(8 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington DC – 8 May 2024
1. Cutaway of Senate Democratic leaders walking out to press conference
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader:
"I had a chance to talk to the defense minister of Israel yesterday and Jake Sullivan this morning. And I continue to express my concern to the administration that the delay of shipment of weapons to Israel is just another way of trying to tell an ally how to conduct the war. This is obviously an extremely challenging situation. But I think the last thing we ought to be doing is telling our Democratic allies, you ought to have an election or you ought not to conduct this war in a certain way."
++SEPARATED BY BLACK++
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. John Thune, (R) South Dakota
"It is really important for the Biden administration to get this right and to stand with Israel, not doing so not only undermines the security of Israel, but it also draws into question our reliability as an ally. And so I hope the administration will see their way to ensure that the assistance that this Congress has supported and advocated for is actually delivered and that the people of Israel are able to finish the job and to make sure that Hamas is never in a position again to attack Israel or its people or, for that matter, anybody else in the neighborhood."
4. Cutaway of Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer walking up to press conference
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Schumer, Majority Leader:
(Reporter off camera: "Is it appropriate for the Biden administration to hold up the delivery of these 300 bombs, Israel, while it assesses the potential invasion? Republicans say this was allocated for appropriate purpose in this bill, which is…")
Schumer: "I believe that Israel and America have an ironclad relationship. And I have faith in what the Biden administration is doing."
6. Cutaway of Schumer walking away
STORYLINE:
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he has "faith" in how the Biden administration is handling the export of weapons to Israel, despite Republicans expressing concern over the issue.
"I believe that Israel and America have an ironclad relationship," said Schumer on Capitol Hill Wednesday.
This comes after the U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns the country was approaching a decision to launch a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Confirmed Wednesday by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, with the focus of U.S. concern being the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban setting. More than 1 million civilians are sheltering in Rafah after evacuating other parts of Gaza amid Israel’s war on Hamas, which came after the militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
"I continue to express my concern to the administration that the delay of shipment of weapons to Israel is just another way of trying to tell our ally how to conduct the war," said Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
"This is obviously an extremely challenging situation. But I think the last thing we ought to be doing is telling our Democratic allies, you ought to have an election or you ought not to conduct this war in a certain way.:
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