January 9, 2009
In News
American Leaders Speak Out in Support
of Israel’s Right to Self-Defense
01.09.2009 | AIPAC.org
• David Axelrod, Senior Advisor to President-Elect Barack Obama
• President George W. Bush
• Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
• Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
• House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH)
• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)
• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Arizona
• Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
• John McCain (R-AZ)
California
• Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Connecticut
• Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
• Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)
Florida
• Bill Nelson (D-FL)
• Mel Martinez (R-FL)
Georgia
• Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
• Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Illinois
• Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Indiana
• Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Iowa
• Charles Grassley (R-IA)
Louisiana
• Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
• David Vitter (R-LA)
Maryland
• Benjamin Cardin (D-MD)
• Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Missouri
• Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-MO)
Nevada
• John Ensign (R-NV)
New Hampshire
• Judd Gregg (R-NH)
New Jersey
• Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
• Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
New York
• Charles Schumer (D-NY)
North Carolina
• Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Ohio
• George Voinovich (R-OH)
Pennsylvania
• Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA)
Rhode Island
• Jack Reed (D-RI)
• Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
South Carolina
• Jim DeMint (R-SC)
• Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Texas
• John Cornyn (R-TX)
• Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
Alabama
• Spencer Bachus (R-AL)
• Mike Rogers (R-AL)
Arizona
• Trent Franks (R-AZ)
California
• Howard Berman (D-CA)
• John Campbell (R-CA)
• Dennis Cardoza (D-CA)
• Jim Costa (D-CA)
• Elton Gallegly (R-CA)
• Wally Herger (R-CA)
• Dan Lungren (R-CA)
• Doris Matsui (D-CA)
• Jerry McNerney (D-CA)
• George Radanovich (R-CA)
• Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)
• Adam Schiff (D-CA)
• Brad Sherman (D-CA)
• Ellen Tauscher (D-CA)
• Henry Waxman (D-CA)
Colorado
• Doug Lamborn (R-CO)
• Ed Perlmutter (D-CO)
Connecticut
• Jim Himes (D-CT)
Florida
• Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
• Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL)
• Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
• Kathy Castor (D-FL)
• Ander Crenshaw (R-FL)
• Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
• Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
• Alan Grayson (D-FL)
• Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
• Ron Klein (D-FL)
• Connie Mack IV (R-FL)
• Kendrick Meek (D-FL)
• John Mica (R-FL)
• Adam Putnam (R-FL)
• Tom Rooney (R-FL)
• Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
• Cliff Stearns (R-FL)
• Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)
• Robert Wexler (D-FL)
• C.W. Bill Young (R-FL)
Georgia
• Paul Broun (R-GA)
• Tom Price (R-GA)
Illinois
• Jerry Costello (D-IL)
• Phil Hare (D-IL)
• Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
• Mark Kirk (R-IL)
• Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)
• John Shimkus (R-IL)
Indiana
• Mike Pence (R-IN)
Iowa
• Leonard Boswell (D-IA)
• Steve King (R-IA)
Kansas
• Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Kentucky
• Geoff Davis (R-KY)
Louisiana
• Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
• Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
• John Fleming (R-LA)
• Charlie Melancon (D-LA)
• Steve Scalise (R-LA)
Maryland
• Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
• House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
• C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger (D-MD)
• John Sarbanes (D-MD)
• Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Massachusetts
• Michael Capuano (D-MA)
• Barney Frank (D-MA)
• Edward Markey (D-MA)
• James McGovern (D-MA)
• Richard Neal (D-MA)
• John Olver (D-MA)
• Niki Tsongas (D-MA)
Michigan
• Gary Peters (D-MI)
Missouri
• Outgoing House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO)
• Russ Carnahan (D-MO)
• Ike Skelton (D-MO)
Nevada
• Shelley Berkley (D-NV)
New Hampshire
• Paul Hodes (D-NH)
New Jersey
• John Adler (D-NJ)
• Rob Andrews (D-NJ)
• Scott Garrett (R-NJ)
• Leonard Lance (R-NJ)
• Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ)
• Steve Rothman (D-NJ)
• Albio Sires (D-NJ)
New York
• Joseph Crowley (D-NY)
• Eliot Engel (D-NY)
• John Hall (D-NY)
• Brian Higgins (D-NY)
• Steve Israel (D-NY)
• Peter King (R-NY)
• Nita Lowey (D-NY)
• Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
• Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)
• John McHugh (R-NY)
• Michael McMahon (D-NY)
• Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
• Charles Rangel (D-NY)
• Edolphus Towns (D-NY)
• Anthony Weiner (D-NY)
Ohio
• John Boccieri (D-OH)
• Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
• Steven LaTourette (R-OH)
• Zack Space (D-OH)
• Betty Sutton (D-OH)
Oklahoma
• Dan Boren (D-OK)
• Mary Fallin (R-OK)
Pennsylvania
• Christopher Carney (D-PA)
• Charlie Dent (R-PA)
• Jim Gerlach (R-PA)
• Patrick Murphy (D-PA)
• Allyson Schwartz (D-PA)
• Joe Sestak (D-PA)
• Bill Shuster (R-PA)
Rhode Island
• Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
• Jim Langevin (D-RI)
Texas
• Kevin Brady (R-TX)
• John Culberson (R-TX)
• Chet Edwards (D-TX)
• Gene Green (D-TX)
• Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
• Kenny Marchant (R-TX)
• Pete Olson (R-TX)
• Ted Poe (R-TX)
• Pete Sessions (R-TX)
• Lamar Smith (R-TX)
Virginia
• House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA)
• Gerry Connolly (D-VA)
Washington
• Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
• Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I-NY)
• Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Armond Budish (D-OH)
• Gov. Donald Carcieri (R-RI)
• Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ)
• State Senator Ted Deutch (D-FL)
• Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher (D-OH)
• Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R-KY)
• State House Majority Leader Adam Hasner (R-FL)
• State Representative Josh Mandel (R-OH)
• Gov. David Paterson (D-NY)
• Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)
• Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA)
• Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA)
• Gov. Ted Strickland (D-OH)
• Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaragoisa (D-CA)
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adler issued the following statement today, at the
beginning of his first full day as a Member of the 111th Congress:
“The deadly rocket attacks originating in Hamas-controlled Gaza are not the work of a
faceless aggressor. The terrorist organization Hamas is responsible. Israel’s only option is to defend its citizens and I strongly support their efforts to do so. In order for the peace process to begin again, Hamas must end these acts of terror and recognize Israel’s right to exist.”
(Press Release, January 7, 2009)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman, today released the
following statement regarding the situation in Gaza:
“I urge the American public to firmly support Israel as our longstanding ally takes measures to defend its people against indiscriminate assault from Hamas terrorists,” said Alexander.
“Israel is absolutely warranted in defending itself and in taking all the necessary military steps to guarantee the safety and security of its people from the constant rocket and mortar attacks.”
“Hamas’ relentless disregard for the lives of innocent civilians serves as a continuous reminder that it subsists as nothing more than a terrorist organization,” said Alexander. “Until Hamas decides to permanently halt this relentless cycle of terror, I will firmly stand with our democratic ally as Israel fights to restore security in the region, and to protect its people.”
(Press Release, January 8, 2009)
“The sovereign Nation of Israel has every right to defend itself against Hamas’ continued acts of terror. Hamas’ unwillingness to agree to a durable ceasefire has led to the death of innocent civilians and hindered any progress that was made to sustain peace and security in the region.
I strongly support Israel in their difficult decision to respond with force and the United States must stand by its democratic ally in its effort to protect its citizens.” (Press Release,
December 30, 2008)
“The president-elect recognizes the special relationship between United States and Israel. It’s an important bond, an important relationship. He’s going to honor it.
“And he wants to be a constructive force in helping to bring about the peace and security that both the Israelis and the Palestinians want and deserve.”
“And obviously, this situation has become even more complicated in the last couple of days and weeks. As Hamas began its shelling, Israel responded. But it’s something that he’s committed to.”
“He’s going to work closely with the Israelis. They’re a great ally of ours, the most important ally in the region. … But he will do so in a way that will promote the cause of peace, and work closely with the Israelis and the Palestinians on that — toward that objective.”
“The president-elect was on the phone with Secretary Rice yesterday. He’s monitoring the situation closely. But the Bush administration has to speak for America now.”
“I think he wants to get a handle on the situation, so that, when he becomes president on January 20th, he has the advantage of all the facts and information leading up to that point.”
(Interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” December 28, 2008).
WASHINGTON – Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-6) today issued the following
statement on the actions taken by Israel against Hamas in Gaza.
“No country can stand by idly while its citizens are bombarded virtually daily by rocket attacks. Any nation that ignored such a provocation would not exist for long. Israel has a right and indeed a duty to protect itself and its people.” (Press Release, January 8, 2009)
…