Schneider Calls on House to Immediately Pass Military Aid for Israel and Stop Partisan Attacks that Benefit Iran and Hamas

WASHINGTON- In a speech on the House Floor on Wednesday, April 10, Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10) voiced his strong opposition to H.Res. 1117, a partisan resolution that mischaracterizes President Biden's record on Israel and undermines support for Israel's war against Hamas. The House is scheduled to vote on H.Res. 1117 later this week.

"If my Republican colleagues want to help our ally and protect our national security, we shouldn't be debating this partisan resolution," said Schneider in his remarks. "We should be voting on the essential funding bill to help Israel fight its war against our common enemies, as well as ensuring Ukraine defeats Russia and Taiwan remains secure. The Senate passed the bill two months ago. The House should have passed it in February as well. It is as shameful as it is dangerous that we have still not voted on that desperately needed assistance yet today."

Schneider's remarks come after the six month anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, where Hamas terrorists murdered more than 1,200 people, wounded more than 3,000 and took more than 250 hostages. He recently completed a trip to Israel where he visited both the Gaza and Lebanese borders and met with Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.

"Iran understands that diminishing the bipartisan support for Israel in Congress only hurts our ally and advances our enemies' agenda," continued Schneider. "Why are Republicans so willing to play into the hands of Iran and Israel's other enemies? The US-Israel relationship is being tested. Congress is being tested. It's up to us to pass the test. I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution."

You can watch Rep. Schneider's remarks here, and a transcript is below.

Mr. Speaker

I am proud that the United States was the first country to recognize the newly declared state of Israel nearly 76 years ago - merely 11 minutes after its creation.

I am also proud that within 11 days of Hamas' barbaric attack on Israel that started this current war, President Joe Biden landed in Tel Aviv, sent two carrier strike groups and became the first U.S. President ever to visit Israel during a time of war.

On October 7th at approximately 6:30am, Hamas launched thousands of rockets at cities across Israel, sending millions of Israelis into bomb shelters and safe rooms while providing cover for a swarming army of Hamas terrorists who invaded the country and launched a genocidal attack, brutally murdering more than 1,200 people, wounding more than 3,000 others, and taking more than 250 hostages in Gaza.

In the six months since Hamas started this war, Israel has been fighting for its existence on many fronts, facing attacks and threats from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Iran.

And it's more than just the mortars, rockets, missiles and drones threatening Israel. Israel's enemies have two key strategies in their campaign to destroy and delegitimize the Jewish state:

(1) Distort the truth with canards and libelous accusations against Israel and the Jewish people; and,

(2) Isolate Israel in global forums and in the world of public opinion.

South Africa is perversely accusing Israel of genocide in the International Criminal Court of Justice. Of course, when you lift the veil of this grotesque distortion of the truth, you see that Iran is also behind South Africa's actions-just like Iran finances and fuels Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

Meanwhile, in cities around the world, as well as here in the United States, anti-Israel protests are replete with calls for the elimination of the Jewish state-most clearly manifest with the chant "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free."

And look no further than the rally just last Friday in Dearborn, Michigan where the crowd chanted not only "Death to Israel" but "Death to America". I'm grateful for the leadership and moral clarity of the Biden Administration and the mayor of Dearborn when they roundly condemned this rhetoric.

Israel's enemies, from Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, to groups here in the United States like SJP, AMP and JVP, are doing everything they can to demonize, delegitimize and ultimately destroy the only Jewish state on earth.

But let's be clear, the war Hamas started on October 7th is not just a war against Israel. Iran's vision is not just the destruction of Israel but the conquest of the entire Muslim world and the defeat of the West. The Houthis are not launching rockets at Israeli ships in the Red Sea, they are targeting global commerce in general.

In this war, Israel's allies must do everything we can to fight the lies and ensure Israel, and the Israeli people, know that they are not alone.

This is why I traveled to Israel with Jewish lay leaders from Chicago in February and last month traveled with several of my colleagues from here in Congress.

And that is why I oppose the Republican resolution we are considering this week.

The text of this resolution plays loose with the truth, and the intent is not to help Israel but to win political points and further weaken the bipartisan support Israel has long enjoyed in this body.

Don't take my word for it. This is how Axios described the resolution: "it is the latest in a series of Israel-related wedge votes House Republicans have held since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack."

If my Republican colleagues want to help our ally and protect our national security, we shouldn't be debating this partisan resolution.

Instead, we should be voting on the essential funding bill to help Israel fight its war against our common enemies, as well as ensuring Ukraine defeats Russia and Taiwan remains secure.

The Senate passed the bill two months ago.

The House should have passed it in February as well.

It is as shameful as it is dangerous that we have still not voted on this desperately needed assistance yet today.

Mr. Speaker, Iran understands that diminishing the bipartisan support for Israel in Congress only hurts our ally and advances our enemies' agenda.

Why are Republicans so willing to play into the hands of Iran and Israel's other enemies?

The US-Israel relationship is being tested. Congress is being tested. It's up to us here today to pass the test. I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution, and instead vote for the essential funding bill coming over from the Senate.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield.

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