[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 81 (Thursday, May 9, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3659-S3660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SENATE RESOLUTION 682--CONDEMNING THE DECISION BY THE BIDEN 
 ADMINISTRATION TO HALT THE SHIPMENT OF UNITED STATES MADE AMMUNITION 
                   AND WEAPONS TO THE STATE OF ISRAEL

  Mr. GRAHAM (for himself, Mr. Cotton, Ms. Collins, Mr. Cruz, Ms. 
Ernst, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Rubio, 
Mr. Hagerty, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Grassley, Ms. Lummis, Mr. 
Hawley, Mr. Daines, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Sullivan, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Budd, 
Mr. Mullin, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Romney, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. 
Wicker, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Thune, Mr. Young, Mrs. Britt, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. 
Rounds, Mr. Risch, Mr. Braun, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, 
Mr. Tuberville, Mr. Lankford, Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. 
Johnson, Mr. Schmitt, Mr. Ricketts, Mr. Lee, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Moran, 
Mr. Vance, and Mr. McConnell) submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 682

       Whereas the United States is the largest supplier of 
     military aid to the State of Israel, providing 
     $158,000,000,000 in bilateral assistance and missile defense 
     funding since World War II, which has been used by the State 
     of Israel in part to protect itself from attacks by the 
     Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies;
       Whereas, in 2016, the United States and the State of Israel 
     signed a third 10-year Memorandum of Understanding, under 
     which the United States pledged to provide $38,000,000,000 in 
     military aid, subject to congressional appropriation, to the 
     State of Israel between fiscal years 2019 and 2028;
       Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprovoked 
     attack against the State of Israel, brutally murdering more 
     than 1,200 innocent men, women, and children while injuring 
     thousands more;
       Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas took more than 240 
     innocent civilians hostage, including babies, children, 
     women, elderly,

[[Page S3660]]

     Holocaust survivors, and United States citizens, and is still 
     holding at least 128 of these innocent civilians against 
     their will;
       Whereas, on October 8, 2023, the State of Israel officially 
     declared war on Hamas and has since dismantled 20 of the 24 
     Hamas battalions in Gaza, in part using ammunition and 
     weapons supplied by the United States;
       Whereas, on October 8, 2023, White House officials 
     announced that they had conveyed to the Government of Israel 
     that additional assistance for the Israeli Defense Forces was 
     now on its way to the State of Israel with more to follow 
     over the coming days;
       Whereas, on November 1, 2023, Ghazi Hamad, a member of the 
     political bureau of Hamas, stated, ``We must teach Israel a 
     lesson, and we will do it twice and three times. The Al-Aqsa 
     Deluge[, the name Hamas gave its October 7th attack,] is just 
     the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth 
     . . . We are the victims of the occupation. Period. 
     Therefore, nobody should blame us for the things we do. On 
     October 7th, October 10th, October one-millionth, everything 
     we do is justified.'';
       Whereas, on January 2, 2024, the intelligence community of 
     the United States declassified an assessment that stated, 
     ``The U.S. Intelligence Community is confident in its 
     judgment on this topic and has independently corroborated 
     information on HAMAS and PIJ's use of the [Al-Shifa] hospital 
     complex for a variety of purposes related to its campaign 
     against Israel.'';
       Whereas, on March 6, 2024, United States officials told 
     Members of Congress that the Biden Administration had 
     approved and delivered more than 100 separate arms sales to 
     the State of Israel since the October 7th attack, including 
     thousands of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter 
     bombs, bunker busters, small arms, and other lethal aid;
       Whereas, on March 29, 2024, it was reported the Biden 
     Administration approved new arms packages worth billions of 
     dollars for the State of Israel that included more than 1,800 
     MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs;
       Whereas, on March 30, 2024, following the report of the 
     approved new arms packages, a White House official stated, 
     ``We have continued to support Israel's right to defend 
     itself . . . Conditioning aid has not been our policy.'';
       Whereas, on April 2, 2024, it was reported the Biden 
     Administration supported a plan to provide $18,000,000,000 
     worth of F-15 fighter jets, munitions, training, and other 
     support to the State of Israel, with the Department of State 
     sending an informal notice to the respective congressional 
     committees to start a legislative review process for the 
     order;
       Whereas, on April 10, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden, 
     while speaking publicly at the White House, stated, ``As I 
     told Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, our commitment to 
     Israel's security against these threats from Iran and its 
     proxies is ironclad--let me say it again, ironclad.'';
       Whereas, on April 13, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris 
     stated, ``President Biden and I met with our national 
     security team following Iran's attacks against Israel. Our 
     support for Israel's security is ironclad, and we stand with 
     the people of Israel in defense against these attacks.'';
       Whereas, on April 13, 2024, National Security Advisor Jake 
     Sullivan stated, ``This morning, I spoke with my Israeli 
     counterpart, National Security Advisor Hanegbi, to discuss 
     events in the Middle East. During the call, I reiterated the 
     United States' ironclad commitment to the security of 
     Israel.'';
       Whereas, on April 13, 2024, the Islamic Republic of Iran 
     launched more than 300 missiles and drones towards the State 
     of Israel and innocent civilians in an unprecedented attack;
       Whereas, on April 13, 2024, 99 percent of the projectiles 
     launched by the Islamic Republic of Iran were intercepted by 
     the State of Israel and its allies, using fighter jets, air 
     defense systems, and other weapons that were supplied to the 
     State of Israel in part by the United States;
       Whereas, on April 14, 2024, following the attack on the 
     State of Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran, Secretary of 
     State Antony Blinken stated, ``The United States condemns 
     Iran's attack on Israel. As the President said, our 
     commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran is 
     ironclad.'';
       Whereas, on April 14, 2024, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. 
     Austin III underscored the United States' commitment to 
     Israel saying, ``I spoke to Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav 
     Gallant for a second time today to reiterate ironclad U.S. 
     support for Israel's defense in light of Iran's unprecedented 
     attack from Iranian territory. We reviewed the extraordinary 
     defensive measures and strong cooperation undertaken to 
     defeat this Iranian attack against Israel.'';
       Whereas, on May 5, 2024, it was reported the Biden 
     Administration put a hold on a shipment of United States made 
     ammunition to the State of Israel the previous week, the 
     first time since the since the October 7th attack that the 
     United Stated stopped a weapons shipment intended for the 
     Israeli military;
       Whereas, on May 5, 2024, Prime Minister of the State of 
     Israel Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at possible tensions 
     regarding support being provided by the Biden Administration, 
     stating, ``In the terrible Holocaust, there were great world 
     leaders who stood by idly; therefore, the first lesson of the 
     Holocaust is: If we do not defend ourselves, nobody will 
     defend us. And if we need to stand alone, we will stand 
     alone.'';
       Whereas, on May 6, 2024, it was reported that since January 
     2024 the Biden Administration has effectively paused the sale 
     of up to 6,500 Joint Direct Attack Munitions in a sale worth 
     as much as $260,000,000 to the State of Israel;
       Whereas, on May 6, 2024, it was reported that since March 
     2024 the Biden Administration has effectively paused the sale 
     of up to $700,000,000 in 120 mm tank ammunition, $500,000,000 
     in tactical vehicles, and less than $100,000,000 in 120 mm 
     mortar rounds;
       Whereas, on May 6, 2024, despite multiple reports of the 
     Biden Administration putting a hold on a shipment of United 
     States made ammunition and effectively pausing additional 
     weapon sales to the State of Israel, the Biden Administration 
     stated, ``[O]ur security commitments to Israel are 
     ironclad'';
       Whereas, on May 7, 2024, the Biden Administration confirmed 
     the report from May 5, 2024, of the Biden Administration 
     putting a hold United States made ammunition to the State of 
     Israel, stating, ``[W]e began to carefully review proposed 
     transfers of particular weapons to Israel that might be used 
     in Rafah . . . [and] paused one shipment of weapons last 
     week. It consists of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-
     pound bombs.''; and
       Whereas, the decision by the Biden Administration to 
     withhold the provision of critical United States made 
     ammunition and weapons to the State of Israel will only 
     embolden and encourage the Islamic Republic of Iran and its 
     proxies, including Hamas, to conduct more attacks against the 
     State of Israel, which in turn will complicate efforts to 
     reach any hostage deal with Hamas or a broader normalization 
     deal between the State of Israel and other countries in the 
     region: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) condemns any decision by the Biden Administration to 
     halt the shipment of United States made ammunition and 
     weapons to the State of Israel;
       (2) demands that the Biden Administration continue to 
     fulfill the military aid requests from the State of Israel in 
     order to provide the weapons needed to defeat Hamas and 
     defend against attacks from the Islamic Republic of Iran and 
     its proxies;
       (3) reaffirms the importance of the long history of the 
     United States providing military aid to the State of Israel 
     and willingness to expedite delivery of such aid in times of 
     crisis; and
       (4) upholds the commitment of the United States to the 
     State of Israel's security and long-term prosperity.

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