Booker, Ernst Urge President Biden to Do Everything in His Power to Rescue American Hostages

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Joni Ernst (R-IA), co-chairs of the Abraham Accords Caucus, are leading 47 colleagues in urging President Biden to continue putting his full attention on the freeing of American hostages that were taken by Hamas during the terrorist organization’s October 7^thattacks on Israel and supporting Israel’s efforts to dismantle the threat of Hamas.

In the letter, the lawmakers wrote: “We appreciate that you have sent the U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs to Israel to assist in the recovery of the hostages, and we urge you to do everything in your power to secure their safe release.

“Hamas has already killed 30 Americans and likely injured many more…The terrorists responsible for these atrocities hide behind human shields while they threaten to livestream the execution of hostages. Hamas has also reportedly demanded the mass release of prisoners in exchange for freeing its hostages and could use the hostages to push for a ceasefire. With several U.S. citizens still missing in the aftermath of the terror group’s brutal attack, we urge you to continue putting your full attention on the freeing of American hostages. Every day must be treated with a sense of urgency.

“As a result, we urge the United States to continue supporting Israel’s urgent efforts to dismantle the threat of Hamas, provide the necessary resources for Israel’s defense, and continue offering whatever support necessary to immediately and safely rescue kidnapped Americans, with particular attention to those who require urgent medical care.

“We urge you to encourage our allies and partners in the region to place pressure on Hamas to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to have access to the hostages while the United States and Israel work to secure their release.”

The letter is cosigned by U.S. Senators Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tuberville (R-Ala.), Tillis (R-N.C.), Britt (R-Ala.), Boozman (R-Ark.), Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Graham (R-S.C.), Grassley (R-Iowa), Capito (R-W.Va.), Cassidy (R-La.), Mullin (R-Okla.), Scott (R-Fla.), Wicker (R-Miss.), Masto (D-Nev.), Casey (D-Pa.), Brown (D-Ohio), Padilla (D-Calif.), Coons (D-Del.), Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tester (D-Mont.), Smith (D-Minn.), Shaheen (D-N.H.), Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Hoeven (R-N.D.), Durbin (D-Ill.), Murphy (D-Conn.), Rosen (D-Nev.), Daines (R-Mont.), Risch (R-Idaho), Duckworth (D-Ill.), Cornyn (R-Texas), Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Baldwin (D-Wis.), Bennet (D-Colo.), Sullivan (R-Alaska), Lankford (R-Okla.), Warner (D-Va.), Schatz (D-Hawaii), Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kelly (D-Ariz.), Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Cramer (R-N.D.), Budd (R-N.C.), and Representatives Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Schultz (D-Fla.), and Issa (R-Calif.).

The full text of the letter can be found here.

Background:

Senator Booker recently visited Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain on a Congressional Delegation to build upon his work to not only strengthen bilateral relationships but also enhance the historic Abraham Accords. The Senator was in Israel in the wake of Hamas’ horrific terror attacks against the country, and he continued his CODEL trip to UAE and Bahrain to reinforce the new relationships forged through the Abraham Accords, and to reinforce that only through increased economic and security ties will terrorist groups and regimes that thrive off instability and fear be marginalized.