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September 29, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, they say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that is certainly true when it comes to wildfires and smoke. And as climate chaos makes the fire season longer and hotter and more dangerous, wildfires are ravaging States across our country, certainly including my home State of Oregon.
the State of Oregon was the epicenter of the highest risk for the most time anticipated. Unfortunately, that crystal ball prepared by the experts turned out to be right. We had a record 2.5 million acres burn this summer. Well, we broke the 2 million acres last summer and the 2.5 million acres this summer. It wasn't that long ago when 1 million acres would have been an extraordinarily horrific fire year. Forests burning, grasslands burning, more lightning strikes, more wind, more drought, more dryness, hotter temperatures—all of it combined to create that extraordinarily destructive summer we have just gone through.
of September, when we had a combination of lightning strikes and wind that brought, basically, a force up from the east, wind over the top of the Cascade Mountains and down every valley, and every valley was burning. We had six cities burn to the ground, and we had another six that were badly scorched. When you saw those cities, it looked like a bomb had gone off. I mean, everything was reduced to ashes, with maybe a cast-iron tub over here, with maybe a metal staircase or a pipe dangling over here, then on the ground a pool of metal when the wheels on cars would melt and run across the ground. It was just devastating to go to the fairgrounds—where thousands of refugees were headed—and hear of their harrowing escapes. Sometimes their cars were starting to melt and smoke as they drove through the fire. Others were seeking refuge in the streams.
These fires? They are terrible, and they fill the air with toxins— toxins
that are filled with plastics and electronics. Who knows what else is in that smoke? That smoke is incredibly dangerous as well. That is why we need to pass the bipartisan Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act on which I am so pleased to partner with my colleague Senator Curtis from Utah.
This bill prepares our communities in two different ways.
First, it makes it easier for communities to do prescribed burns. Now, if I turned the clock back about 16 years, communities would say to me: We don't want those prescribed burns. We don't want that day or two of smoke.
But after the 2020 Labor Day fires, communities are like: We want to do the prescribed burns. We want them carefully monitored so that they do not escape and cause a larger fire, which has happened on rare occasions. We want to make sure they are done on days when there is enough humidity and so little wind and so little risk of wind that they can't possibly become something other than the prescribed burns.
they reduce so much fuel on the ground and provide a lot of protection thereafter. So prescribed burns are—along with thinning and mowing— significant ways to reduce the fuel load and reduce the devastation when there is a fire.
But here is the thing: a prescribed burn produces smoke, and that smoke may become a penalty under the Clean Air Act for our communities. So this bill solves that problem so that smoke from a prescribed fire does not create a penalty under the Clean Air Act.
locations that are safe for people, particularly people with lung problems, with asthma or emphysema or so forth or people who are particularly allergic to the content of the smoke to be able to get to places that have clean air through filtering. So that is essential.
on the Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act that I introduced before. It gives communities the tools and the resources to prepare for wildfire smoke and unhealthy air.
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That is a pretty good foundation for a bill—a bill, the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act, that will give our communities the tools they need to prepare for wildfires and smoke pollution, and I would encourage that we adopt this bill today.
I yield to one of my colleagues.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, colleagues, I am proud to join our colleagues from Utah and Oregon in bringing up this bill. I can't overstate both the importance and the urgency of the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act, which is a result of more than a year of bipartisan negotiations and a measure that recently passed unanimously out of the Environment and Public Works Committee.
States—including Oregon, California, and others—are confronting a crisis of wildfires that aren't just growing larger and larger every year but more destructive every year and emitting massive amounts of toxic smoke.
we know that prescribed fires—experience tells us and the data tells us that prescribed fires are the most effective tools in reducing hazardous fuels and preventing catastrophic wildfires.
Will they continue to happen—fires? Yes, but if we can prevent them, that is ideal or at least let's mitigate their size, their scope, and the damage that they cause however we can.
regulations have allowed prescribed fires to qualify as exceptional events since 2016, the Agency has never actually approved one, leaving States worried that using this critical tool—this provenly effective tool—to protect communities could jeopardize their air quality goals. By trying to do good and prevent fires or mitigate fires from a public safety standpoint, you are penalized on the air quality side of things.
prescribed fires while preserving existing air quality standards for other exceptional events.
partnership in this important bill, and kudos to Chairwoman Capito and Ranking Member Whitehouse on the committee who helped craft this measure as well.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
Mr. CURTIS. Mr. President, I, too, would like to give my colleagues a shout-out. Senator Padilla and Senator Merkley, thank you for being down here on the floor with me for this first UC of my Senate career. More importantly, thank you for your work on this bill.
And a shout-out to our colleagues. We share this commonality of Western State, and it is no secret that just as I speak today, Utah is in the midst of one of our worst fire seasons—over 1,200 fires over half a million acres in our State. And with these fires come devastating floods and other consequences. And every day the threat to our communities and our lands grows substantially more severe.
controlled burns off the table. You both have described how well these prescribed burns help us channel and focus these forest fires. The data, as presented to me by the Forest Service, is clear: Wildfire prevention and containment are more successful in areas where prescribed burns took place. Yet States that proactively use prescribed burns can face regulatory consequences for the temporary emissions created by the very work that prevents far greater emissions in our environment.
greater certainty by ensuring that prescribed fires and other wildfire mitigation activities can be treated as exceptional events under the Clean Air Act.
The people of Utah are not looking for an emissions loophole. They are looking to protect their families, communities, and land. This is about recognizing that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
We have alluded to it today, all of us have. This bill passed through our Environment and Public Works Committee 19 to 0. This is exactly what people back home want us to do, to work up these bipartisan solutions. This reflects something I think we can all agree on: States should not be punished for taking responsible action to prevent catastrophic wildfires.
Merkley, Padilla, also Senators Boozman, Kelly. Thank you for your work on this legislation.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 620, S. 5045.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 5045) to amend the Clean Air Act to modify the
handling of air quality monitoring with respect to prescribed
fires, and for other purposes.
Mr. CURTIS. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (S. 5045) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed as follows:
S. 5045
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Wildfire Emissions
Prevention Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. AIR QUALITY MONITORING DATA INFLUENCED BY EXCEPTIONAL
EVENTS.
(a) In General.—Section 319(b) of the Clean Air Act (42
U.S.C. 7619(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)—
(A) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking “In
this subsection, the” and inserting “The”; and
(ii) by redesignating clauses (i) through (iii) as
subclauses (I) through (III), respectively, and indenting
appropriately;
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as clause (ii) and
indenting appropriately;
(C) by striking the paragraph designation and heading and
all that follows through “exceptional event.” at the end of
subparagraph (A)(iv) and inserting the following:
“(1) Definitions.—In this subsection:
“(A) Exceptional event.—
“(i) In general.—The term `exceptional event' means an
event—
“(I)(aa) that—
“(AA) affects air quality;
“(BB) is not reasonably controllable or preventable; and
“(CC) is an event caused by human activity that is
unlikely to recur at a particular location or a natural
event; or
“(bb) that is a prescribed fire; and
“(II) that is—
“(aa) determined by the Administrator, through the process
established in the regulations revised under paragraph
(2)(B), to be an exceptional event; or
“(bb) deemed to be an exceptional event pursuant to a
State petition deemed to be approved pursuant to paragraph
(3)(B)(v).”; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
“(B) Prescribed fire.—
“(i) In general.—The term `prescribed fire' means a fire
deliberately ignited in accordance with applicable law
(including regulations) to burn wildland fuels in a natural
or modified state under specified environmental conditions
that are intended to allow the fire to be confined to a
predetermined area and produce the fireline intensity and
rate of spread required to attain planned resource management
objectives.
“(ii) Inclusion.—The term `prescribed fire' includes
cultural burning activities, as determined by an Indian
tribe.”;
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (B) and
inserting the following:
“(B) Revision of regulations.—
“(i) Proposed revisions.—Not later than 270 days after
the date of enactment of the Wildfire Emissions Prevention
Act of 2026, the Administrator, after consultation with
Federal land managers, State air pollution control agencies,
State foresters, State fish and wildlife agencies, and Indian
tribes, shall publish in the Federal Register any necessary
revisions to existing regulations promulgated under this
section—
“(I) to reduce the burden and cost for States to
demonstrate an exceptional event;
“(II) to clarify the eligibility of prescribed fires as
exceptional events pursuant to the definition in paragraph
(1)(A); and
“(III) to establish the procedure for the review of State
petitions described in paragraph (3)(B)(iv).
“(ii) Final revisions.—Not later than 180 days after the
date on which the Administrator publishes proposed revisions
to regulations promulgated under this section under clause
(i), and after providing an opportunity for interested
persons to make oral presentations of views, data, and
arguments regarding the proposed revisions, the Administrator
shall finalize those revisions to govern air quality
monitoring data influenced by exceptional events that are
consistent with paragraph (3).”;
(3) in paragraph (3)—
(A) in subparagraph (A)—
(i) by redesignating clauses (ii) through (v) as clauses
(iii) through (vi), respectively;
(ii) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
“(ii) the principle that prescribed fire can play an
important role in reducing the magnitude and frequency of
wildfires;”; and
(iii) in clause (iv) (as so redesignated), by striking
“manner, an appropriate” and inserting “manner in an
appropriate”; and
(B) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) in clause (ii), by inserting “or, for prescribed fire,
be reasonably expected to exist,” after “must exist”;
(ii) in clause (iii), by striking “and” at the end;
(iii) in clause (iv)—
(I) by striking “with respect to exceedances” and
inserting the following: “with respect to—
“(I) exceedances”;
(II) in subclause (I) (as so designated), by striking the
period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
(III) by adding at the end the following:
“(II) the designation, redesignation, classification, or
reclassification of an area, the determination of attainment
of a national ambient air quality standard, or other
determinations by the Administrator for determining
compliance with this Act; and”; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
“(v)(I) a State petition described in clause (iv) be
approved, disapproved, or approved-in-part and disapproved-
in-part by the Administrator by the date that is 1 year after
the date on which the petition is submitted; and
“(II) if the Administrator does not act on a State
petition described in clause (iv) by that date, the State
petition be deemed approved unless the Administrator, through
the process established in the regulations revised under
paragraph (2)(B), subsequently determines that the event is
not an exceptional event.”; and
(4) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
“(4) Regional, national, or international exceptional
events.—At the request of multiple State or local government
agencies or Tribal authorities, the Administrator shall
conduct analyses or otherwise collaborate with such agencies
or authorities to lead the development of regional, national,
or international exceptional event demonstrations when
exceptional events impact multijurisdictional areas.”.
(b) Savings Provision.—Nothing in this section or an
amendment made by this section makes stationary source (as
defined in section 51.491 of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this
Act)) emissions that did not qualify as an exceptional event
(as defined in section 319(b)(1) of the Clean Air Act (42
U.S.C. 7619(b)(1))) on the day before the date of enactment
of this Act an exceptional event under that section after
that date of enactment.
SEC. 3. SMOKE READY COMMUNITIES PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.—Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency (referred to in this section as the
“Administrator”) may make competitive grants under section
103(b)(3) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7403(b)(3)) to
eligible entities for the assessment, prevention, control, or
abatement of wildfire smoke hazards in community buildings,
including school buildings (as defined in section 11 of the
Asbestos School Hazard Detection and Control Act of 1980 (20
U.S.C. 3610)), and related activities.
(b) Eligible Entities.—The entities eligible for a grant
under subsection (a) are—
(1) States;
(2) federally recognized Indian Tribes; and
(3) any entities eligible for grants under section
103(b)(3) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7403(b)(3)).
(c) Cost Share.—
(1) In general.—Subject to paragraph (2), the Federal
share of the cost of an activity carried out using a grant
under subsection (a) shall be not more than 90 percent.
(2) Waiver.—The Administrator may waive the cost-share
requirement under paragraph (1) if the facility that is the
subject of the activity for which the grant is provided is in
an economically distressed community.
(d) Limitation.—Of the amounts made available each fiscal
year for grants under this section, not more than 25 percent
may be awarded to recipients in any 1 State.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
Unanimous Consent Agreement—S. Res. 852
Mr. CURTIS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that if Senator Van Hollen or his designee makes a motion to discharge S. Res. 852 from the Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate vote on the motion to discharge at 7 p.m. today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
Unanimous Consent Request—S. Res. 921
Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, President Trump, who has failed to lower people's costs, last week launched a nationwide television advertisement campaign promoting himself. On televisions across the country right now, people are being inundated with all kinds of political ads. But the ending of these ads is unlike any other. If someone is watching this ad, right at the end, on the bottom of the screen, you find out that this publicity stunt isn't paid for by President Trump or one of his PACs or even one of his billionaire friends—no. This ad is paid for by you, the American taxpayer.
Estimates show that this ad already costs more than $2.5 million. New reports today reveal that the source of this Federal funding is U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a part of the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security should be working to tackle the enormous national security threats we face, like stopping fentanyl, not bankrolling a vanity project for the President.
have come out and said that these political ads should not be paid for with taxpayer dollars. Sadly, it takes strong bipartisan pushback as well as the loud and clear voice of the American people to get this administration to reverse course when it is breaking the law or doing something wrong.
message to the President. I have introduced a resolution that is quite simple. It just tells the President that he is wrong, that these ads need to be pulled down, and that they should not be paid for with taxpayer dollars.
and keeping them safe, not propaganda campaigns for a President. He is welcome to run whatever ads he wants
with his own riches; but with taxpayer dollars, money that people have worked hard to earn, he needs to follow the law.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent, therefore, that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 921; further, that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
The Senator from Wyoming.
Ms. LUMMIS. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, the message at the heart of these PSAs is a simple one: American values are worth defending against the failed ideologies of communism and socialism. If that is what has the Senator from New Hampshire concerned, I would suggest the concern says more about her side of the aisle than it does about the PSA.
speak directly to the American people for decades. Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt did it in World War I and World War II. Bill Clinton launched a national anti-drug campaign. George W. Bush bought Super Bowl air time. Barack Obama promoted ObamaCare. Joe Biden ran PSAs on vaccinations. I don't recall a single Democrat rushing to the floor to object to any of them. The only difference I can find is the message.
public service. When this President tells Americans that liberty is worth defending, it is suddenly a problem. A reminder that freedom beats communism and socialism is patriotic, and no Member of this body should be offended by it.
public, let's do it the right way: through regular order, in committee, with hearings, and with one standard applied to every administration— not by unanimous consent aimed at a single President's message.
For these reasons, I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
The Senator from New Hampshire.
Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, it is really disappointing that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have blocked a resolution that simply says these plainly political television ads should not be paid for with taxpayer dollars.
the White House claims. What is the public service message here? People know the difference between a PSA and a political ad.
supporting communism and socialism, it is this President, who had the U.S. Government take a share—an interest—in a privately held company; it is this President, who welcomed the leader of the largest Communist Party in the world to the White House, fawning over him, having the military on their hands and knees straightening out a red carpet for him, while banning the free press from the White House and welcoming the communist press in.
opposing this clearly unlawful and wrong use of taxpayer money. This is an incredibly wealthy President with a huge war chest that can afford to fund whatever political messages he wants. It should not come at the cost of hard-earned American tax dollars.
that the administration listens to the bipartisan pushback on these ads and reverses course immediately.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Curtis). The Senator from Virginia.
Ratepayer Protection Act
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I have spent the last couple of years trying to learn as much as I can about artificial intelligence and its upside, and still long AI in terms of innovational brain. I think there are some real challenges.
was a little bit surreal. The President had brought together some of the leading leaders in the AI industry. And in a closed, quiet room, I guess they reached some level of moral agreement—whatever that means— that they are going to try to make sure things are safe.
President's critique about concerns about AI being a hoax or about data centers not a problem are suddenly being solved because the President has renamed AI, “SI”—superintelligence.
innovation in my lifetime—I was in the tech business before I came to politics—it will be bigger than my old industry, wireless, bigger than the internet, bigger than cloud computing is—and with all upsides, there are downsides—they are suddenly going to be solved by the name change. But that is kind of the status of our political debate.
said: As we get all these warnings from industry, from businesses that use AI tools, from national security, wouldn't it be a good idea to put some basic safety precautions in place?
board hearing. I know the Presiding Officer has interest in this topic. I think I have yet to talk to a Member that doesn't think some level of safety with this enormous innovation is appropriate.
elections. So I am back again this afternoon to talk about another piece of the AI debate that certainly needs congressional action, and that is the whole question about how we build out and ensure consumers don't get stuck with the build-out of data centers.
Now, this is something I know a little bit about. Virginia is the capital of data centers in our country, and there is enormous concern from neighbors and communities. Many of the worst examples of data centers were built 15, 20 years ago, but the industry has moved forward. I give credit there.
the angst, generally, about AI—is not going away, no matter what the President wants to say. I would urge him to travel anywhere across Virginia, for that matter, anywhere across Kansas or Texas or anywhere else these data centers are being proposed because communities actually want to have a say in what happens in their backyard, what happens with their utility rates, what happens with their water usage, what happens with local communities signing nondisclosure agreements so the community doesn't even know what they are getting until after the deal is cut.
called Ratepayer Protection Act, which is supposed to answer all of these concerns about cost, about computing.
The challenge is—and it could be a starting point. But here is what the bill does. It says: States can consider adopting a Federal standard that would hold data centers responsible for rising electricity bills, and then they get 2 years to consider that.
Candidly, they could do that today. We have already taken some action in Virginia.
And what happens if nobody takes up that offer? Anything happen to these data centers? Anything happen to those communities? Well, nothing.
So I think we need real legislation on this. We need legislation that actually has some boundaries. This should not be optional. We have seen communities hit by skyrocketing electrical costs. We have seen communities where a lot of their water usage has gone up dramatically, and they are concerned about the water table.
into neighborhoods. And I have heard the pushback from communities all across our Commonwealth. As a matter a fact, even the community that has got the most, that has received the most economic benefits, they recently—Loudoun County—they recently put a pause.
I don't think we can pause. I don't think we can put the genie back in the bottle. But I would urge the Senate not to take this flimflam, do-nothing bill but actually take a look at my Data Center Tax Accountability and Disclosure Act, which I didn't dream up in the last couple of days but put forward much earlier this summer on an issue that I have been working on for a couple of years.
and these companies. Some are well-intentioned; some are not. So we need to make sure we have got accurate information about power usage, water usage, setbacks, backup power, get rid of nondisclosure agreements.
to come forward and put a penalty in place at a relatively small amount if they don't submit that.
this behavior—and, frankly, earn back some of the communities' trust— is if there is a tool. And, frankly, I have had ongoing discussions with most of the hyperscalers who are building out these data centers who, frankly, think my piece of legislation makes some sense.
So the second half of my legislation would say: If you don't meet Gold LEED or Platinum LEED standards, which are already established—if you don't show how you are bringing your own clean power or power, if you don't have criteria on water usage—and that has gotten better because more of these data centers now have circulatory systems, if you don't have setbacks from neighborhoods, if you use nondisclosure agreements, what it would say is: Well, if you are going to do all that and not meet those standards, then you shouldn't get bonus depreciation.
hyperscalers, we have given these data center builders enormous tax benefits and bonus depreciation where they can write off the cost of these very expensive centers all in the first year.
I don't want to take that away. I am not raising anybody's taxes, but I am saying you shouldn't get all the benefits upfront if you don't provide to the community some guarantees about water, power, setbacks, community involvement.
in and say: We will help provide—I think in Louisiana—some additional benefits to your schools, have at it. But you have got to set a Federal baseline so that communities don't feel they are getting suckered, and the ability to make sure we don't give away these tax benefits without that minimum guarantee, I think, has a lot of benefit.
Just today, we learned that Microsoft saved about $10 billion in taxes on using accelerated depreciation, a bonus depreciation; Meta saved about $16 billion, $15.9 billion from using bonus depreciation.
I have reached out to these companies. They understand that the game has changed. They have to be more engaged. I think many of the hyperscalers would meet these new standards, but unless we put some consequences, I think we are going to completely miss the boat.
CEOs and many of them are good people. But the idea, after we all have experienced some of the ups and downs of social media, we are going to turn the same power over to the same group of CEOs and say: We are going to trust you to figure this all out on your own without any public input.
had a safety inspection? That is what we are thinking about on overall AI safety and these models being released.
Reduction Act, I hope and I would—I am not sure what I am going to do on the vote tomorrow. But I would say the Ratepayer Production Act is a figleaf.
I know people will say, my colleagues might say: Well, why don't you take half a loaf? You know, I am pretty involved in every bipartisan action. You know, take half a loaf means you can keep working on it. But the underlying bill isn't half a loaf; it is the promise of maybe one slice of that bread 2 years down from now.
issue is not going to wait 2 years to have some kind of optional— optional, no penalty, but optional review where frankly the pitchforks are out already.
the Data Center Tax Accountability and Disclosure Act, one that I have already socialized within industry, one that would put some mandatory requirements but also put some real teeth in this very important issue.
I know my colleagues coming want to raise other issues. I will yield the floor, but these issues are not going to disappear. And simply punting or saying to industry: Trust us—and I come from the tech industry—is not going to satisfy the concerns of the American people.
sure that we benefit from all of this AI innovation that I do think lies in wait—because if we have a mistake or we have a challenge and something happens, all of this innovation could go away because the American people are already enormously suspect about AI. They are already enormously concerned at a 90-10 ratio about data centers. It is time for us to act and not simply punt.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Indiana.
Stop Insider Trading Act
Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, 86 percent—86 percent. I am here today to reiterate my support for the Stop Insider Trading Act and urge my colleagues to support this important bill.
of Congress are provided access to information that most Americans are not. We receive briefings. We write legislation. We serve on committees of jurisdiction over major sections of our economy. But serving as a Member of Congress comes with a responsibility to put public interests ahead of personal gain. We have an obligation to put the interests of the people we represent ahead of our own interests.
No Member of Congress should profit from insider information. There is a reason that can be difficult: Members who write the rules are also subject to them. Allowing Members to actively trade individual stocks creates an obvious conflict of interest. Even when no law is broken, the appearance of a conflict is damaging. It is damaging to this institution. It is damaging to public trust. It is damaging to our Republic. You know, it is leadership 101: Avoid the appearance of impropriety.
from the current system, but that should not prevent Congress from supporting a change that the overwhelming majority of Americans believe is needed and necessary.
It bears repeating: Recent polling shows that 86 percent of Americans favor banning Members of Congress from trading stocks. Eighty-seven percent of Republicans, 88 percent of Democrats, and 81 percent of Independents support banning Members of Congress from trading stocks. Republicans and Democrats disagree on so many issues these days, but Americans across the political spectrum agree that their elected representatives should not be able to use the privileges of public office for personal financial gain. This sentiment is echoed across Indiana, I know. I regularly hear from Hoosiers who are troubled about those serving in Congress profiting from their positions.
Here is the bottom line: The American people should not have to wonder whether votes in Congress are influenced by what is best for the country or by what is best for the investment portfolios of those serving in Congress.
the same rules as everyone else. It would prevent Members of Congress, their
people we represent want us to do. Trust in Congress remains at an alltime low. Passing this bill supported by 86 percent of the American people will help restore some level of trust in Congress and those who serve.
Let's do the right thing. Let's support this 86 percent solution, and let's put an end to swamp trading today.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.
S. Res. 852
Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I am here to address the resolution put forward by Senator Van Hollen. This is a misguided resolution. The Democrats are trying to distort reality for political gain.
accountability for Americans, it is to cut off security aid to our ally Israel in its time of need.
Ambassador Huckabee has called for an investigation into these deaths, and I am very confident this administration will get to the bottom of this issue. But this one-sided resolution shames one of our strongest allies and minimizes the Palestinian Authority's role in inciting terrorist violence, including against Americans, through their horrific “pay for slay” program, which unbelievably rewards terrorists with up to $200 million a year.
sadly another cynical ploy by Democrats to isolate our closest ally in the region and to turn Israel's righteous war of self-defense into a domestic political issue as we are now just a little over 30 days from election.
so we can stand with our ally Israel as they beat back the scourge of Iranian-backed terrorism.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.
S. Res. 852
Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I rise to speak on the human rights reporting resolution that will be before the body within about 90 minutes. I am a cosponsor of the bill. Because this resolution is a little bit unusual, I thought I would describe sort of the procedural context and the reason for the statute and then describe why I strongly support a resolution to direct the Department of State to give us a human rights report about Israeli activities on the West Bank, violence against folks on the West Bank and in particular violence against Americans on the West Bank, for which there has been as of yet little or no accountability.
This is a provision that is called a 502B resolution. Like some other resolutions that I brought to the floor in the last year, it is a privileged resolution, and the “privilege” means that a single Senator can file it seeking a human rights report on any nation. The resolution cannot be locked up in committee. Within a certain number of days, it ripens, and it is guaranteed a floor vote with a simple- majority passage threshold.
an effort of a Senator—even a single Senator—to shine a spotlight on and demand accountability from the Executive. Whether that is on the declaration of an emergency or the transfer of arms or the initiation of war or, in this case, the provision of U.S. aid, a Senator has the right to force a vote on the Senate to explore in this case the human rights record of any nation receiving U.S. aid.
This is not the first such resolution I have brought to the floor. I brought one to the floor 6 or 8 months ago to seek a human rights report on El Salvador because El Salvador was receiving all these deported individuals from America—not Salvadorans—and imprisoning them in a notorious prison. In that case, I sought information about the conditions of imprisonment. What was the deal between the United States and El Salvador? What is the human rights record of that prison? Can someone in the prison from the United States demonstrate that they are the wrong person, that they picked up the wrong person?
floor, and I have about two dozen others that I have filed and that are pending—all the nations into which the President is sending folks pursuant to these third-country deportations. I believe it would be important for Congress to get the information about the transfers, about the cost, about the agreements, and about the human rights records.
enable Congress to test the human rights record of nations that are receiving U.S. aid.
Senators Van Hollen, Sanders, and I but now has a number of cosponsors, is specifically to seek a State Department report on the Israel human rights record about the treatment of folks on the West Bank. It lists a number of circumstances in which U.S. citizens—mostly Palestinian American but U.S. citizens—have been killed or injured on the West Bank, and there has been no accountability for that by the Israeli Government.
The circumstances on the West Bank are pretty dire. If you just go based upon Israeli media or Israeli human rights organizations, there have been significant public instances of attacks on Palestinian communities on the West Bank for which there has been no accountability. But the notice of these particular attacks has not just been limited to Israeli press or Israeli human rights organizations; international organizations have raised the same issue, but also, importantly, so have U.S. officials serving in Israel during multiple Democratic and Republican administrations.
For example, I have attended briefings where U.S. military officials posted in Israel have described instances of violence on the West Bank committed by Israelis and in some instances even Israeli security forces or Israeli IDF reservists. So the violence is not just private- on-private violence, but some of it is being facilitated and even encouraged or participated in by members of the Israeli Government, and that is reporting from the U.S. military.
I knew as Governor Huckabee because we served as Governors together 20 years ago, has similarly complained about violence against folks on the West Bank perpetrated by Israelis—in this case, Israeli settlers—and the lack of any accountability for that violence. Obviously, that should raise serious, serious concerns, but when the violence is also perpetrated against Americans who are there on the West Bank to study, there on the West Bank to visit their families, there on the West Bank to be human rights observers or journalists—when the violence is committed against Americans, we need to take specific steps to make sure we understand that there will be accountability.
That is what this resolution would do. It would require the Department of State, within a set period of time, to issue a human rights report that specifically addresses the questions that are listed in the resolution and particularly those questions that bear upon violence committed against Americans and what Israel can or will do about it.
East, frankly, is controversial because it is such a challenging area. And let's be clear, Israel is a friend. Israel is an ally. That friendship is between the American people and the Israeli people. It is between the American Nation and the State of Israel. That friendship is a friendship that is really important regardless of which leaders are in place.
under President Truman to immediately recognize the nation of Israel once the U.N. decided in 1947 that there would be an Israel for the Jewish people and a Palestine for Palestinian people. President Truman immediately recognized the nation of Israel, and that is one of the reasons why Truman is one of my favorite Presidents.
However, “friendship and partnership” are not the same as “complete agreement.” In fact, if you are not candid with your friends and if you can't have a friendship that can survive being candid with one another, it is not
really a friendship. A friendship is only tested when you are candid with each other and find out whether the relationship lasts through disagreement. This is an area of pretty profound disagreement between many of us and that nation of Israel.
floor is because of a deep perception by many of us in this body that despite that friendship, we are not being listened to. We are not being listened to.
raised this issue of violence against Palestinians on the West Bank over and over and over again with those in the Israeli Government that we have interacted with.
Governor and Senator, in sessions we have had with Israeli leaders on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and in discussions we have had with Knesset members and others—I have specifically raised in person and by letter and now in joining in this resolution this issue of violence against people living on the West Bank and what needs to be done about it.
I will be blunt. Despite raising this issue privately in the way that you would maybe first want a dialogue with a friend—raising the issue and seeking assistance—and raising it multiple times, I have come to the conclusion that I am not being listened to. I have come to the conclusion that even though this is a friendship that matters and even though the United States is Israel's most important security partner, they are completely ignoring us when we raise important human rights issues such as this one.
better—that is what friends do for one another—and the friend is being ignored, you end up making resolutions like the one we will vote on later a necessity.
State Department to fully lay out the human rights record and particularly what will be done to stop violence against all on the West Bank but especially what will be done to stop violence against Americans on the West Bank.
Hollen and others, and I urge a “yes” vote on the resolution when it comes up later.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
Unanimous Consent Request—S. 5589
Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, it should not be controversial to say that Congress should know the circumstances of the deaths of our own citizens abroad in any country. It should be equally uncontroversial to say, in the spirit of transparency and oversight, that Congress must also be aware of human rights abuses anywhere abroad where billions of taxpayer dollars have been sent over the years.
Since 1993, the United States has provided $7.8 billion in bilateral assistance to the West Bank and Gaza. As Washington throws money every which way, Congress must at least ensure that those taxpayer dollars advance our core interests, let alone not reward those who seek to harm us or our allies.
Bank and Gaza, committed by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and other groups, have been well documented over the years.
officials engaged in unlawful or arbitrary killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, severe restrictions on the freedom of expression, persecution of journalists, and the recruitment or use of children in armed conflict and much more.
on October 7, 2023, which killed some 1,200 innocent men, women, and children—among them, 46 citizens. A further 254 people were taken hostage, including 12 Americans, who endured unimaginable conditions.
One U.S.-Israeli citizen, Edan Alexander, survived 584 days in captivity and upon his release vowed to return to Israel to continue his service in the IDF, saying:
My story does not end with survival. It continues with
service.
more taxpayer dime ever again goes to Palestinian governing entities that engage in human rights abuses and that directly threaten support or turn a blind eye to groups that target American citizens.
My bill is simple. It requires Palestinian governing entities to meet certain commonsense conditions before they receive any additional American assistance. Under my bill, U.S. foreign assistance to any Palestinian Government entity or international organization operating in the West Bank or Gaza which is funded by taxpayer dollars would be frozen unless said government entity meets some commonsense conditions. Namely, they must recognize the State of Israel, renounce terrorism and the October 7 attacks, remove individuals with terrorist ties from their security services, terminate all funding for anti-American and anti-Israel incitement, and honor previously agreed diplomatic agreements.
that the State Department provide to Congress a report on human rights practices in the West Bank and Gaza and examine whether the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, or any other Palestinian governing entity continues to commit human rights abuses.
accountability. American taxpayers should know where their money is going, Congress should be able to oversee how it is being used, and foreign entities receiving the benefits of American assistance should be expected to meet clearly articulated standards.
immediate consideration of my bill, which is at the desk. I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection?
The Senator from Maryland.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, if the Senator from Kentucky wants to bring a bill to the floor to condemn the horrendous terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas on Israel of October 7, we will make common cause. We have done that as a body. Every single Senator in this body has made clear that Hamas committed despicable acts.
who lost loved ones on that horrible day. I have met with American citizens and Israeli citizens who whose loved ones were taken hostage that terrible day.
And that is why this body has condemned Hamas. Our government recognizes that they are a terrorist organization.
I think the Senator knows that not one penny of U.S. taxpayer dollars goes to Hamas, obviously. In fact, what the U.S. Government does is use all its powers to sanction Hamas.
about some of the cryptocurrency bills is because the method that Hamas uses to evade sanctions is cryptocurrency, and the bill that was brought to this floor did not close that loophole used by Hamas.
But make no mistake, the U.S. Government—Members of both sides— recognize that Hamas is a terrible organization. And, of course, not only do we not provide any U.S. assistance, we go after them with every sanction in the book. So let's be clear about that.
flow to Hamas, and it was the Netanyahu government. It has been well documented. I have raised this issue within the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the Senator from Kentucky is part of.
Government, and the Qatari Government only provided those payments with the approval of the Netanyahu government.
condemning Hamas but also in condemning any country that allows funding to go to Hamas.
Now let's talk about the Palestinian Authority. Now, obviously, there are some in the rightwing in Israel that want to suggest the PA and Hamas are the same. I think most Members of this body recognize the PA, recognizes Israel's right to exist, that it has pursued and wanted to pursue a two-state solution for self-determination for Palestinians as well as for Israelis.
rights report on the conduct of the Palestinian Authority. They have also engaged in abuses against their own people, the Palestinian people. And, in fact, we do do that, and the Senator from Kentucky just quoted from the State Department's human rights report with respect to the Palestinian Authority.
But what his resolution would also do is cut off all U.S. assistance in any form to the Palestinian Authority. And again, the Congress has already taken action to cut off economic assistance to the Palestinian Authority through the Taylor Force Act.
and that is through counterterrorism efforts. Counterterrorism efforts where the U.S. Security Coordinator for the West Bank actually works with the Palestinian Authority security forces to prevent terrorism in the West Bank. I don't know if the Senator is proposing that we cut off that assistance.
raise the level of the military rank of the U.S. Security Coordinator. It used to be General Fenzel, who did a really good job coordinating antiterrorism activities with the PA to prevent terrorist attacks on Israel.
report on PA conduct. Fine. Bring it up. I will support him on that. But that is not all this bill does. His bill essentially would cut off U.S. cooperation—antiterrorism cooperation—with the PA, something that would actually endanger Israelis and others on the West Bank. So it really makes no sense.
I agree that we should follow where every U.S. taxpayer dollar goes, and I can assure folks that not one penny goes to Hamas, and yet we sanction them. And as I said, there are already big restrictions on the flow of U.S. taxpayer assistance to the PA. There is a carve-out for antiterrorism cooperation.
condemning Hamas for maybe the second or third time, I am all in. If the Senator wants to require a more in-depth report on the conduct of the Palestinian Authority, I am all in.
Palestinian Authority. I think every Member of this body—even recognizing the shortcomings of the PA—recognizes that they are not a designated U.S. terror organization so I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
The Senator from Vermont.
S. Res. 852
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, today the Senate will vote on an important resolution introduced by Senator Van Hollen—and I thank him for his work on this—introduced by myself and more than 20 of our colleagues.
that received 11 votes. I have a feeling that we are going to get a lot more votes tonight.
is going on in Gaza, what is going on in the West Bank, they are becoming more and more disgusted and are demanding that the U.S. Congress act. My own view? No more military aid to the genocidal government of Netanyahu.
violence in the occupied West Bank and the killing of American citizens there with zero repercussions. But we cannot talk about the West Bank without talking about what has gone on in Gaza.
wage a genocide in Gaza. It has now killed at least 74,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children. It has wounded over 170,000 Palestinians. In other words, more than 10 percent of the population of Gaza has either been killed or wounded in less than 3 years.
observed. In this 3-year period, Israel has laid waste to the territory of Gaza and has almost completely destroyed the infrastructure there. It has destroyed homes, hospitals, schools, and water systems, and it has used starvation as a weapon of war. Cities like Rafah have been reduced to rubble.
Human Rights Watch, and the Israeli group B'Tselem—have concluded that what is happening in Gaza is a genocide.
want Palestinians out of Gaza. And even under a so-called cease-fire, the killing has not stopped; well over a thousand more people have been killed.
dollars, which is why Congress must end all taxpayer support and aid for this genocidal government.
government has been carrying out a slower but no less brutal campaign in the West Bank. As of last month, the U.N.—the United Nations—has documented more than 1,400 incidents of settler violence this year alone, affecting some 260 Palestinian communities. The U.N. says this violence has reached unprecedented levels.
Settlers cut villagers off from their wells and their orchards. They burn homes and cars. They beat people who cannot defend themselves. And too often, Israeli security forces stand by or even join in. Families who have farmed the same land for generations are being driven out. Former Israeli generals have called it what it is: ethnic cleansing.
settlements, including the E1 project designed to cut the West Bank in two. And the Trump administration, rather than confronting this violence, has lifted sanctions on violent settlers.
This violence does not even spare American citizens. Since January of 2022, nine Americans have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli settlers or security forces. Not one of those killings has led to real accountability.
military detention. Last year, Save the Children surveyed 165 children who had been held by Israeli authorities: 99 percent reported physical assault; 94 percent reported being denied medical care. These are children. For some 50 years, the Foreign Assistance Act has said that U.S. military assistance cannot go to a government that engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of human rights. Section 502B(c) of that law gives Congress the right to ask the State Department for information on the human rights record of any country receiving our aid.
Enough is enough. The United States cannot continue to bankroll this violence and look the other way, whether in Gaza or in the West Bank. It is time to end our complicity. I urge a “yes” vote and thank Senator Van Hollen for his leadership.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise today to call up S. Res. 852, a resolution to require the State Department to provide Congress with information on the growing violence and human rights abuses taking place in the West Bank, including against American citizens.
Senators who are cosponsoring this effort; and I want to thank Senator Sanders for bringing that 502B resolution to the floor of the Senate back in January of 2024.
West Bank by violent Israeli settlers or members of the Israeli security forces, and there has been zero—zero—accountability, with no justice for their families and no one held accountable. The U.S. Government has repeatedly said that our No. 1 priority overseas is to protect American citizens. Yet, as violent Israeli settlers continue to terrorize civilians in the West Bank, American citizens have been killed time and again—in many cases with the complicity of the Government of Israel, the Netanyahu government.
of the human rights abuses taking place in the West Bank to get answers. We need to get answers because we need accountability, and we need accountability to make sure that these killings end. They will continue so long as nobody is held to account.
American citizens who have been killed by Israeli settlers or Israeli security forces in just over the last 4 years.
store in Milwaukee for 40 years, was stopped at a checkpoint in the West Bank when Israeli soldiers dragged him from his car. They bound his hands behind his back, they gagged him, they blindfolded him, and they left him lying on the ground outside. He died of a stress-induced heart attack. No one has been held accountable.
lived in New Jersey as a child, was reporting near the Jenin refugee camp when she was shot in the head and killed by Israeli security forces. Shireen was known to millions as the “voice of a generation.” When she was killed, she was wearing a bright blue vest, clearly identifying her as a journalist. No one has been held accountable.
born and raised in Louisiana, was shot in the head and killed while driving east of Ramallah. Reports indicate that an Israeli settler, an off-duty Israeli police officer, and an Israeli soldier were involved in the shooting. Nobody has been held accountable.
born in Florida, was shot twice in the head while driving near the town of Biddu. Israeli forces were reportedly responsible for his killing. No one has been held accountable.
raised in Seattle, was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier from approximately 200 meters. No one has been held accountable.
by Israeli security forces at the entrance to the village of Turmus Ayya. Reports indicate that, when he was shot, he was shot 11 times by two different weapons. No one has been held accountable.
raised in Florida, was visiting family in the West Bank when he was beaten to death by violent Israeli settlers during an attack on the town. Eyewitnesses reported that settlers and Israeli security forces blocked an ambulance from reaching him for more than 2 hours.
Ambassador Huckabee called Saif's killing a “criminal and terrorist act.” He even said: “There must be accountability.”
So why has there been no accountability?
lived in Chicago with his five children, died of smoke inhalation after violent Israeli settlers set fire to homes and cars during an attack in Silwad. No one has been held accountable.
American boy born in Philadelphia, was shot and killed by violent Israeli settlers during an attack on Palestinian farmers near Ramallah. No one has been held accountable.
Nasrallah—nine American citizens dead and no accountability. Their families have waited months and years for answers. Many of us have been calling for action from the executive branch and for accountability from the Netanyahu government, year after year, with no results.
following some of the killings I just talked about. That was the second letter we had sent to this administration in 7 months regarding the killing of an American citizen in the West Bank.
In response to our earlier letter, the State Department told us:
The United States calls for accountability in all cases
where U.S. citizens are harmed abroad to help prevent future
tragedies.
“To help prevent future tragedies,” we call for accountability—no accountability in any of these nine cases.
because what we are seeing is a consistent pattern in which Americans are being killed by violent Israeli settlers or Israeli security forces, with no justice and no accountability from any party, despite promises to take action by American officials.
This failure is not limited to the current administration. Many of us called upon the Biden administration for answers, just as we have pushed the Trump administration for answers and action. Back then, as now, we were met with statements of concern and told that the United States supports accountability. It just never insists on it, because concern is not enough when nine Americans are dead and not one person— not one—has been held accountable.
administration takes serious, credible steps to secure accountability? before the U.S. Government does its job and follows through when it says its top priority is to protect American citizens overseas?
with families of American citizens—most of them under 18—who had been killed by violent settlers or the Israeli military. We sat across from parents and family members who had lost their children and loved ones. None of them—not one—had received any meaningful answers about what had happened to their loved ones who had been killed.
boy from Florida who had been jailed without charges for more than 6 months at the time of our meeting. Mohammed was ultimately held in pretrial detention for 9 months, where he was beaten, tortured, and denied contact with his family. He was finally released on Thanksgiving Day last year, but the mistreatment and detention of American citizens continue to this moment.
lives in Florida and Massachusetts, was detained during a series of raids targeting students at Birzeit University. She remains in an Israeli military prison.
in Chicago, was arrested. His family paid his bail, and he was moments away from being released when Israeli authorities decided to hold him under an entirely new case. He remains in an Israeli military prison.
military prisons as we speak. Reports from these prisons have revealed abusive and traumatic conditions for those detained, including children and teenagers. In fact, under the Israeli military court system, 16- and 17-year-olds are sentenced under provisions written for adults, while Israeli citizens and children living in those same territories are tried in Israeli civilian courts and under Israeli juvenile law.
destruction throughout the West Bank, as Israeli settlers and soldiers act with impunity.
hospitalized after Israeli soldiers attacked him. After the attack, the soldiers then confiscated bystander footage of the incident to cover up their violent actions. You can see the video for yourself.
like Loui, a 46-year-old Palestinian-American businessman who traveled from Ohio to visit his family members in the West Bank after their home was surrounded and besieged by Israeli settlers.
any kind of accountability for the killings of and the arbitrary detention of and ongoing violence against these American citizens. If nothing changes, more American citizens will die. After all, the administration told us that one reason for accountability is to make
sure this doesn't happen again. Yet there is no accountability, and without accountability, it will happen again. The failure of the United States and Israeli Governments to hold anyone responsible for these abuses has only paved the way for more abuses and more killings to follow.
impunity, imagine what the conditions are for Palestinians in the West Bank who don't hold an American passport, including Palestinian children. Hundreds of Palestinian children are detained and prosecuted through the Israeli military court system every year. Those imprisoned can be as young as 12 years old, which is the age of criminal responsibility in the Israeli military legal system, but children as young as 5 years old have been temporarily detained, and a child as young as 3 years old was once arrested.
holding 351 Palestinian children. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli authorities have continued to bar the Red Cross from visiting Palestinian detainees in Israeli detention facilities, despite the fact that international humanitarian law requires—requires—that the ICRC have access to Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody.
physical beatings, sexual violence, harassment, threats, and other cruel and degrading actions toward these children.
with impunity. They are pushing Palestinians off their land, burning cars and buildings and mosques, destroying crops and water systems, and assaulting residents in their own communities. Many members of the extremist Netanyahu government have encouraged this activity.
clear that the situation had worsened considerably, just since our previous trip in 2023. We saw more trailers and illegal settler outposts springing up across the West Bank. We saw more checkpoints and gates and walls imprisoning Palestinian communities.
residents about settler attacks and harassment, including an attack that happened on the day of our visit. We visited the historic church that settlers had attempted to damage.
These are not isolated incidents. According to the United Nations, last year alone, there were 1,828 settler attacks against Palestinian residents resulting in bodily injury or property damage.
official settlements, established 86 new outposts, and advanced plans for nearly 28,000 illegal settlement housing units.
The question is: When will the U.S. Government—whether the previous White House or the current White House—stop giving Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government a blank check to let this continue?
Secretary Rubio has said the United States is “concerned” about escalating settler violence in the West Bank.
Concern is not enough when nine American citizens have been killed. Concerns are not enough when we have American citizens in military detention. Concern is not enough when violent settlers are attacking Palestinian communities with impunity.
The State Department's response today?
We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank
and support appropriate investigations, legal accountability,
and judicial processes for those responsible.
Babble. Meaningless, empty statements when they are not accompanied by any demand for real accountability. They continue to call for accountability, but we never see it.
requires the Secretary of State to provide a report with all credible information available to the State Department concerning the killing of nine American citizens, who are named in the resolution and whose stories I share today.
Israeli military prisons, including why they are being held, whether the American Embassy officials have visited them, the conditions of their detention, and whether there are credible reports that they have been mistreated.
Basic information, that is what we are demanding in this resolution.
children, including how many are held, the charges against them, whether they have access to legal counsel, whether they have experienced torture or other mistreatment, and how the standards governing their detention compare with American juvenile detention standards.
Congress what the United States has actually done to protect U.S. citizens, to prevent further violence, to promote respect for human rights, and hold the perpetrators of these abuses accountable.
the government of Israel every year. We have a duty to make sure that those funds are being used in accordance with our laws and our values.
Netanyahu government's policies, although the record is clear regarding the fact that they have engaged in complicity in what is happening in the West Bank. And some may disagree about other aspects of what is happening here. But what this vote is about—what this vote is about there should be no disagreement about because it just requires the State Department to provide facts. That is what this administration does. And if the State Department believes that everything is just OK, that their investigations that are being conducted by the Government of Israel and that their expressions of concern are actually being acted upon, the administration should have no problem answering those basic facts and demanding the kind of accountability they say that we should call for.
our own State Department, I would ask my colleagues: What would? How many more Americans must be killed before the executive branch does its job?
These families deserve answers. The American people deserve answers. And the Palestinians who face these attacks every single day deserve an end to the violence and impunity once and for all.
I urge my colleagues to support S. Res. 852.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. President, I rise in support of this resolution. I want to thank my colleagues Senator Sanders and Senator Van Hollen. Thank you, Senator Van Hollen, for your leadership on this particular resolution.
deplorable. And before I start about what is occurring here in the West Bank, I just want to remind the American people that the dire situation in Gaza is getting worse. Mr. President, 92 percent of the people in Gaza, their shelter is a tent or a plastic cover. They still lack water. They still lack access to regular food, and the kids are not going to school.
highest literacy rates and education rates in the world, despite the very difficult circumstances they face. That is really unacceptable.
Americans, 17 Americans who have been the victims of violence in the West Bank. And, today, this resolution is about the obligation that our State Department has—our government has—to protect American citizens abroad by demanding a report, by getting information, and by insisting on accountability.
the Middle East, what this resolution is requiring is that the State Department do the job with respect to American deaths in the West Bank—the same request that we would make if this were
of violence in other countries. It is the basic responsibility of this U.S. Government to protect U.S. citizens.
That is what this is profoundly about. The failure for the State Department and our government to do the basic responsibility of citizen protection and accountability has to be wired up into the policy of this administration to look the other way when these things are happening.
solution. It is the policy of the Netanyahu government to occupy and ultimately annex the West Bank. And the result of that, there is, in many cases, settler violence towards citizens in the West Bank, in some cases Americans who are there. It also is the reason why, in many cases where this violence is occurring is very much in front of the eyes of the Israeli military, they are looking the other way and doing nothing to protect the victims.
and Senator Sanders and me, who are concerned about that violence. It is something that was recognized by our own Ambassador Mike Huckabee.
In July of 2025, Mr. Saifullah Kamel Musallet, a 20-year-old American from Florida—an American from Florida—who was visiting his family in the West Bank was beaten to death by violent Israeli settlers during a settler attack on the town of Sinjil. Eyewitness accounts report that settlers and Israeli forces impeded ambulance access for more than 2 hours.
And to his credit, Ambassador Huckabee called the killing of Mr. Musallet a “criminal and terrorist act,” and stated “there must be accountability.”
We agree.
I want to mention a couple of other cases. Shireen Abu Akleh, she was a journalist, a prominent reporter, a well-known reporter. She was shot. It was not a combat situation, but was shot by a sniper from nearly 200 meters away. She was standing calmly with other reporters wearing a press helmet and a press vest. She was shot in the head.
accomplished photojournalist. He was not in the West Bank, but he was reporting from the Israeli-Lebanese border. He was also in a group of journalists, prominently stationed on an open hillside. They had the usual identification of “press” vest, blue helmets, in a vehicle clearly marked “press,” where they were clearly visible. They were fired on by an Israeli tank and heavy machinegun fire.
charges dozens of Americans, as well as thousands of Palestinians—some of these include minors.
is pictured here. He has been held under “administrative detention,” and that means that under Israeli law authorities can hold him indefinitely without charge or without trial—without any intention of bringing him to trial.
was 17 when he was detained around 3 a.m. on June 29. He was in the process of completing high school exams.
He has since turned 18. This is a young man who had never been detained or arrested before. He is now being held in the Ofer prison, which has a terrible reputation for attending to the well-being of those who are imprisoned there. His detention is also based on undisclosed “secret” information that has not been shared with his lawyers or his family.
Abdalkareem reported being beaten during interrogation, and prison authorities would not even let the U.S. Embassy give this young man vitamins, scabies medication, or his schoolbooks. And he has not been allowed family contact.
United States Government is not doing on behalf of its own citizens, some of whom have been killed, others of whom have been detained. So this resolution is asserting the will of Congress that our government do its job to protect American citizens. When they have been injured or they have been killed, to demand accountability and an investigation.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.