- Thursday, December 14th, 2023
Sen. Scott Hears from Hamas Victims and Victims’ Families
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Senators JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) met with victims of Hamas’s October 7th attack and members of victims’ families. During this meeting, Senator Scott heard first-hand about the brutality inflicted by Hamas on innocent civilians, including innocent children.
“Since October 7th, the world has watched the shear brutality and terror that Hamas inflicted on thousands of people across Israel. But hearing firsthand accounts in-person today brought these horrors into painful perspective. Today underscored that the United States must stand firm in our support to Israel and its people,” said Senator Scott.
BACKGROUND:
Immediately following the Biden administration’s August decision to release $6 billion to Iran, Ranking Member Scott led his colleagues in demanding answers from the administration. In a letter to Secretaries Blinken and Yellen, the Ranking Member warned that the decision would “enable the Iranian regime to increase its destabilizing activities” and would “serve to encourage additional hostage taking for financial or political gain.”
After the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas, Ranking Member Scott was the first leader of the Senate Banking Committee to demand accountability from the Biden administration on the release of the $6 billion, and called for Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to testify and for the Senate to investigate the matter.
Ranking Member Scott also introduced the Revoke Iranian Funding Act, a bipartisan bill to permanently freeze $6 billion released by the Biden administration to Iran. The bill also directs the Treasury Secretary to study Iran’s sanctioned assets and ensures Congress has the information it needs to prevent Iran from accessing and using sanctioned funds to finance Hamas or other terrorists that seek to harm Israel or any other nation. Earlier this year, Ranking Member Scott led the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act, which would cement US sanctions on Iran and help prevent the regime from funding terrorists like Hamas. The bill would extend restrictions on funding for Iran’s energy and weapons sectors and curtail the regime’s ability to develop its nuclear program and finance destabilizing activities. After Hamas’s attacks on Israel, Scott renewed his efforts to pass this bill, calling it up for unanimous consent on the Senate floor.
Following the Biden administration’s recent November 13 decision to extend an Iran sanctions waiver, Ranking Member Scott led his colleagues in a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin demanding answers over the administration’s lack of a cohesive Iran strategy.
###