Political Quotes

“we have reached a really important point in our relationship with one of our great allies in the world. The United States has before it the challenge--and this Congress can meet that challenge--for $1 billion of supplemental security assistance to replenish Israel's Iron Dome system. That funding is provided in H.R. 5323, the Iron Dome Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022, passed by the House of Representatives by an overwhelming--and I emphasize ``overwhelming''--bipartisan support. I want to thank my Connecticut colleague Rosa DeLauro of New Haven for her leadership and all of the Members of the House of Representatives for their vision and courage in separating this measure and passing it. And we should do so now, as quickly as possible. All of us know that the 2016 memorandum of understanding negotiated between Israel and the United States provides $500 million per year in security assistance for Israel's missile defense. The MOU allows Israel to request additional funds to replenish and restore missile defense capabilities in exceptional circumstances. We all remember vividly the May 2021 conflict between Israel and Hamas, and in our minds still vividly and graphically are the pictures of that Iron Dome system intercepting missiles aimed at civilians in Israel. The Iron Dome defense system intercepted about 90 percent of those potentially lethal missiles targeting populated areas of Israel. In total, about 4,400 rockets were launched by Hamas.…”