House Must Pass National Security Package

Floor Speech

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Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Foreign Relations Committee, I rise to address the House on the challenges we face in Ukraine, in the Middle East with Israel and Iran, and in Taiwan and Asia.

The world is watching and looking for American leadership. Iran has launched a telegraphed attack on Israel, sending over 350 drones and missiles last weekend. Seeing these missiles being intercepted above the Temple Mount emphasizes Iran's disregard for Muslim, Jewish, and Christian holy sites and its desire to take innocent lives.

Iran's actions continue to disrupt opportunities for peace in the Middle East. I was in Israel 2 weeks ago, one of over a dozen trips I have made to the Middle East in the last 30 years.

Before the attack on October 7, Saudi Arabia was on the brink of signing a peace agreement and joining the Abraham Accords. Formalizing Saudi-Israeli relations for both countries would achieve strategic and military goals, ranging from defense to food security and innovation, thus bringing hope for more peaceful opportunities with moderate Arab nations.

When the Ayatollah saw this, I believe he pulled the strings on proxy forces to stop these negotiations that resulted in Hamas' horrific attack on innocent Israeli citizens on October 7 that took over 1,200 lives and 200 hostages.

Iran is the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world. For years, the Iranian regime has been funding Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis to spread international chaos. Iran has directly or through its proxies killed hundreds of Americans who have been in the region.

China is also threatening Taiwan and watching how the United States responds to other conflicts around the world. They are watching.

The new axis of evil--Iran, Russia, China, North Korea--presents an ever-growing threat to the United States and our allies. This is a seminal moment in American and world history, I believe. Therefore, we cannot abandon our allies in their darkest time of need. Ukraine needs our support.

For months, the Senate-passed supplemental aid package has been held hostage by many of my Republican colleagues, some of whom appear to be on the side of Russia. I don't get it. President Reagan and Senator McCain must be turning over in their graves.

It has been over 6 months since the attack on October 7, and what has the House done? Nothing, wasting time on baseless impeachments, threatening a motion to vacate, and close to shutting down government.

Yet again, House Democrats have stepped in to save the day. We have always been clear since day one. We are here to govern, putting people before politics. We have extended the hand of bipartisanship to work on behalf of the American people and the security of our country. We have demonstrated our words with actions: passing and extending the debt ceiling, avoiding government shutdowns three times, and, finally, passing our budget 6 months late.

Mr. Speaker, 193 Democrats have signed the discharge petition to bring the Senate-passed supplemental package to a vote.

The House must pass the national security package this week. It will provide additional equipment for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, with critical security and military needs to defend their freedom and, therefore, our freedom. It will provide humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, who have been horrifically punished and suffered in Gaza, and Armenians refugees removed from their historical home in Nagorno-Karabakh, along with investments in border security to help alleviate the challenges we have here.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues, would you stand with freedom-loving democracies and help bring this bill to the floor and support Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, or will you stand with Putin and embolden his mafia of dictators to further attack our allies? That is the question.

Your actions will show not only the American people but history where you stood in protecting the future of democracies. The world is watching.

This is our Churchill-Chamberlain moment. Will we be like Churchill and continue to be the beacon of light for freedom around the world, or will we try to appease, as Chamberlain did with the Nazi dictator Hitler that resulted in the cause of over 100 million deaths during World War II? That is the question. This is the moment.

We must stand for freedom. We must pass this security package this week for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and freedom-loving people around the world.

Mr. Speaker, that is the challenge we face this week. I hope we are successful.

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