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Executive Calendar

Floor Speech

Date: June 17, 2025
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, like all Americans, I was horrified to hear about this weekend's shootings of two State lawmakers in Minnesota and their spouses. Melissa Hortman, a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband Mark were murdered on Saturday. And John Hoffman, a member of the State Senate, and his wife Yvette were seriously wounded.

I am profoundly grateful to law enforcement that the alleged shooter is now in custody, and I look forward to seeing him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

There is no place for this kind of violence in our country. None. My prayers this morning are with the Hortmans' family and loved ones and for the speedy recovery of John and Yvette Hoffman. israel

Mr. President, for far too long, the mullahs in Iran have publicly aspired to wipe Israel off the face of the map. And for decades, they have fomented a campaign of terror throughout the Middle East, threatening Israel and innocents everywhere and destabilizing the entire region.

It was Hamas who killed more than 1,000 Israelis on October 7, 2023. But it was Iran who made that attack possible through years of funding, training, and weaponry provided to this terrorist organization.

In the early hours of Friday morning, Israel struck back, attacking a number of sites in Iran, including sites associated with Iran's nuclear program. I spoke with the Israeli Ambassador on Friday and assured him of my prayers for Israel's safety during this time and my hope that their operations--and any to come--will succeed in eliminating the prospect of a nuclear- armed Iran and, ultimately, help bring peace to a region that has for far too long been at war.

While the U.S. military is not involved in offensive operations against Iran, U.S. forces on land, at sea, and in the air have helped defend Israel from indiscriminate missile attacks launched by Iran.

President Trump and our country remain steadfast in our defense of Israel and committed to working towards peace in the Middle East and, first and foremost, for the safety of American personnel stationed in the region.

And should Iran have any designs on Americans, I urge the mullahs to think long and hard about the consequences.

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