Washington, DC – In his remarks upon the election of the Speaker of the House, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), the House Democratic Leader, reiterated the need to support our allies, including Israel and Ukraine, in their efforts to defeat aggression and protect their democracies. 

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“We must also continue to stand by President Biden as he works to bring American hostages and Israeli hostages held by Hamas back home. American hostages and Israeli hostages and international hostages back home. We must also stand by our friends on the international stage. And we have no better friend in the Middle East than the State of Israel. 

Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish and Democratic state. The special relationship between the United States and Israel is unbreakable. Our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad. And Israel has a right to defend itself under the international rules of war against the brutal terror unleashed on its citizens by Hamas.

Our ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and the effort to defeat Hamas is not inconsistent with the goal of achieving a lasting and just peace between Israel and the Palestinian people. In many ways, it is a necessary ingredient, because Hamas is not good for Israel, Hamas is not good for America, Hamas is not good for the Free World, Hamas is not good for the democratic aspirations of the Palestinian people.

We must also support Ukraine in its courageous effort to defeat Russian aggression. There are only two paths in front of us. We can either stand up for Ukraine or bow down to Vladimir Putin. That is not a difficult choice. 

We must stand up for America’s national security. 

We must stand up for democracy. 

We must stand up for freedom. 

We must stand up for truth. 

We must stand up for the Ukrainian people until victory is won. 

It is my expectation that in the next week or so the Senate will send over for consideration a bipartisan National Security Funding Package for Israel, Ukraine and our other allies throughout the Free World, that also includes humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians and others who may be in harm’s way. The House of Representatives should take up this national security package and humanitarian relief package immediately, in totality and without delay.

The time for gamesmanship is over, the time for brinksmanship is over, the time of partisanship is over. It’s time to get back to doing the business of the American people.”

Full speech can be watched here.