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As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sinema expressed her commitment to passing bipartisan legislation supporting Israel, beating Putin, and securing Arizona’s border
WASHINGTON – In her first hearing as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema questioned U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin about the need to pass a bipartisan national security package supporting Israel, helping Ukraine beat Putin, and securing Arizona’s border.
Noting the bipartisan accomplishments she’s achieved with Appropriations Committee Chair Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), Sinema reaffirmed her steadfast commitment to furthering the committee’s critical bipartisan work – beginning with a robust supplemental including resources for Israel, Ukraine, and Arizona’s border.
“America’s adversaries are watching how we act and react, while actors across the globe – that stand against everything we as Americans believe in – actively try to destabilize and destroy democracies. Congress must pass legislation to support Israel, beat Putin, and secure Arizona’s border. These three are all urgent concerns and should advance together as they are critical for both my state and our country’s national security,” said Sinema, a new member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary Austin testified in support of the supplemental funding request. The supplemental request is roughly $105 billion – including $61.4 billion to support Ukraine, $14.3 billion to support Israel, $14 billion to deliver much-needed resources to the Southern border, $7.4 billion to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific, and another $9.15 billion for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza.
During the hearing, Sinema questioned Secretary Austin about the impact and importance of the funding in the supplemental request. The Senator underscored the need to ensure support is strategic and targeted with proper oversight to make certain that it goes to the people and places that need them most.
Sinema recently introduced the bipartisan Revoke Iranian Funding Act which freezes $6 billion in Iranian assets held in Qatar. Sinema’s bipartisan legislation prevents the Iranian regime – one of Hamas’s largest supporters – from accessing and using the funds currently held in Qatar to finance terrorist attacks against Israel or any other nation. The bill also directs the U.S. Treasury Secretary to study all high-value Iranian assets around the world currently blocked by U.S. sanctions and report these findings to Congress – that way Sinema and her colleagues have the information needed to enact further targeted legislation if necessary.
Following the terrorist attacks against Israel, Sinema urged President Biden to quickly transfer requested defense weapons to Israel as it defends itself against terrorism.