Ted Budd: “I thank my colleague from Connecticut. That was beautiful, articulate. It was a beautiful articulation of all the…”

“I thank my colleague from Connecticut. That was beautiful, articulate. It was a beautiful articulation of all the reasons to support my bill. You see, this week, some of the hostages' families are in Washington to meet with leaders from all branches of government. I have met with them many, many times, and every time I come away deeply moved by the strength and resilience that they are showing in the space of an unspeakable evil. I let them know that not only are all levels of our government working to bring their loved ones home safely, but that I would do everything in my power to make it happen. Sometimes that means being direct, even with friends like Qatar. Sometimes, that means making allies uncomfortable. But the truth of the matter is that friends are honest with one another. So this is more than about just a bilateral relationship between two nations. This is about the well-being of U.S. citizens and a native of my home State, North Carolina. While the Senate won't be able to pass this today because of the objection, it is my hope that we can work through the committee process to get this bill across the finish line. But, more importantly, while Qatar has done less than hoped and expected, and other allies like Egypt have thankfully stepped up to fill the unfortunate void, let this bill be a tool to move the hostage negotiations forward and secure the release of all the hostages being held in Gaza. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER.…”