WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this week joined U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), co-chairs of the Abraham Accords Caucus, and 46 other colleagues in urging President Biden to put his full attention on the freeing of American hostages that were taken by Hamas during the terrorist organization’s October 7th attacks on Israel and continue support Israel’s efforts to dismantle the threat of Hamas.
In the letter, the lawmakers wrote: “We appreciate that you have sent the U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs to Israel to assist in the recovery of the hostages, and we urge you to do everything in your power to secure their safe release.
“Hamas has already killed 30 Americans and likely injured many more…The terrorists responsible for these atrocities hide behind human shields while they threaten to livestream the execution of hostages. Hamas has also reportedly demanded the mass release of prisoners in exchange for freeing its hostages and could use the hostages to push for a ceasefire. With several U.S. citizens still missing in the aftermath of the terror group’s brutal attack, we urge you to continue putting your full attention on the freeing of American hostages. Every day must be treated with a sense of urgency.
“As a result, we urge the United States to continue supporting Israel’s urgent efforts to dismantle the threat of Hamas, provide the necessary resources for Israel’s defense, and continue offering whatever support necessary to immediately and safely rescue kidnapped Americans, with particular attention to those who require urgent medical care.
“We urge you to encourage our allies and partners in the region to place pressure on Hamas to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to have access to the hostages while the United States and Israel work to secure their release.”
Full text of the letter can be found here.
In addition to Risch, Ernst, and Booker, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and U.S. Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.).
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