On the recordJuly 23, 2024
Madam President, I want to commend my fellow Vermonter for his remarks. I wanted to say a few words on the same subject. Madam President, tomorrow, Wednesday, will be a unique moment in congressional history. Throughout the many years of our country, leaders from dozens of countries with all kinds of political backgrounds and persuasions have been invited to address a joint session of Congress. To the best of my knowledge, however, tomorrow will be unique. In bringing Prime Minister Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress, it will be the first time in American history that a war criminal has been given that honor. Frankly, this invitation to Netanyahu is a disgrace and something that we will look back on with regret. With this invitation, it will be impossible, with a straight face, for the United States to lecture any country on Earth about human rights and human dignity. As you well know, along with the Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, and several others, Prime Minister Netanyahu has been credibly accused of war crimes by the International Criminal Court, the ICC. That Court may soon issue arrest warrants for Sinwar and Netanyahu. The case against Sinwar and his Hamas accomplices is clear. They were organizers of the horrific October 7 terrorist attack on Israel that began this war and involved the mass murder of 1,200 innocent men, women, and children, the taking of hostages, and sexual violence.…





