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.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
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.