The first order of business for the future Congress: Win the release of the Hamas hostages
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Like new US Congress convened, the 98 hostages held by Hamas – including seven Americans – must be an immediate priority.
The fact that the 118th Congress failed to secure the release of American citizens held for more than a year in Hamas dungeons in Gaza will forever remain a stain on its record. It would be good if the 119th session advocated for their release with actions, not just words.
Our elected officials should use the full power of both houses to support President-elect Trump’s sentiment that there will be “hell to pay” if the hostages are not freed by his inauguration and continue to crack down on those who defy the president’s demands. .
HAMAS TERRORISTS STILL HOLD 7 AMERICAN HOSTAGES AS FAMILIES PRAY FOR THEIR RELEASE: ‘THIS IS URGENT’
From left to right, American hostages being held in Gaza: Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Keith Siegel, Omer Neutra, Judi Weinstein Haggai, Gadi Haggai and Itay Chen (Ruby’s son.) (Fox News)
While negotiations with Hamas flow largely through the Oval Office, congressional bodies such as the Foreign Affairs, Finance, Appropriations and Judiciary Committees, as well as individual House leaders, must play a critical role in demonstrating that there is no daylight between the incoming administration and Congress on the issue of US hostages.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will undoubtedly play a key role as the sole committee with jurisdiction to review and report on treaties submitted by the President to the Senate for consideration. The committee can directly subpoena ambassadors involved in the hostage negotiations, such as those representing Qatar, Turkey and Egypt, to demand to know why US citizens are still being held hostage. It can also establish a direct correlation between countries actively seeking long-term strategic defense contracts with the US, as in the case of Saudi Arabia, with active support for the release of American hostages.
As for the Judiciary Committee, it plays a key role in providing oversight of the Department of Justice and agencies under the Department’s jurisdiction, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
Rep. Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, speaks after becoming Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in the House of Representatives on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Hamas killed 47 American citizens during a brutal attack on October 7, 2023, and the judiciary should bring charges against those individuals accused of abetting the killing of Americans abroad hosted by American allies such as Turkey and Qatar.
Furthermore, the committee should further expand the Suppression of Terrorism Act, allowing victims’ families to sue commercial entities associated with these crimes in civil court. This would send a clear message: beware of those who believe they can support terrorist activities undetected. It should also hold the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) accountable, requiring it to impose timely and meaningful sanctions on entities that support terrorist organizations.
ISRAEL-HAMAS Cease-Fire Inching Closer Amid Concerns of Re-Arming of Gaza Terrorist Group
Surrounded by other family members of Americans taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 terror attacks in Israel, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen, speak to reporters after meeting with President Biden at the White House December 13, 2023 (Julia Nikhinson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Senate Appropriations Committee it also has a role as defined by the Constitution, which requires “statutory appropriations” as a condition for expenditures made by the US Treasury. In other words: follow the money. Countries seeking US financial assistance should unreservedly comply with US requests, especially on the subject of illegal detention of Americans. For example, in September the committee approved $1.3 billion in aid to Egypt. Such assistance should have been conditional on Cairo destroying all the tunnels leading from Egypt to Gaza, which were used to transfer the very weapons that were used to kill American citizens and take them hostage.
The new Congress has a moral and legal obligation to ensure the return of the seven American hostages. What kind of power does a global superpower have if it can’t even secure the release of its own citizens from a failed terrorist group? She must demonstrate her commitment in the “House of the People” through all her political, financial and judicial leverage to help bring the Americans and all other hostages home.
Ruby’s son, IDF Sergeant Italy Chen was serving along the Gaza border when Hamas terrorists took him hostage on October 7. (IDF)
By taking a more forceful approach toward countries and commercial entities that have a proven ability to influence Hamas, the US will demonstrate its commitment to its citizens and its unwillingness to tolerate terrorism and human rights abuses.
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As we and countless others watch and wait, hoping for the return of our loved ones, it is imperative that the US, with the active support of Congress, act decisively and without delay. I dream that next week, when I attend the president Trump’s inaugurationhe will say he secured the release of all American hostages, just as President Reagan did at his inauguration in 1981.
