{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=5D7ACB90-E60B-401E-AF95-AC42C06B5169", "VIDEO: Fischer Joins \u201cMornings with Maria\u201d to Talk U.S. Aid to Israel, Threats from Iran, and Jack Lew\u2019s Nomination", "2023-10-24", "2023", "2023-10", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Deb Fischer", "F000463", "www.fischer.senate.gov", "fischer", "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business today to discuss the horrific attack on Israel by Hamas and the importance of providing lethal aid to Israel. Senator Fischer also discussed the need to replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles and bolster domestic munitions production.\n\nDuring the interview, Senator Fischer pushed back against President Biden\u2019s failed Iran policy, including the administration\u2019s attempts to release $6 billion to Iran. Senator Fischer announced she would oppose Jack Lew\u2019s nomination to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Israel given his previous appeasement of Iran and his work to promote the Obama administration\u2019s flawed Iran nuclear deal.\n\nClick the image above to watch video of Sen. Fischer\u2019s interview\n\nClick here to download audio\n\nClick here to download video\n\nFollowing is a transcript of Senator Fischer\u2019s interview:\n\nMaria Bartiromo: Joining me right now is Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer. She's a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senator, thanks very much for being here. Assess the situation as you know it.\n\nSenator Fischer: Well, we have a really horrible situation that the Israelis are facing. And our part of this: we need to be able to give them the time that they need to really defend their nation and to wipe out Hamas. We also need to give them the resources that they need. They are a strong partner for us. This is a strategic relationship that we have with them, and we need to make sure that we stand with them.\n\nMaria Bartiromo: Well, I mean, for the last two and a half years, this administration has been trying to get an Iran deal done with the Iranians and appeasing the Iranians \u2014 sanctions, enabling the Iranians to generate billions of dollars in revenue on the oil money, so that they could sell the oil money. Do you think that's going to reverse course anytime soon?\n\nSenator Fischer: Well, I would hope it would. Obviously, I was not in favor of that Iran deal to begin with. But now, we're looking at, as you said, the appeasement of this administration, whether it's with Iran and their movement to release that $6 billion, which I'm glad they are talking about walking that back. That should be frozen permanently. And I'm on different bills and letters to push that that happens. But we also saw the horrible, misguided withdrawal from Afghanistan, which I think really was a tipping point. And it showed the world that things had changed with the leadership here in the United States that was coming from the White House.\n\nMaria Bartiromo: Well, the Pentagon is now vowing to hold Iran responsible for rocket attacks on American troops in the Middle East. They also expect a, \u201csignificant escalation of attacks against our troops.\u201d Senator, your thoughts on that?\n\nSenator Fischer: We've seen a number of attacks already on our troops with no response by this administration for the vast majority of those attacks. So, it's good that the administration is standing up and saying it, but I want to see the action that follows it. We have to be able to have a strong response when our men and women overseas are being attacked by a state-sponsored terrorists and their government that is constantly promoting attacks on the United States, on our allies. And we need to make sure that we do have a firm, strong response to that.\n\nMaria Bartiromo: Let me get your take on some of the business in Washington this week. First of all, Jack Lew\u2019s confirmation hearing, where does that stand? The administration would like Jack Lew to be the next ambassador to Israel.\n\nSenator Fischer: Well, he had his hearing before the Foreign Relations Committee. I have a strong response to that nomination. I will not support it. I believe that Jack Lew is not the person to be an ambassador from the United States to Israel when he was such a strong promoter of the Iran deal. He has a relationship with Iran that has been, I would say, on more friendly terms than I want to see from our ambassador to Israel. There are others that I think the administration should be looking at. And I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are going to take this nomination seriously, are going to really, really question it and look at the type of person that should be in that position. And it is not Jack Lew.\n\nMaria Bartiromo: And then there is this packaging of money that Biden wants. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he supports packaging aid to Ukraine and Israel together. Biden, as you know, requesting $61.4 billion for Ukraine, $14.3 billion for Israel. Senator, where do you stand on that?\n\nSenator Fischer: Well, the administration, they send over a supplemental package \u2018suggestion\u2019, I would take it. But let's remember, it's Congress who's going to pass the bill. We are going to decide what is included in that supplemental package. There is a lot under what has been classified as aid to Ukraine. I would point out that much of the money in there is to replenish our own stocks, which is necessary. On the Armed Services Committee where I'm second in seniority, we had a hearing last week from the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, and it was a wakeup call for this country and how unprepared we are.\n\nMaria Bartiromo: Are we running out of ammunition?\n\nSenator Fischer: We are behind in being able to produce the things that we need. So, while we are providing Ukraine with Javelins and Stingers and GMLRS, what is part of that package also reinforces our capability to produce what we need.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:43:12Z"]], "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.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=5D7ACB90-E60B-401E-AF95-AC42C06B5169"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5899071004241705, "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"}