Chris Van Hollen

I do want to applaud my friend and partner from the state of Maryland, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Cardin, for all his work in this anti-corruption area.

He is the author of the original Magnitsky Act and then, of course, expanded to include the Global Magnitsky Act, which is a very important tool.

Let's not hold two million innocent Palestinian civilians who are dying of starvation, let's not hold them essentially accountable for the bad acts of 14 people.

If you cut off funding for UNRWA in Gaza entirely, it means more people will starve, more people won't get the medical assistance they need. And so it would be a huge mistake to cut them off.

The claim that Prime Minister Netanyahu and others are making that somehow UNRWA is a proxy for Hamas are just flat-out lies. That's a flat-out lie.

If you look at the person who's in charge of operations on the ground in Gaza for UNRWA, it's about a 20-year U.S. Army veteran. You can be sure he is not in cahoots with Hamas.

If you get rid of UNRWA in Gaza today, it is the primary distribution system for food and aid. So, if you cut off funding for UNRWA in Gaza entirely, it means more people will starve, more people won't get the medical assistance they need.

This would not apply to the Iron Dome or any defensive systems, but it would say no more bombs for use in Gaza until you come into compliance.

I hope they will, because President Biden himself has repeatedly said that the Netanyahu government is unnecessarily restricting desperately needed humanitarian assistance.

Netanyahu has wanted to get rid of UNRWA because he has seen them as a – a means to continue the hopes of the Palestinian people for a homeland of their own.

Oh, there's no doubt that the – the claim that Prime Minister Netanyahu and others are making that somehow UNRWA is a proxy for Hamas are just flat-out lies. That's a flat-out lie.

If we are not there on the ground, we are not going to be in the game.

If we are not there on the ground, we are not going to be in the game, cannot offer proposals or engage.

The Social Security Administration is serving 50 percent more people than it was decades ago with less staff than were there.

We cannot starve an agency of funding and then question why phone calls aren't getting answered.

It's important that we have a fair tax system that doesn't include carve outs for special interests.

We were able to, not only address the COVID health crisis, but also address the economic fallout from that crisis.

I want to thank you for some of those priorities.

The President deserves strong credit. Thank you all for the American Rescue Plan.

The Social Security Administration is serving 50 percent more people than it was decades ago with less staff than were there.

We cannot starve an agency of funding and then question why phone calls aren't getting answered.

We can help families by having a fairer tax code.

I want to thank you for some of those priorities.

It's important that we have a fair tax system that doesn't include carve outs for special interests.

We were able to, not only address the COVID health crisis, but also address the economic fallout from that crisis.