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Floor Speech

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Mrs. CAPITO. Madam President, I rise today to once again stand in strong support of our friend and ally Israel and to highlight the continued fallout that we are witnessing as a result of the October 7 terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas.

It is really difficult to describe those 116 days that we have had since October 7 as anything other than shocking, as we have seen the senseless murder of over 1,200 people in Israel, widespread violence across the Middle East, and alarming rise of anti-Semitism right here in the United States.

Just this past weekend, on January 27, we recognized International Holocaust Remembrance Day and honored the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust--the largest genocide in human history with unspeakable horror inflicted on the Jewish people. This commemoration serves as a reminder of why the State of Israel must exist and our continual commitment to stand against the persecution of the Jewish people.

But now, nearly 80 years later, the safety of the Jewish people is once again under siege. I never thought I would make that statement.

The terrorist attacks on October 7 killed the most Jews in 1 day since the Holocaust. Hundreds of women and children were taken hostage, including our very own Americans who still remain in captivity today. And, shamefully, some of the most prominent organizations that claim to support women were silent when it came to Hamas's use of sexual violence against women and girls on October 7.

We must continue to universally denounce the barbaric tactics of Hamas and do all that is in our power to free the hostages and bring those American hostages home.

It remains clear that Israel has the right to defend themselves, as any country would, in the face of this unprovoked terror. There isn't another country in the world that would be expected to sit back and allow this to happen, allow their next-door neighbor--whose own charter calls for genocide--to commit this kind of brazen and indiscriminate violence.

To this day, Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel, target their civilians, and hold women and children hostage. That is all in violation of international law. They also continue to use protected civilian structures for its operation, endangering its own people.

There is no question that our world has dramatically shifted since October 7, as we can clearly see that Israel's security is directly related to our own national security here at home.

Unfortunately, since the beginning of the attacks on Israel, President Biden has not displayed the strength that is needed for our Nation at this critical junction. His administration, beginning on October 7, made their fears of an escalating conflict crystal clear.

Secretary Blinken said on October 22 that ``This is not what we want. . . . We don't want escalation.''

This widely broadcasted fear of escalation prevented them from taking action to stop this violence spreading beyond Israel's borders.

Now the Iran-backed Houthis have launched hundreds of drone and missile strikes against ships transiting the Red Sea, one of the most important waterways in the world. We have conducted multiple airstrikes in Yemen but with no clear indication that the Houthis have been deterred. And most especially sad, we lost two Navy SEALS, some of our most elite members of the Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice while halting the shipment of more advanced weapons to this group.

Adding to this, there has been a staggering increase in attacks by Iranian proxies on our troops and bases in the region.

I think we have heard earlier, there have been over 165 attacks on our men and women in uniform in the Middle East since October 7, with minimal response from this administration. This has led, sadly, to another loss of our American soldiers. We lost three heroic Americans in one of these attacks, with dozens more wounded.

Less than 3 weeks ago, on January 12, when asked if he had a message for Iran, President Biden said:

I've already delivered the message to Iran. They know not to do anything.

That message was clearly not delivered and has put our Nation and servicemembers in an unacceptable situation.

What does all of this aggression in the Red Sea and these attacks on our Armed Forces have in common? It is all funded and supplied by Iran. For far too long, this nefarious nation has been pulling strings behind the scenes that are inciting terror and creating chaos in the Middle East.

The Iranian regime stands in direct opposition to what we as Americans represent and our values. Their hatred for America is made more obvious by the company they keep and the continued closeness they are cultivating with adversaries like Russia, China, and North Korea.

China is Iran's biggest oil customer and provides a revenue stream to support Iran's aggression. Russia continues to purchase Iranian drones, using them in their unjust war against Ukraine. North Korea has remained Iran's leading partner in destabilizing actions and nuclear proliferation.

Iran's malign influence and its disdain for America and our ally Israel is unmistakable.

It is past time to reestablish deterrence against Iran with a decisive response to these unacceptable actions. This is something my Republican colleagues recognize and something we continue to urge President Biden and his administration to take seriously.

Secretary Blinken himself said just this past week that the Middle East has not been this dangerous since 1973. This comes, of course, after President Biden's National Security Advisor announced that the region was quieter than it had been for decades as we were approaching the October 7 date.

We can all see now that this is an increasingly important moment with incredibly high stakes. We must take this opportunity to lead with strength, to lead in the ways that only the United States can lead. While our adversaries are attempting to divide us, we must come together.

The future of our Nation depends on our ability to support our allies, like Israel, in their time of need; to protect vital American interests, like our shippers; to defend our troops overseas; and to secure the homeland of our own country.

I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to remain committed to the security of the United States and our ally Israel. This Chamber must display the American leadership that times of crisis require. We have done it before, and we must do it again.

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