{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.budd.senate.gov/2024/12/02/budd-statement-on-murder-of-american-hostage-omer-neutra/", "Budd Statement on Murder of American Hostage Omer Neutra", "2024-12-02", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NC", "Ted Budd", "B001305", "www.budd.senate.gov", "budd", "https://www.budd.senate.gov/category/news/press-releases/page/", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Today, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) released a statement after the Israeli Defense Forces confirmed that U.S.-Israeli citizen Omer Neutra was killed by Hamas terrorists during the October 7, 2023 attacks. His body remains in Gaza.\n\nSenator Budd said:\n\n\u201cWe are deeply saddened by the confirmation of Omer Neutra\u2019s death. Since October 7th, we have gotten to know Omer\u2019s parents and are devastated for them. We are praying for God to comfort them and all of Omer\u2019s friends and loved ones. This news is further proof of the true evil of Hamas terrorists. The U.S. government must not relent until all those responsible for Omer\u2019s murder are brought to justice, and until we bring every American hostage home.\u201d\n\nBackground on Senator Budd\u2019s efforts since October 7, 2023:\n\nOn October 25, 2023, Senator Budd first spoke about the hostage situation in Gaza on the Senate floor, where he announced his intention \u201cto hold all humanitarian aid to Gaza until each and every American hostage is home and is safe.\u201d\n\nOn November 6, 2023, Senator Budd met with Qatari Ambassador Meshal Al Thani in Senator Budd\u2019s Washington, D.C. office. In that meeting, he strongly urged the Qatari government to use their leverage on Hamas leaders currently residing in Doha to immediately release all hostages, and hold those same Hamas leaders accountable once the hostage situation is fully resolved.\n\nOn November 26, 2023, Senator Budd reacted to the release of Keith Siegel\u2019s wife, Aviva, saying, \u201cWhile we are encouraged by the government of Qatar\u2019s efforts to mediate the release of some of the hostages, we renew our call to their government to exert pressure on Hamas leadership to release each and every hostage immediately and unconditionally.\u201d\n\nOn November 28, 2023, Senator Budd spoke on the Senate floor and called out Qatar for its continued hosting of Hamas terrorist leaders, saying, \u201cWe need to tell our friends in Doha loudly and clearly: Qatar is accepting a significant liability with its pro-Hamas policy.\u201d\n\nOn December 13, 2023, Senator Budd sent a holiday message of support to the hostages and their families in a speech on the Senate floor, saying, \u201cI want every one of these family members to know that our country is behind them, we support them, and we are praying for them.\u201d\n\nOn January 10, 2024, Senator Budd returned from a congressional delegation (CODEL) to the Middle East, which included stops in Israel, Egypt, Qatar, and Bahrain. The focus of the delegation\u2019s meetings across the region was on securing the release of hostages.\n\nOn the trip, Senator Budd and his colleagues toured one of the communities devastated by the October 7th massacre by Hamas terrorists. He personally spoke with former hostage Aviva Siegel, and met with top Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Director David Barnea.\n\nSenator Budd then met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Prime Minister of Qatar, to whom Senator Budd sent a strong message that Qatar must do more to secure the immediate and safe release of all of the hostages.\n\nOn January 15, 2024, Senators Budd and Joni Ernst (R-IA) published an op-ed marking the 100th day of captivity for the hostages, writing, \u201cAs long as Americans remain captive to these barbaric thugs, the latter is the victor. Allowing Americans to suffer under the yoke of terrorists is a win for evil around the world and a boon for Iran\u2019s proxies.\u201d\n\nOn January 25, 2024, Senator Budd spoke on the Senate floor and delivered a sharp message to the government of Qatar: \u201cOur patience has run out. Time is up. Either pressure Hamas leaders to release the hostages now, or expel them from your land. It\u2019s that simple. The United States of America will be watching.\u201d\n\nOn March 7, 2024, Senators Budd and Tillis invited the family of Keith Siegel to be their guests at the president\u2019s State of the Union Address. Keith\u2019s sister Lucy and niece Hanna have accepted the Senators\u2019 invitation.\n\nOn March 15, 2024, Senator Budd joined a joint statement from Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Jim Risch (R-ID), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as five other Senators stating, \u201cIf Hamas refuses reasonable negotiations, there is no reason for Qatar to continue hosting Hamas\u2019 political office or any of its members in Doha.\u201d\n\nOn March 26, 2024, Senator Budd and Senator Ernst issued a joint statement calling on the State of Qatar to immediately expel all members of Hamas\u2019 political office currently residing in Doha.\n\nOn April 9, 2024, Senator Budd introduced the \u2018Reviewing Qatar\u2019s Major Non- NATO Ally Status Act\u2019, which would require the Secretary of State to formally certify that Qatar has expelled or agreed to extradite to the United States any individuals bearing responsibility for the terror attack on October 7, 2023. If the Secretary of State cannot make this certification in good faith, then the President is required to immediately terminate the designation of the State of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally.\n\nOn April 10, 2024, Senator Budd attempted to invoke unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass the \u2018Reviewing Qatar\u2019s Major Non- NATO Ally Status Act\u2019, but was blocked. He said, \u201cThe time for talking is over, and the time for action is now. If we don\u2019t see action, then Qatar must face consequences. At the end of the day, this bill represents another step towards securing the freedom of our fellow Americans.\u201d\n\nOn May 7, 2024, Senators Budd and Ernst returned from a congressional delegation (CODEL) to the Middle East, which included stops in Israel, Iraq, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).\n\nOn the trip, Senators Budd and Ernst received first-hand updates on the state of the hostage negotiations from top U.S. and Israeli officials including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They also hosted the families of American hostages, including the family of North Carolina native, Keith Siegel.\n\nOn July 31, 2024, Senator Budd released a statement after Hamas\u2019s political leader was killed, saying that it \u201csends a clear and resounding message to terrorists that those who kill and kidnap Americans will ultimately face justice.\u201d\n\nOn September 1, 2024, Senator Budd released a statement condemning the Hamas murder of American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin along with five other Israeli hostages, saying, \u201cThis is yet another act of cold-blooded barbarism from Hamas terrorists. It must not be excused or downplayed. The U.S. government must leave no stone unturned until all those responsible for Hersh\u2019s kidnapping and murder are brought to justice, and until we bring every American hostage home.\u201d\n\nOn October 7, 2024, Senator Budd disclosed that the Biden administration had ignored a bipartisan request from Senator Budd and 11 other Senators to authorize a reward of up to $25 million for information that brings Hamas leaders to justice.\n\nOn October 17, 2024, Senator Budd released a statement after Israeli Defense Forces killed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas and the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 attacks, saying, \u201c[Sinwar] was a terrorist leader who had American blood on his hands. To the remaining Hamas leaders: release the hostages, renounce terrorism, and recognize Israel\u2019s right to exist. There is no future for Hamas or its ideology.\u201d\n\nOn November 8, 2024, Senator Budd joined a letter to the Department of Justice and Department of State requesting an immediate freeze on the assets of Hamas officials living in Qatar, the extradition of several senior Hamas officials currently residing in Qatar, and that Qatar end its hospitality of Hamas\u2019 senior leadership.\n\nOn November 8, 2024, Senator Budd released a statement after the State of Qatar decided to expel the remaining Hamas terrorist leadership from Doha, calling the move, \u201cwelcome, but long overdue.\u201d\n\nOn November 22, 2024, Senator Budd, along with Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker and Senator Joni Ernst, released a statement calling on Turkey to extradite the Hamas terrorist leaders who fled there after being expelled from Qatar.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "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.budd.senate.gov/2024/12/02/budd-statement-on-murder-of-american-hostage-omer-neutra/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1320009361952543, "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"}