On the recordJuly 24, 2024
earlier today, Members of Congress had the distinct honor of hearing from Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the State of Israel. He is a leader of one of our most steadfast allies in an unprecedented time of strife for his country. Prime Minister Netanyahu's message to Congress today was a snapshot into the reality that his nation is facing and what they have experienced since the morning of October 7. He spoke to the urgency of bringing our hostages home and received a standing ovation for that; the courage and bravery of his Israeli forces and citizens and received a standing ovation for that; and his vision to bring peace, prosperity, and security to the Middle East--again, standing room only. Israel is a country at war, and, as the only democracy in the Middle East and a friend of freedom, Israel deserves the unwavering support of these United States. That is why it is incredibly disheartening to see that many of our Democratic colleagues were absolutely absent from the address--especially the Vice President. Her absence unleashed a completely unnecessary discussion about who would join the Speaker to preside over the joint address. For a time, her seat behind the podium was just simply up for grabs. I extend my thanks to my colleague from Maryland, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for welcoming Prime Minister Netanyahu on behalf of the Senate, and that was Senator Ben Cardin.…
