Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. As the senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and as a former chairman of the Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee, I rise today in opposition to H. Res. 326, legislation that I believe is biased against Israel. To understand this resolution, it must be taken in context. In July, this House overwhelmingly passed H. Res. 246, which condemned efforts to delegitimize Israel. It also reaffirmed our support for a two-state solution. A mere 5 months later, we are considering this redundant legislation when we should be talking about the National Defense Authorization Act, funding the government, prescription drug prices, the opioid epidemic, so many other things. Instead, House Democrats find it more important to rebuke the Trump administration because it took the position that Jewish settlements in the West Bank are not illegal. What is really happening here is this resolution is meant to paper over a deep division within the Democratic Party between responsible voices who understand the importance of our relationship with Israel, and many of those are here today speaking, and a campus radical left that pushes BDS, welcomes anti-Semitic attacks on Israel, and believes that Israel is the problem while the Palestinians are just helpless victims. Forceful, principled Democratic leadership would take seriously their responsibility to educate the public and clear up these misbegotten notions.…”