{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/newsroom-news-releases-barrasso-demands-answers-on-biden-blocking-arms-to-israel/", "Barrasso Demands Answers on Biden Blocking Arms to Israel", "2024-05-15", "2024", "2024-05", "Republican", "Senate", "WY", "John Barrasso", "B001261", "www.barrasso.senate.gov", "barrasso", "https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/newsroom/news-releases/", "scraper", "\u201cThe people of Israel deserve a partner and a friend that it can trust, not one that leaves it to face terrorism and terrorists alone.\u201d\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) questioned U.S. Department of State Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie D. Jenkins on President Biden\u2019s recent move to cut off arms shipments to Israel and the administration\u2019s lack of progress on engaging China on its nuclear expansion.\n\nUnder Secretary Jenkins testified at today\u2019s Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on the Future of Arms Control and Deterrence.\n\nOn President Biden Cutting Off Arms to Israel\n\n\u201cI want to talk about cutting off arms to Israel. Israel is one of our nation\u2019s closest allies.\n\n\u201cOn October 7th, Hamas brutally murdered men, women, and children in Israel. I\u2019ve seen the videos. American citizens were among the individuals killed, injured, kidnapped, and held hostage.\n\n\u201cThe death and destruction of these terrorists is shocking. Hamas continues to hide in populated areas. Hamas continues to use civilians as human shields.\n\n\u201cWith the serious threats in the region, I think it\u2019s more important than ever for Israel to quickly receive everything it needs to defend itself, to eliminate Hamas \u2013 yet the Biden administration is doing the complete opposite at this point.\n\n\u201cLast week, President Biden announced he was cutting off shipments of ammunition and weapons to Israel.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m going to be clear. This is happening while one of our strongest allies in the Middle East is at war with terrorists, murderers.\n\n\u201cThe people of Israel deserve a partner and a friend that it can trust, not one that leaves it to face terrorism and terrorists alone.\n\n\u201cThe administration should be ashamed, I believe, of its actions. These are the weapons Israel needs to defeat Hamas, to defend its people against additional attacks from Iran and from its proxies.\n\n\u201cLast week, 48 U.S. senators introduced a resolution condemning the decision by the Biden administration.\n\n\u201cI think we must be taking every step possible to expedite the delivery of these important weapons, not putting up new barriers and obstacles in the way.\n\n\u201cSo, do you support the U.S. blocking weapons from going to Israel?\u201d\n\nClick here to watch Sen. Barrasso\u2019s remarks on President Biden cutting off arms to Israel.\n\nOn Holding Up Necessary Weapons\n\n\u201cMy concern is that there are other countries looking in on this as well. And if they say, \u2018well, how can we expect us to be good partners with them if at this time we\u2019re withholding weapons?\u2019\n\n\u201cSo the question is, given recent reports of the administration asking for approval from Congress for a new arms shipment, why is the administration holding up weapons now? If this is something that was just approved?\u201d\n\nFollow-up:\n\n\u201cMy follow-up to that would be that some of these bombs are to get to the fact that these tunnels are so far underground, and that\u2019s used as a hiding place by Hamas. And we\u2019ve seen that.\n\n\u201cI think that\u2019s been a surprise to many \u2013 the extent of the tunnels and the depth of the tunnels \u2013 and the intention of some of these armaments are to get specifically to that.\u201d\n\nClick here to watch Sen. Barrasso\u2019s remarks on holding up necessary weapons.\n\nOn Chinese Nuclear Expansion\n\n\u201cI want to ask a question on China. During your confirmation process, you committed to me in writing that you would work with U.S. allies and partners to urge Beijing to engage meaningfully with the United States on arms control.\n\n\u201cThe 2022 Nuclear Posture Review said China has embarked on an ambitious expansion, modernization, and diversification of its nuclear forces, of which you\u2019re well aware.\n\n\u201cIt went on to say that China expanding its nuclear options could allow for them to include nuclear coercion, and limited nuclear first use in their employment strategy.\n\n\u201cCan you share with the committee how many engagements you actually have had with the Chinese officials \u2013 specifically on their nuclear weapons, ambitions, and expansion?\u201d\n\nFollow-up:\n\n\u201cIt sounds like that\u2019s not going to happen at this point.\u201d\n\nClick here to watch Sen. Barrasso\u2019s remarks on monitoring China\u2019s nuclear expansion.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:12:30Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/newsroom-news-releases-barrasso-demands-answers-on-biden-blocking-arms-to-israel/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8226283825933933, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}