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Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, today, I am heartbroken to learn that 19- year-old fellow Brooklynite Itay Chen was killed on October 7 at the brutal hands of Hamas terrorists who still cruelly hold on to his remains.

Itay was serving with the IDF as a U.S.-Israeli citizen and was stationed near the Gaza border on the day of Hamas's terrorist attack.

I spoke to Itay's family earlier today to say all of Brooklyn--and all of Maryland--mourns the loss of their son, and I told them we will work relentlessly to make sure their son's body comes home.

I first met Itay's family in Israel, just a few days after October 7, when I went quickly to go to Israel to express solidarity after that awful attack, and I have spoken to the Chen family many times since.

Over time, I have gotten to know them, and I feel like I have also gotten to know a little bit of what Itay was like by hearing it through his father, his mother, and his brothers.

Itay's father Ruby has been one of the leading advocates for the return of the hostages. He has traveled to every corner of the world and has met with some of the highest ranking leaders in the world to say: Bring them home. Bring them home now.

Itay's father requested me to ``please get his body back.'' I will do everything I can to make it happen. The family is not going to sit Shiva and observe formal Jewish burial practices until they recover Itay's body.

The family also expresses their thanks to the Biden administration and to the FBI for helping them get through these difficult months.

I will continue working with the Chen family, the administration, and others to return Itay's body back to his family so they can have the burial and Shiva in the way they desire and deserve.

When I spoke to Itay's father just a couple of hours ago, he promised me that the family would continue to fight for the release of all the other hostages. That was such an act. In the moment of their darkness, of clouds descending upon them, to still have that fortitude, that strength, that generosity to say they are going to fight for others touched my heart.

I will be working with the administration however possible until we finally bring back every last hostage and the remains of the hostages who are no longer with us are home at last.

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