Ted Budd: “Today is the 229th day of captivity for eight American citizens held hostage in Gaza by the terrorist organization…”

“Today is the 229th day of captivity for eight American citizens held hostage in Gaza by the terrorist organization Hamas--229 days of being deprived of food, water, and medical care; 229 days of being subjected to unbearable violence, abuse, and psychological torture by Hamas terrorists; 229 days that mothers and fathers--many of whom I have met--and husbands and wives and brothers and sisters have had to live with the pain, the anguish, and the uncertainty of their loved ones' well-being. But if you flip on mainstream media tonight or if you watch the protests on college campuses or if you listen to the Biden White House, the conversation has been dominated by everything but securing the release of American hostages. We have seen the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court seek arrest warrants of Israeli leaders as well as Hamas leaders. Equating the Israeli Prime Minister with Hamas terrorists is despicable, and it shows a complete lack of moral clarity. We have read about the State of Qatar reportedly temporarily expelling Hamas leaders from Doha, only to reverse course and welcome them back later. To be clear, Qatar is hosting a brutal terrorist organization with American blood on their hands. This continued dithering and flip-flopping is not helping. Qatar must pressure Hamas leaders to release the hostages now or expel them from Doha. It is just that simple. To do anything less, my friends, is unbecoming of a major non-NATO ally.…”