John Cornyn Accuses VP Harris Of Skipping Netanyahu Speech 'Just To Get More Airtime On Cable'

2 months ago

During remarks on the Senate floor, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for planning to miss Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressing the Congress.

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Transcript

00:00Senator from Texas.

00:02Mr. President, it's been a remarkable couple of weeks in our country, the attempted assassination

00:10of President Trump, the decision made by President Biden to notwithstanding having won all the

00:20primaries and being essentially the chosen leader of the Democratic Party on the presidential

00:27ticket, come November, his decision to step down and what can only be described as a political

00:35coup to install the vice president as the Democratic nominee, even after months upon

00:44months of elections where the votes of people who participated in the Democratic primary

00:49have now simply been disregarded in favor of a handful of leaders in the smoky, smoke-filled

00:57rooms here in Washington, D.C., deciding who should be their standard bearer.

01:03But tomorrow we have a very, another very significant event occurring.

01:08Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington this week and will address Congress tomorrow.

01:18More than nine months have passed since that terrible day on October the 7th when Israel

01:23was attacked by Hamas terrorists.

01:27These attacks were against innocent civilians, not the Israeli defense forces, and these

01:33terrorists brutally murdered more than 1,200 Israelis without any warning and violently

01:40assaulted countless others.

01:42They took 251 hostages.

01:47Many, unfortunately, have died while 120 of them still remain in Hamas custody, including

01:54eight Americans.

01:58Over the last several months, Israeli forces have faced attacks not just from Hamas but

02:04from another terrorist proxy, or I should say two of them, Hezbollah from Lebanon in

02:10the northern part of the region and its proxy, the Houthis in Yemen.

02:17Sadly, many on the far left in our country have chosen to take sides, not with our friend

02:24and ally Israel, but with the terrorists, with Hamas, with Hezbollah and the Houthis

02:32against our friend and ally Israel.

02:35They've repeatedly called for a ceasefire, notwithstanding the fact that Israel is still

02:41under threat from Iranian proxies, and they've attempted to frame Prime Minister Netanyahu

02:48as the villain here for a war begun on October the 7th when terrorists attacked innocent

02:55Israeli civilians.

02:59At a time when many Americans and sadly many members of Congress do not seem to understand

03:05why America's support for Israel is so critical, I hope Prime Minister Netanyahu's remarks

03:11tomorrow will provide some clarity and some context.

03:17There's a saying that's been going around for years.

03:19If Hamas laid down its weapons today, there would be no more violence.

03:25If Israel laid down its weapons, there would be no more Israel.

03:33Hamas is not fighting for peace.

03:36It is trying to wipe Israel off the map.

03:41This is an existential threat to the state of Israel and the people of Israel.

03:48The United States cannot tiptoe down the line between good and evil.

03:57We must make a choice, and we must make a stand.

04:01And that stand should be with Israel.

04:05Prime Minister Netanyahu's joint address to Congress is an opportunity to reaffirm our

04:10shared values and highlight the pivotal role that Israel plays in promoting stability and

04:16democracy in an admittedly volatile region.

04:21I look forward to hearing his remarks tomorrow, but I am concerned about one critical absence.

04:29There have been news reports that Vice President Harris, who's now on track to become the Democrats'

04:36presidential nominee, will not be in attendance.

04:42Reports are she's scheduled to speak at a sorority convention in Indianapolis.

04:49But this isn't a last-minute or unavoidable scheduling conflict.

04:53The date of Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech was announced in early June.

04:58And in any event, I'm sure the sorority convention would forgive the Vice President for attending

05:06to this important event here in Washington, D.C., and perhaps reschedule for another time.

05:14But to openly boycott the leader of Israel at a time like this is irresponsible.

05:23The Vice President's decision to skip this joint address is clearly a snub, and it foreshadows

05:31a continuing trend in U.S. foreign policy that started under the current president.

05:38And obviously, it's designed to send a message to Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel.

05:45We've already heard some members of this body call for Prime Minister Netanyahu, basically

05:50for there to be an election to replace him, an unprecedented intrusion into the affairs

05:56of a sovereign nation, another democracy.

06:00It's disgraceful and embarrassing to see the pandering to extremist elements in the Democratic Party.

06:10Sadly, the Vice President isn't the only one shying away from showing support for one of our critical allies.

06:16Media reports say that this chamber's president pro-temporary, Senator Murray, is boycotting

06:23the speech as well.

06:26I'm not surprised that some of the more radical members of the Democratic conference may boycott,

06:31but it's shameful when their top leadership is so willing to abandon a key ally.

06:39In light of these dynamics, I hope the Majority Leader, Senator Schumer, will make it clear

06:43where he stands and that he doesn't condone skipping one of the most important sessions

06:49of Congress in recent memory just to get more airtime on cable TV.

06:56Given the partisan antics at play, I'm relieved to hear that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

07:01Chairman, Senator Ben Cardin, will sit behind Prime Minister Netanyahu tomorrow.

07:08I don't recall when the Vice President and the President pro tem declined to sit and

07:15the Chairman of a standing committee like the Foreign Relations Committee was called

07:19upon to fill in, but good for him.

07:22He understands the important message that this address sends and has stepped in to do

07:28what others have refused to do.

07:31Still the world is watching the Vice President more closely than ever before now that she

07:36is on a path to become the Democratic nominee for President.

07:42They of course are analyzing every word, every move, every signal, every decision.

07:50If the Vice President keeps up with her current plans to boycott this address, it will send

07:55a chilling message about her foreign policy priorities and the future of U.S.-Israel relations

08:03under a potential Harris administration.

08:07It also demonstrates a disregard of the commitments we have made as a nation to our allies.

08:14At a time when the tyrants and dictators of the world are drawing closer together, America

08:20cannot abandon our allies.

08:24As Israel faces ongoing threats in a hostile neighborhood, it's imperative that the United

08:30States stand steady beside Israel.

08:36Israel must have confidence that regardless of who is elected in November, the relationship

08:41between the United States and Israel will remain strong.

08:47You know, it's not just the message we send to Israel, it's the message we send to Iran,

08:53the number one state sponsor of international terrorism and its proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah,

09:00and the Houthis in Yemen.

09:02We're sending the Vice President, whether she appreciates it or not, is sending a message

09:07to America's enemies as well.

09:13As Joseph Stalin reportedly said, he said, you probe with bayonets.

09:20If you find mush, you push on.

09:23But if you find steel, you withdraw.

09:28Unfortunately, the message that the Vice President is sending by not attending this

09:34address and respecting our friend and ally Israel sends a message of mush, not steel.

09:45As we face growing challenges around the globe, including the threat of Iran's nuclear ambitions

09:52and the spread of terrorism, we need leaders who will unequivocally support our allies

09:58and uphold our commitments.

10:02I can only hope that the Vice President will change her mind and make that commitment this

10:07week.

10:08I would congratulate her if she did.

10:13But as we look into the future, America needs leaders who understand the importance of our

10:17alliances and are willing to stand shoulder and shoulder with our friends.

10:23As I said earlier, this is not just a message to our friend and allies.

10:27This is a message to Israel's enemies and adversaries.

10:32Because if they sense a lack of commitment and resolve on the part of the United States

10:36to stand with our allies, they are going to continue to do what they started on October

10:427th.

10:48As I said, we need leaders who understand the importance of our alliances and are willing

10:52to stand shoulder and shoulder with our friends.

10:57Any leader, or would-be leader, who fails to meet that bar does not deserve a seat in

11:03the Senate, much less in the Oval Office.

11:06Mr. President, I yield the floor.

John Cornyn Accuses VP Harris Of Skipping Netanyahu Speech 'Just To Get More Airtime On Cable'

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