Nomination of Robert Alan McDonald to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOOKER. Madam President, I rise today filled with anguish and heartbreak that is shared by so many Americans who have been watching over the past week as countless innocent children and innocent civilians have been killed and live in states of great fear or even terror. Millions are running for bomb shelters time and time again. We are seeing people in Gaza killed or maimed and seeing people in Israel live under the terror in the sky and terror coming from below.

I want to stand resolute and clear about the true cause of this crisis. That lies squarely with Hamas, a terrorist organization whose ends do not start and finish with the well-being of the Palestinian people. Their primary focus and their clear agenda is not peace for their people. Written into their very charter is the firm determination to eliminate the State of Israel. They have proven this evil determination to do everything necessary to achieve their goal. They are willing to kill Israelis. They are willing to kill Americans. They have killed them both. Even worse, they are willing to put innocent Palestinians in harm's way, causing death and destruction within their own communities, to their own children, to their hospitals and to their schools.

They are in the interests of wracking up casualties to add what they consider, in a warped way, moral force for their terrorist aim. I believe clearly in the evidence that this terrorist organization is willing to stop at no end in order to build their tunnels and to advocate and advance their independence.

They are willing to deny their people food. They are willing to deny their people construction materials that could be building schools and building infrastructure. They are willing to deny medical supplies. They are willing to deny a higher standard of living in order to support clearly terrorist activities.

This is unacceptable. This is unacceptable. This is unacceptable. We as Americans cannot advocate for or in any way accept a false peace that will allow Hamas, a terrorist organization, to continue their effort to destroy the State of Israel. Hamas is not seeking peace. Hamas is not seeking the peaceful coexistence between two states. What they are simply doing is they are willing to cause death and destruction to destroy Israel. Hamas is not a democratically elected organization. They are a terrorist organization. They do not speak for the Palestinian people. Hamas speaks for Hamas.

Their history of killing Americans and Israelis and putting countless of their own people in harm's way, causing their destruction and their denial of the basics, must be stopped. For the sake of the Palestinian people and for the sake of the Israeli people, we as a Nation cannot support any measure or any agenda that gives this terrorist organization harbor or support, that gives this terrorist organization any advantage in trying to achieve their end.

We cannot in this Nation advocate for that kind of false peace that allows Hamas to go back to tunneling, to firing rockets, to hiding missiles in schools and in hospitals, and putting more innocent children in harm's way. We as Americans must advocate for a true peace where two sides clearly recognize the right for peaceful coexistence and where both sides pledge to a true cessation of aggression, not a peace that allows one side to go back to its evil end, to tunneling, to plotting, to preparing just for the next attack. We have seen this before in recent history. We cannot allow it again. Right now we are in a state of crisis. America's voice must be resolute.

We stand with our allies. We stand with the democratic State of Israel. We stand against terrorism.

This is why today I come before you in support of the $225 million in additional funding requested by the Department of Defense to ensure that the Iron Dome in Israel remains equipped to protect civilians from Hamas-fired rockets.

Hamas has fired over 2,500 rockets at Israel over the past 3 weeks, while putting innocent Palestinians at risk to protect their stockpiles and their evil ends. Yesterday alone 51 rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel.

In this time of crisis, America must stand for a true peace for the Palestinian people and for the Israeli people. Now, as a terrorist organization has evil ends to destroy the State of Israel, we must stand with our ally. We must stand with the State of Israel. We must stand for peace. Therefore, I support this expenditure and continue a resolute, unwavering, and unequivocal support of the continuance of the State of Israel.

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