Staff Reports
The families of the hostages being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza are making waves on Capitol Hill, demanding Congress take action to secure the release of their loved ones. These brave families showed up on the Senate side and huddled with a bipartisan coalition, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), before making a big fuss at a press conference, calling for more to be done to free those still in captivity.
The heartbroken families shared their gut-wrenching stories of the last moments they had with their family members before they were snatched by those terrorist thugs on Oct. 7. This marked the largest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust, a tragic reminder of the dangers that still lurk in the world. They are pleading with congressional leaders to exert pressure on the Israeli government and other countries involved in negotiations to take one of the available prisoner swap deals that would bring the hostages home.
Chuck Schumer, always quick to jump in front of a camera, declared at the press conference that he and the families had yakked about “a new strategy that we can implement” for getting the hostages out. “Don’t give up hope. There are always new initiatives, as there are now,” Schumer said, in his usual dramatic fashion.
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) chimed in, blabbering about making “some strong suggestions to our own government, to the Israelis, and to third-country leaders” on how to handle the hostage situation. “I don’t want to give any false hopes, but yes, there are initiatives that are taking place as I understand it,” Cardin said. “But those initiatives don’t always lead to successful hostage releases, so there are multiple avenues available, and we’re pursuing them all.” Thanks for the hope, pal.
Over on the Republican side, Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) took a jab at Qatar, pointing out their role in the hostage negotiation process. “Others in the region, specifically the Qataris, have an obligation to help,” Risch said. “They help shape opinion on the Arab Strait and host Hamas in Doha. They are in a unique position to help secure the release of all hostages.” Leave it to Qatar to stir up trouble.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) also chimed in, expressing her discomfort with Qatar’s cozy relationship with Hamas but floating the idea of Doha helping out as an intermediary on the hostage matter. “That would be helpful,” she said. In other words, even our adversaries can do something right once in a while.
After their Capitol Hill tour, the families and a bunch of other folks held a candlelight vigil on the Capitol steps, joined by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and a pack of about 100 lawmakers, to mark 100 days since the Oct. 7 attack. “Congress is united in its opposition to Jewish hatred and in support for our friend and ally Israel,” Johnson declared, rallying the troops to support our buddies in the Holy Land.
“These bipartisan get-togethers really show how unified we are in standing up against the oppression of the Jewish people,” Johnson proclaimed, highlighting the efforts he’s been making to back Israel as the big shot House Speaker. “We support Israel, believing we can overcome the darkness with light,” Johnson cheered, wrapping everything up with a nice and tidy bow.
