Chris Van Hollen

Mr. President, Procedure · 5 wordsreserving the right to object, ProcedurePromise · 32 wordsif the Senator from Kentucky wants to bring a bill to the floor to condemn the horrendous terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas on Israel of October 7, we will make common cause. Claims · 61 wordsWe have done that as a body. Every single Senator in this body has made clear that Hamas committed despicable acts. Like many others in this body, I have met with Israelis and Americans who lost loved ones on that horrible day. I have met with American citizens and Israeli citizens who whose loved ones were taken hostage that terrible day. Reasoning · 9 wordsAnd that is why this body has condemned Hamas. Claims · 128 wordsOur government recognizes that they are a terrorist organization.¹ I think the Senator knows that not one penny of U.S. taxpayer dollars goes to Hamas, obviously.² In fact, what the U.S. Government does is use all its powers to sanction Hamas. One of the reasons some of us on the Democratic side were concerned about some of the cryptocurrency bills is because the method that Hamas uses to evade sanctions is cryptocurrency, and the bill that was brought to this floor did not close that loophole used by Hamas. But make no mistake, the U.S. Government--Members of both sides-- recognize that Hamas is a terrible organization. And, of course, not only do we not provide any U.S. assistance, we go after them with every sanction in the book. Procedure · 6 wordsSo let’s be clear about that.Procedure Claims · 74 wordsLet’s be clear about what government entity has allowed some funds to flow to Hamas, and it was the Netanyahu government. It has been well documented. I have raised this issue within the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the Senator from Kentucky is part of. It is Netanyahu who allowed moneys to flow from Hamas to the Qatari Government, and the Qatari Government only provided those payments with the approval of the Netanyahu government.³ Promise · 29 wordsSo I would be happy to join the Senator from Kentucky not only in condemning Hamas but also in condemning any country that allows funding to go to Hamas. Procedure · 7 wordsNow let’s talk about the Palestinian Authority.Procedure Claims · 56 wordsNow, obviously, there are some in the rightwing in Israel that want to suggest the PA and Hamas are the same. I think most Members of this body recognize the PA, recognizes Israel’s right to exist, that it has pursued and wanted to pursue a two-state solution for self-determination for Palestinians as well as for Israelis. Promise · 23 wordsBut I would be happy again to join the Senator in requiring a human rights report on the conduct of the Palestinian Authority. Claims · 127 wordsThey have also engaged in abuses against their own people, the Palestinian people. And, in fact, we do do that, and the Senator from Kentucky just quoted from the State Department’s human rights report with respect to the Palestinian Authority.⁴ But what his resolution would also do is cut off all U.S. assistance in any form to the Palestinian Authority. And again, the Congress has already taken action to cut off economic assistance to the Palestinian Authority through the Taylor Force Act.⁵ There is one area where we actually do have cooperation with the PA and that is through counterterrorism efforts. Counterterrorism efforts where the U.S. Security Coordinator for the West Bank actually works with the Palestinian Authority security forces to prevent terrorism in the West Bank. The question · 14 wordsI don’t know if the Senator is proposing that we cut off that assistance. Claims · 66 wordsJust a few years ago, there was a bipartisan resolution to actually raise the level of the military rank of the U.S. Security Coordinator.⁶ It used to be General Fenzel, who did a really good job coordinating antiterrorism activities with the PA to prevent terrorist attacks on Israel.⁷ But what the Senator is saying is, he wants to do a human rights report on PA conduct. Procedure · 4 wordsFine. Bring it up.Procedure Promise · 6 wordsI will support him on that. Claims · 31 wordsBut that is not all this bill does. His bill essentially would cut off U.S. cooperation--antiterrorism cooperation--with the PA, something that would actually endanger Israelis and others on the West Bank. Reasoning · 18 wordsSo it really makes no sense. I agree that we should follow where every U.S. taxpayer dollar goes, Claims · 43 wordsand I can assure folks that not one penny goes to Hamas, and yet we sanction them. And as I said, there are already big restrictions on the flow of U.S. taxpayer assistance to the PA. There is a carve-out for antiterrorism cooperation. Promise · 47 wordsSo if the Senator from Kentucky wants to come back with a resolution condemning Hamas for maybe the second or third time, I am all in. If the Senator wants to require a more in-depth report on the conduct of the Palestinian Authority, I am all in. Claims · 40 wordsBut this resolution is written in a way that conflates Hamas with the Palestinian Authority. I think every Member of this body--even recognizing the shortcomings of the PA--recognizes that they are not a designated U.S. terror organization so I object.⁸