutely 
essential investments to support our allies in the Indo-Pacific and 
deter aggression by the Chinese Government.
  We have to do better than half steps. We just have to. We cannot 
settle for a bill like the one that is proposed here tonight that would 
shamefully tell the world we don't stand by all of our allies--a bill 
that would leave every partner we have asking whether we are going to 
treat them like a true ally or like an afterthought. I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, I appreciate that my colleague 
talked about half steps because the inconsistency of this 
administration to our allies is an issue. Our allies don't know if they 
are our allies. They don't see us as being there for them; and our 
enemies do not fear us.
  Iran, for the first time ever, has attacked Israel. I gave you those 
numbers just a few minutes ago--170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, 120 
ballistic missiles. After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, they told 
us they don't intend to stop. They are continuing over and over.
  Israel has been very specific in telling us what they need: $4 
billion to replenish the Iron Dome, $1.2 billion to help Israel counter 
mortar threats, $3.3 billion to support military operations in the 
region. They are very specific about that.
  When you look at the axis of evil--Russia, China, Iran, North Korea--
of course, the threats are growing every day. Why are they growing? 
Because the Biden administration is practicing appeasement--
appeasement.
  There is agreement in supporting Israel. I continue to say it is time 
for us to support Israel, our greatest ally in the region, the only 
Jewish State. Let's make certain that they have what they need to 
defend themselves.