Senator Coons statement on Joint Resolutions of Disapproval votes

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement after voting against the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval offered by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) related to future U.S. arms sales to Israel:

"The United States should continue to provide Israel with the support it needs to defend itself from ongoing attacks from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah. Pausing future weapons sales now will have no impact on the current fighting but may encourage Hamas and Hezbollah to continue their attacks on Israel.

"The situation in Gaza is a tragic humanitarian catastrophe, and I continue to press Israel to make progress in securing the delivery of desperately needed relief supplies, including in a meeting today with Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog. While I share the Biden administration's assessment that the Israeli government has taken steps to improve access for humanitarian assistance, I remain committed to pressing for stronger commitments and the implementation of the steps necessary to do so. I have also led efforts on the Senate Appropriations Committee to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in additional humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians facing dire humanitarian conditions."

Senator Coons is Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.