Senator Murray Chairs Hearing on National Security Supplemental Request: We Must Address These Urgent Challenges in One Package

Press Release

"If we are going to get this right, we have to understand how these conflicts are developing today and what our strategy is for the future. We have to see the big-picture without losing sight of the human reality on the ground--the fact that in the middle of every conflict, are civilians--residents displaced from their homes, hostages torn from their families, people facing obstacles getting basic medical services, and kids and families who desperately need food and water.

That means: America must stand strong by our allies, dictators cannot be allowed to invade sovereign democracies, terrorism cannot be tolerated, and we cannot ignore the humanity--and the cries for help--from civilians caught in the middle of conflict and crossfire who we must protect. It's a tall order--but the Biden Administration's national security supplemental request offers a useful blueprint, and Vice Chair Collins and I are working right now to craft strong, bipartisan legislation that meets the national security priorities the President laid out.

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Make no mistake: we need to address all of these priorities as part of one package--because the reality is these issues are all connected, and they are all urgent. The Chinese government is watching how we respond to Putin's aggression in Ukraine. Putin is hoping the Hamas attack will give him an opening and distract the world from aiding Ukraine against his brutal invasion, and all of our adversaries are watching closely to see whether we have the vision to recognize how these crises are related, and the resolve to come together and respond forcefully to them. Our adversaries are cheering for dysfunction. So let's instead show them unity.

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Let me just say: while we are focused on global challenges at this hearing, we should also address needs here at home, like the child care crisis, relief for communities struck by disaster, the fentanyl crisis, the needs at our southern border, and more. Bottom line: we face a number of urgent national security issues and challenges here at home. … And if we can pass our domestic priorities right alongside our national security priorities, we absolutely should. After all, we are the United States of America--we can stand with our allies around the world and tackle the challenges facing our families here at home at the same time."

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