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Floor Speech

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Mr. BUDD. Mr. President, it has been 111 days since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel. Hamas massacred more than 1,200 civilians and abducted innocent men, women, and children from their homes and took them into Gaza.

The hostages are being deprived of food, water, and medical care. They are being subjected to unbearable violence, sexual abuse, and psychological torture by Hamas terrorists.

We know that six of the remaining hostages are Americans. One is a native of my home State North Carolina, Keith Siegel. Two of the Americans, Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Sagui Dekel-Chen, are critically injured.

Each and every one of them must be released, and all levels of our government remain united in working to get them home.

What Hamas has done is nothing short of evil. In this battle between the forces of good and evil, the United States must not only lead the forces of good, but we need to identify who stands with us and who does not.

The State of Qatar hosts Hamas leaders in their capital of Doha. Now, Qatari officials have claimed that their hosting of Hamas terrorist leaders is necessary, so they say, because their country can be the conduit to negotiate a successful resolution to the crisis. In fact, subsequent U.S. administrations have endorsed this arrangement.

But after 111 days, the American people are asking: What is taking so long?

Qatar is hosting a brutal terrorist organization with American blood on their hands and American hostages in captivity. One has to consider the potential reality that Qatar might not have the leverage that they are so quick to boast about. And if Qatar is not able to effectuate the release of the hostages, then there is no further reason for these terrorists to remain in their country.

This is personal for us Americans.

I have met with families of the hostages as well as former hostages, like Keith Siegel's wife Aviva. I have heard their stories, and I look at their photos every day on my desk.

Every day that these families have to live with the pain and uncertainty is unacceptable.

To Qataris, I would say this: Our patience has run out. Time is up. Either pressure Hamas leaders to release the hostages now or expel them from your land. It is that simple.

The United States of America will be watching.

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