GOP senator calls on Senate Dems to pass bipartisan House Israel aid bill again: ‘Time is of the essence’
Fox News
A Republican senator is calling on the Senate Democrats to pass the bipartisan Israel aid bill that the House of Representatives passed earlier this month.
Senator Roger Marshall, R-Ks., will urge his Democratic colleagues in the upper chamber to pass the aid bill for Israel in a speech Tuesday, a draft of which was first obtained by Fox News Digital.
“Since we were last here, Hamas’ leadership has declared its desire for a permanent state of war with Israel on all the borders,” the senator plans to say on Tuesday at 11 a.m.
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“Time is of the essence,” the remarks read. “Right now, there are still hundreds of innocent people being held captive by Hamas terrorists, including approximately 10 Americans.”
Marshall plans to appeal to the Senate Democrats to pass the Israel aid bill and will call on them to “do the right thing and pass this aid for Israel in their time of need.”
“It has been over a month since Hamas’ Army of Terror launched its savage assault on our greatest ally in the Middle East,” Marshall plans to say. “The House sent us a bipartisan solution that has only been met with obstruction from the Senate Democrats in this Chamber.”
“This delay in providing this aid is not lost on Israel, raising questions about our commitment as an ally. And perhaps equally concerning is the message it sends to Hamas terrorists, emboldening them in their murderous endeavors.”
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“Mr. President, America is not a fair-weather friend. We must stand unequivocally with Israel and pass this aid today,” he adds.
Marshall also plans to slam his Democrat colleagues who have “attempted to delay the delivery of this critical military assistance as they call for negotiations with these terrorists and a ceasefire” and called “on each Senate Democrat holding up this bipartisan funding to sit down with a victim of Hamas’ savage attacks.”
“I’d encourage them to listen to their stories of Hamas’ terror that massacred the most Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust,” the senator’s remarks read.
“I want to make sure it is clear — Hamas’ evil defies all logic, and our hesitation to provide bipartisan funding to our ally is a defiance of commonsense,” he adds.
The bipartisan Israel aid bill passed the House in early November before being shot down by eight Senate Democrats as the bill made its way through.
Senate Democrats sunk the bill last week, citing a lack of Ukraine aid, as well as humanitarian aid, money to combat China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific and border security funding.
Senate Democrats also attacked Republicans over the bill slashing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding to pay for the Israel aid, accusing them of slow-walking the aid by tying the IRS cuts to it.
Additionally, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said during a press briefing that President Biden would veto an Israel-only supplemental package if passed by Congress.
“The president would veto an only-Israel bill. I think that we’ve made that clear,” Kirby said during a White House press conference last week.
Kirby’s remarks came as the House prepared to vote on a $14.3 billion Israel-only aid package that ultimately passed.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed reporting.