Marsha Blackburn

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, over the past 52 days, we have watched a horrifying propaganda campaign take over our social media platforms. Anti-Israel sentiment and support for Hamas terrorism has gone mainstream, and even Biden administration officials like Jake Sullivan admit that Hamas is using popular online platforms to push propaganda. Of course, TikTok is the enabler-in-chief in this regard. Here are some stats for you: Between October 23 and 30, videos with the ``StandWithPalestine'' hashtag received 285 million views globally, while videos with ``StandWithIsrael'' hashtag received just 64 million views. Now, keep in mind, these stats reflect the online discourse surrounding the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust 3 weeks after it happened. Everyone has seen the pictures and videos of what Hamas had done. We knew that they were holding innocent people and families and children hostage. It is terrible enough on its own, but we know that it is also a symptom of a very serious disease. We have seen more than enough evidence to suggest that TikTok's executives are manipulating user sentiment with Israel. Why would they do this? Because leveraging the anti-Israel cause is in the best interest of their handlers in the Chinese Communist Party. By silencing Americans and those who are pro-Israel and other westerners who counter anti-Semitic propaganda, they can ingratiate themselves with the Arab world and undermine the United States as the global superpower and chief mediator in the Middle East. They know that by doing this, they are normalizing terrorism and genocide, but it puts the CCP and their partners in the new ``axis of evil'' even one step closer to global domination, and that is their goal. Russia, China, Iran, North Korea--that ``axis of evil''--they intend to push themselves to global domination. So going after Israel, going after pro-Israel, allowing anti-Semitic conversations to be carried out, they are OK with that. They look at it and say: small price to pay for us to be able to get our way. Well, I have looked through the past few weeks of coverage of the role of TikTok and how they have played into this, and I came across story after story defending the platform and the firehose of pro- terrorist content that it promotes. And, of course, you are going to have story after story defending TikTok--of course--because it is OK with them to promote terrorism and to promote genocide. Lately, those same mainstream media outlets have all been obsessed with context, and I think we can all benefit from understanding the context around what is happening with this content that is online. Here is the context: The context is, the Chinese Communist Party has complete control over what does and does not go viral on TikTok. A Forbes investigation into TikTok and ByteDance--and ByteDance is the Beijing company that owns TikTok, the CCP board member of ByteDance. So the Forbes investigation into TikTok and ByteDance revealed that a ByteDance tool, which is run by TikTok staff in China, is tracking mentions of what it considers to be ``sensitive words.'' They do this across the company's products. Now, some of these sensitive words may be things that are anti-CCP, anti-positions of the CCP, anti-Xi Jinping or anti-Mao. Those are considered sensitive. They draw the attention, and they get labeled by the staff as ``sensitive words'' that are forbidden or that must be killed or that are prohibited. In other words, TikTok is censoring the speech, and they are, in part, blocking some posts from ever being seen. This is why you have the hundreds of millions who are seeing pro- Hamas posts and the tens of millions who are seeing a pro-Israel post. There is something else that we should all be aware of. And parents, listen up on this. The tool also tracks every time one of these words comes up. So if you are repeatedly posting something that is pro- Israel, that gets tracked every time. Also, it is recording who said it, so your identity is revealed, and where you are located. Think about that--who you are, where you are located, what you are saying. That is surveillance and tracking. Now, as this Chamber is aware, Senator Blumenthal and I and others at Commerce and Judiciary Committees have had lots of hearings on these social media platforms. And at one of the hearings, we had TikTok's CEO come before Congress, and he told lawmakers, under oath, that his platform does not promote or remove content at the request of the Chinese Government. What we now know? That is false. They are doing this. But word lists in ByteDance's ``sensitive words'' tool deal directly with content that Beijing wants to silence, including language critical of China's Government, their military, their history. Simply tracking speech isn't enough for communist China. They are using these tools to control dissent. In April of this year, Joe Biden's own Department of Justice announced that they were investigating the CCP's use of social media platforms to hunt people down and silence them. They charged 40 officers of China's national police with orchestrating transnational repression schemes against Chinese dissidents living--get this--living in the United States. There, again, they are coming after our citizens, trying to censure, trying to control, trying to manipulate. If TikTok's bias pushed their algorithm in the other direction, Congress would have already banned it in the United States. Instead, the vast majority of the left and their friends in the media are treating the pervasiveness of this pro-Hamas, pro-terrorist, pro-murder sentiment like the latest viral phenomenon. The best, most recent example of this is the appalling popularity of Osama bin Laden's letter to America. This didn't happen on its own. We had TikTok pushing along on this. The TikTokers thought that the architect of the 9/11 attacks made some good points. Their obsession spread to other platforms as well. At one point, the letter clocked in more than 719 million impressions, and that was just on X. TikTok eventually took down mentions of the letter, but by then the anti-Semites had revealed themselves and exposed other young people to the insanity in their videos. It is disgusting--absolutely disgusting-- that you would have the applauding of a letter from Osama bin Laden. We have seen this hatred rear its head before in the form of stalking, harassment, vandalism, and physical violence. A high school in New York descended into chaos last week when a group of teenagers formed a lynch mob to hunt down a Jewish teacher who had attended a pro-Israel rally. Earlier this month, Halal International did a poll and found that anti-Semitism on campus has become so out of control that more than one-third of Jewish college students feel they have to hide their religion. This is appalling. It also shows the ignorance of many of these young people, and it is evidence that the CCP's influence operation has taken hold. So it is time for the U.S. Senate to take this seriously. As I said, it is the symptom of a disease. It is neither reasonable nor rational to suggest that China would create a tool capable of manipulating public opinion on a global scale and then that they would choose not to use that tool to their advantage. You know, we have talked a lot about TikTok and what they are doing in this country. We have talked a lot about how TikTok in China is very different; it is an educational tool. It is very different from what you see here with funny videos or cat videos or some of the very disturbing content that is being pushed on our Nation's youth. There is bipartisan agreement that the very existence of this tool-- this surveillance, this propaganda tool--that the Chinese Communist Party has created, which we call TikTok--there is evidence that the very existence of this poses a threat to our national security and to that of our allies, which means the Senate should have absolutely no trouble throwing its support behind a ban on TikTok in the United States. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I ask that we vitiate the quorum call.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we vitiate the quorum call so we can move to the funding of--the Israel funding bill from the House.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Hagerty and myself, I want to congratulate our friend Butch Spyridon on his induction into the JA Nashville Business Hall of Fame. Before he retired this summer, Butch served for 32 years as the top executive of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp, NCVC. Under his leadership, the NCVC transformed Music City into the commerce, tourism, and entertainment hub it is today. Before Butch, the country music lovers who crowd the famous honky-tonks of lower Broadway and the classical music lovers who fill the Schermerhorn made their pilgrimages to other destinations. Before Butch, corporations and nonprofits chose other conference destinations; now, they compete for space at the Music City Center. Today, music historians drawn to the city by the Bluebird Cafe, RCA Studio B, and the Ryman Auditorium can also explore the National Museum of African American Music, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum because Butch understood the cultural importance of these interconnected genres. He was a vital part of recruiting the city's professional sports teams and pushed the effort to build massive sports complexes where they could play. He turned Independence Day and New Year's Eve celebrations into major tourism spectacles and, in 2019, welcomed the NFL Draft to lower Broadway, the most successful draft event in League history. In 2023, Butch received the 100th star on the Music City Walk of Fame for his unparalleled contributions to the economic and cultural success of Nashville, TN. It is our privilege to congratulate him once more on this latest, greatest honor: Hall of Fame Laureate.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. On November 10, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment lost five soldiers when their helicopter crashed during a training flight over the Mediterranean sea. Their names are CW3 Stephen R. Dwyer of Clarksville, TN; CW2 Shane M. Barnes of Sacramento, CA; SSG Tanner W. Grone of Gorham, NH; SGT Andrew P. Southard of Apache Junction, AZ; and SGT Cade M. Wolfe, of Mankato, MN. In honor of the brave Night Stalkers of 1st Battalion, Charlie Company, I want to recite a few portions of the Night Stalker Creed for the record. Service in the 160th is a calling only a few will answer for the mission is constantly demanding and hard. And when the impossible has been accomplished the only reward is another mission that no one else will try. . . . I serve with the memory and pride of those who have gone before me for they loved to fight, fought to win and would rather die than quit. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the complete Night Stalker Creed.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. On behalf of all Tennesseans, I want to offer my prayers and support to those soldiers' families and to the brave men and women of the 160th. Their motto is ``Night Stalkers don't quit.'' And I would encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting them as they bring the spirit of those words to bear against our enemies around the globe.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee considered several of President Biden's recent judicial appointments. I would have thought that they would have figured out by now that they hit rock bottom a few months ago with some of these nominees that are not out of the mainstream, but they really are far left. Here are some examples: Nancy Abudu, she endorsed political violence against conservatives; Todd Edelman used his authority to release a known criminal who then went on to participate in the murder of a child; Marian Gaston opposed residence restrictions for convicted child sex offenders; and DeAndrea Benjamin released violent criminals on bond, only to watch them offend again. But not to be outdone, the White House has continued this trend with Seth Aframe's nomination to the First Circuit. The White House and Senate Democrats don't have a great track record when it comes to putting a nominee forward for this seat. Back in February, I came to the floor to oppose Michael Delaney's nomination to the First Circuit bench. You will remember that Mr. Delaney threatened to expose a 15-year-old sexual assault survivor if she came forward with her story. That is right--he threatened to expose a 15-year-old sexual assault survivor if she went public. Well, that was a shameful debacle. Everyone saw it. You would think the President's team would have learned their lessons. But I think we were wrong on that, because out of all the talented attorneys and judges that are in the State of New Hampshire, the President has nominated Seth Aframe, who is disturbingly similar to Mr. Delaney in his disregard for victims. I want to walk you through two of the cases that Mr. Aframe prosecuted. And these cases are things that should disqualify him from ever having a seat on the Federal bench. Now, the first case that we will go to is U.S. v. Carpentino. This involved a criminal defendant guilty of extreme sexual violence against a 14-year-old girl with a hearing impairment. Now, this defendant kidnapped this precious child and took her to an abandoned motel in Vermont, and he raped her. This defendant had just been released from a 13-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting minors in particularly violent ways. In one case, he smothered a little girl with a pillow while he raped her. This is a violent repeat offender. There was no doubt this person was a clear and present danger to the community. Despite all of this, Mr. Aframe, as the prosecutor in this case, recommended a sentence far below the probation officer's suggested guidelines. Can you even imagine hearing this? And then saying: Let's go light on this guy. Let's go light. Let's go easy on him. Now, what we have learned is that it is clear that Mr. Aframe wanted the low sentence. And I will tell you why, and I am going to use his own words. And I think when the Presiding Officer hears this, you will see, this is someone who is not qualified for the Federal bench. He wanted the low sentence. He wrote he wanted the low sentence. And I quote, he said he felt the low sentence will ``incapacitate the defendant until he is in his 60s. Hopefully, by that time, the danger that the defendant presents will have subsided.'' Now, think about this. He wants the low sentence because at the end of that low sentence, the guy would be in his sixties and, you know, hopefully, by then he won't be such a danger. I tell you, imagine this: ``hopefully,'' using that. Can you imagine telling this little girl's family that, hopefully, this rapist won't do it again? Bear in mind, he had already been in prison for 13 years. He gets out, and he does it again. And Mr. Aframe is the prosecutor. What does he do? He wants a low sentence because the guy is going to be in his sixties and maybe he won't do it. Hopefully, he won't do it again. Hopefully, he won't be a danger. Hopefully, he will be too old and frail to go rape little girls. Unbelievable. This is sickening. And this case alone should disqualify Mr. Aframe. But there is more. And let's go to this second case. Mr. Aframe was the prosecutor in United States v. Smith. And this case, reading this made me absolutely sick to my stomach. It is repulsive. Mr. Smith was found guilty of conduct connected to the manufacturing of child pornography. He created not one or two, but six videos of himself sexually abusing a 3-year-old girl. Six videos. The details of the case are far too disgusting to repeat aloud. But to be clear: He raped a 3-year-old girl on camera. As prosecutor in this case, Mr. Aframe said the most poignant evidence of the harm this defendant caused was--and I quote--``the look of fear in the young victim's eyes.'' Poignant evidence, the look of fear in a toddler's eyes while somebody is raping her. Despite this, Mr. Aframe recommended a 60-year sentence, nowhere near what this sick and depraved and disgusting human being deserved. Mr. Aframe noted that the perpetrator was a close friend of the victim's family. He worked to gain their trust for years just to commit these heinous acts, but Mr. Aframe still recommended a lenient sentence. But what did the sentencing guidelines recommend? Life in prison. Mr. Aframe himself noted this in his sentencing memo, but when I pressed him under oath on why he refused to follow the guideline, he misrepresented the facts. So let me set the record straight. The sentencing memo, that Mr. Aframe wrote himself, stated that the guidelines recommended a sentence of life in prison. That is what he should have gotten. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that a portion of that sentencing memo be printed in the Record.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I think it is so important that we include that in this. This should have been a life in prison sentence for what was done. You know, I will say to my Democratic colleagues what I said about Michael Delaney's nomination: For the sake of men, women, and children around this country who are victims of sexual assault, join me in opposing this nomination if the President refuses to withdraw this nomination. Someone who has gone light on sentences that affect these children. Someone who has committed crimes against these children and then they have sought to get lesser sentences against these pedophiles and predators, they have no place on the Federal bench. Now, this week, my Democratic colleagues will have two opportunities to oppose individuals that I feel are unfit judicial nominees. The Judiciary Committee will mark up Mustafa Kasubhai to serve on the district court in Oregon. Now, there is a reason that, in my opinion, Mr. Kasubhai is not fit. He has displayed a disturbing affinity for Marxism. This is something that we found in his records. Someone who is displaying an affinity for Marxism has no place on our Federal bench. So I would ask that our colleagues vote no on him.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, it is my honor to officially congratulate the Country Music Hall of Fame 2023 inductees and welcome Bob McDill, Patty Loveless, and Tanya Tucker into country music's closest circle of friends. In Nashville, we like to say that ``it all begins with a song,'' but this year's songwriter inductee took those words to heart in a way that few ever have. Unlike so many songwriters, Bob McDill found his voice as a country music storyteller not through the slow burn of experience, but in a sudden burst of inspiration involving a late-night drive and a particularly raw George Jones lyric. Over the next three decades, he wrote more than 30 chart-topping hits and earned a reputation as one of the most prolific writers in Music City history. This year's modern era artist inductee took a traditional path to fame, but for Patty Loveless, the fruits of her long years laboring through fairs, festivals, and bars to reach the Country Music Hall of Fame are anything but ordinary. Between 1998 and 2003, Loveless released 31 Top 20 country hits and topped the charts five times. Her elite vocal performances made her a star, but it is the skill with which her songs navigated life's most complicated questions that made her one of Music City's most relatable and enduring artists. Country music would look and sound a whole lot different without Tanya Tucker, this year's veterans era artist inductee. By the time she turned 25, Tanya had enjoyed more success than many artists could ever hope to achieve. She created a sound so distinct and a performance style so irresistible that she maintained her hold on Music City through career setbacks that lesser artists could never hope to overcome. Between 1986 and 1997, Tanya sent 24 singles into the Top 10, and, in 1991, earned the honor of County Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year. In 2019 she came back with a vengeance and a new album that earned her two Grammys, the first of her career. On behalf of the entire Tennessee delegation, I would like to express my gratitude to Bob, Patty, and Tanya for their passion, their artistry, and their wholehearted commitment to their craft.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, well, it is Country Music Month, and in Nashville, you will hear people say ``it all begins with a song.'' And, indeed, when we think about the playlists on our phones, when we think about the songs that frame our life, that is very true. And we love the fact that we get to celebrate the creative community every single year during Country Music Month. And this week, the Senate should pass a resolution that Senator Kaine and I have filed. It is designating October as National Country Music Month. Now, Bristol, TN, Bristol, VA, right there on the State line, that is the birthplace of country music. So you have got a little bit of Tennessee and a little bit of Virginia, and we share that richness and that history. And what our resolution does is to highlight our States'--Tennessee's and Virginia's--rich, shared history of fostering creativity, of dreaming those big dreams, and then setting those dreams and thoughts to words and music. The music that these artists, songwriters, and musicians create has had a profound impact not only on country music as a genre but on the evolution of American music. Tennessee artists have the unique power to unite us as Americans. With that in mind, I want to thank my colleagues in advance for celebrating our creative community with us and helping designate October as National Country Music Month. But our work is not done. These musicians need our help getting paid for their art, controlling the business side of their careers, and protecting their intellectual property. I want to highlight a few bills this body must pass to maintain our position as a cultural and artistic leader and a creative hub. The United States is the only democratic nation in the world where artists are not compensated for the use of their songs on AM/FM radio. Now, as I said, we are the only democratic nation that does not compensate these artists. Now, Iran and North Korea are two of the only other countries with this distinction. Senator Padilla and I have introduced a bipartisan piece of legislation--the American Music Fairness Act--which would right this wrong and ensure performers are compensated when their songs are played on the radio. Now, Senator Padilla and I could probably have a great discussion about, Does California have more artists and singers and songwriters or does Tennessee? But I think Tennessee probably has more of those artists and songwriters. Now, not being paid for the use of their music on radio has been a decades-long injustice that hurts Americans at home and abroad. As I said, the United States is the only democratic nation that does not pay for that radio play. So the majority of foreign nations--those who already pay their own artists for radio airplay--currently withhold royalties from American music creators simply because the United States does not reciprocate by paying their performers. This amounts to a massive financial hit for our American artists. Now, when you talk with them, what you will learn from different royalty rights organizations is our entertainers here are missing out on about $200 million each year in income to those musicians--$200 million a year. That is money that would come from other countries to our American artists if we were to pass the American Music Fairness Act. (Ms. BUTLER assumed the Chair.) Senator Padilla and I have worked hard on this. It is bipartisan. We think to not pay these artists is something that needs to be fixed, and that is why we should agree to get the American Music Fairness Act to the President's desk without delay. Now, I also worked with the late Senator Dianne Feinstein--and, Madam President, we welcome you. We know you have big shoes to fill in Senator Feinstein's seat. Senator Feinstein and I often talked about the importance of keeping this American creative community here and keeping that community vibrant, and she and I worked together to introduce a piece of bill that is called the HITS Act. This is the Help Independent Tracks Succeed, HITS. Now, this bill would allow independent music creators--including musicians, technicians, songwriters, and producers--to deduct 100 percent of recording production expenses in the year that those expenses are incurred. The Federal Tax Code already allows film, television, theater productions to do this, and there is no reason not to give our music creators this same benefit. Think about that. Somebody goes in; they book that studio time; they lay down those tracks; they lay down those vocals; you get a producer that produces it; the musicians play on it; the technicians come in and tweak this-- and they cannot deduct all of that expense. This is not fair, especially when you consider that TV, film, theater--they can all deduct 100 percent. So Senator Feinstein and I worked on this, got it ready to go. This is another one that needs to pass. These two pieces of legislation really have something very important in common. They recognize that entertainment as a career is both a creative pursuit and it is a very fragile business model. It requires that those individuals be able to exercise their intellectual property rights to benefit from their creations. And one of the top concerns I hear from entertainers and their teams is the extent to which AI will--and already has--damaged their businesses. So we have another issue that has come on. In addition to not being fully compensated, then these entertainers are looking at the impact that artificial intelligence is going to have on their business. Now, Congress is already late to the AI issue. We all know that, and I am delighted that we are beginning to see bipartisan interest in moving forward some legislation on guidelines and guardrails for artificial intelligence. Creators have already begun to see that their voices, their likenesses, and their styles of music are used without their consent. And the danger to their livelihoods is real because they are not being compensated for their music that is used to train AI models that are actually going to take away the ability for them to make money on what they have created. So in addition to not being paid for radio play, in addition to not being able to deduct production expense, now--here it comes--AI is going to mimic them and use name, image, likeness, voice cloning and take away more of their ability. So Senator Coons and I have released a discussion draft on a piece of legislation to help protect these artists. It is called the NO FAKES Act. The NO FAKES Act would hold individuals, companies, and platforms accountable for digital replicas created or used without the consent of the individual that is being cloned or depicted in that replica. So it allows an entertainer to protect themselves, the replication of their voice, of their mannerisms, of their musical style. Well, Hank Williams, Jr., has been quoted as saying, ``Country music singers have always been a real close family.'' He is pretty right about that. And just like any family, I love it when you see all of these entertainers who are, in essence, competitors competing for radio time and studio time and tours and dates on their tours. They are competing for it all, but they come together, and they let you know when they need something and when something needs to be done. And addressing this AI issue is something that needs to be done. So I would encourage my colleagues to talk to entertainers in their States and talk with them about the American Music Fairness Act, the HITS Act, and the NO FAKES Act, and what it would do to give them that control over their art, their name, their image, their likeness. You know, here in the United States, whether we want to argue about: Is Tennessee the biggest or does California have the most or is Virginia the real home and who produces the most records and lays down the most recording? What we can all agree on is that the United States of America is the hub for entertainment. It is where everyone wants to come, and, of course, we like that ingenuity and that creativity, and we love it that artists come to Nashville and say: We want to record that Nashville sound. Let us keep this industry viable. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 15 minutes prior to the scheduled rollcall vote.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, last week, the Biden administration proposed a spending package that included funding meant for humanitarian relief--$3.5 billion for migration and refugee assistance in Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza; $5.7 billion for the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Biden administration says that our money will pay for ``life-saving humanitarian programming in Israel and areas impacted by the situation in the West Bank and Gaza.'' We have two problems to address. First, the U.S. Government is scared to call the terrorist attack a terrorist attack. Second, this is just one more embarrassing example of the Biden administration's two-faced approach to the people of Israel. I have spoken at length about the money pipeline between Iran and Hamas, but there is a similar pipeline that appears to be running between Hamas and the U.S. taxpayer. Every dollar we send that is earmarked for Gaza or the West Bank is another dollar Hamas can put into their pocket. Last week, I spoke about the U.N. Relief and Works Agency and how this false humanitarian mission has been corrupted by Hamas and terrorist sympathizers. This has been confirmed by multiple NGOs, the media, Joe Biden's own advisers, and whoever published and then deleted this post from the UNRWA Twitter account. Hamas stole those supplies and UNRWA covered it up. Remember, this is a U.N. body that pulls 93 percent of its funding from global government. In 2021 alone, UNRWA took $338 million from the United States, $118 million from the European Commission, and hundreds of millions of dollars from individual European nations. Since 2021, Biden has sent UNRWA a billion dollars. A billion dollars. USAID funds more than $21 billion worth of UN programming, and they sent millions of dollars to UNRWA. And now the President is ready to send them billions more. If the American people knew what their tax dollars were actually being used for, they would be outraged. And I believe it is time for them to know. We know that Hamas steals UNRWA money and supplies and stores their weapons in UNRWA facilities. We also know that they fill those facilities with human shields. But something that hasn't gotten nearly enough attention is how our tax dollars are radicalizing the next generation of Hamas extremists. UN Watch published a report in March exposing UNRWA-affiliated schools for what they are: indoctrination centers. Bear in mind, this is UN Watch that published this report and exposed the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees for what they were doing. One employee shared an Instagram post calling a teenage Palestine Islamic Jihad fighter who was killed in a shootout a ``little cub who fights like a thousand lions.'' That was an employee of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency who shared that Instagram post calling a teenage Jihadi fighter a ``little cub who fights like a thousand lions.'' A teacher posted a picture of Hitler with the caption: Hitler, are you sleeping? Wake up, honey, there are still some people you need to burn. UN Watch also found official curriculum from last year celebrating Dalal Mughrabi. In 1978, she led a band of PLO terrorists in a massacre that left 38 Israeli civilians dead. Thirteen of her victims were children. Another piece of propaganda written for ninth graders described the firebombing of a U.S. bus as a ``barbecue party.'' One UNRWA teacher assigned seventh grade boys anti-Semitic poetry that urged the students to expel Israelis ``with blood and flesh'' from Palestine. All of this was subsidized by the American taxpayer. Hamas is responsible for the October 7 massacre in Israel. But anyone who believes that Hamas is a solo actor is willfully ignorant. They have support. And right now, Biden's foreign policy is providing much of that support, not only through the money pipeline but through his absolute refusal to keep Iran in check. This isn't just a U.S. problem. It is a worldwide problem that we will not solve until the money stops flowing and Hamas is eradicated. Fortunately, at least when it comes to UNRWA, accountability is built in. Global governments provide that funding, which means we can take it away. The United States needs to step up and lead. I have introduced legislation to halt that funding until Iran is expelled from the U.N. and investigated for violations. We have to get this job done. Our legislation would accomplish two goals. It will destroy that pipeline of taxpayer dollars from the United States to Hamas and disrupt the Biden administration's policy of appeasement toward Iran. Everything President Biden has done has made this world more dangerous. But nothing has had more immediate and catastrophic consequences for our allies than his refusal to treat the Iranian regime like the dangerous adversary that it actually is. He sent Robert Malley, Ariane Tabatabai, and other Iranian assets to renegotiate the failed nuclear deal. Administration officials allowed Ms. Tabatabai's security clearance to stand even after it became clear she was operating under the advice of Iranian officials. He agreed to hand over a $6 billion ransom payment and then insisted that the world's most prolific state sponsor of terror would dedicate every penny to humanitarian aid. And in the hours following the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, he insisted that there was no connection between Iran and Hamas and their terrorist acts. Never mind that a week later, Hamas leadership met with the Iranian foreign minister in Qatar. Biden's foreign policy is fatally flawed; that has become evident. And if we don't force him to reverse course, he will further endanger the American people and our allies and our safety and security. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, I know that we are all watching what is happening with Israel and then also looking at how that affects our national security. And in doing this, one of the things we have paid attention to is what is happening at our southern border. As you look at the numbers there, it really is quite frightening to see how people from all across the globe are coming to our southern border. Indeed, last year, we had individuals from 176 different countries that came to our southern border. Among this number, there were hundreds of gang members, there were thousands of convicted criminals, and there were individuals of interest--names of interest-- that our Border Patrol watched, and, indeed, there were people on the Terrorist Watchlist. Last year, in 2023--that is, our fiscal 2023--there were 151 apprehensions of individuals on the Terrorist Watchlist. Now, this number is really quite a dramatic increase. In 2022, there were 98 individuals on the Terrorist Watchlist who were apprehended at the southern border. In 2021, there were 15. And in 2019, there were zero-- not a one. Now, as you look at these numbers and as you look at what is happening here, it is natural to think: What has caused this uptick in terrorists that are coming to our border? If you are going to be honest about these numbers, what you would have to do is say: OK, what has changed from 2019 to 2021 and 2022 and 2023? And in a sane world--which maybe this is not a sane world right now--it would lead you to look at this administration's border policies: the ease with which people can come to the border, raise their hands, and claim asylum; the way the cartels have expanded around the globe as global businesses, indeed, moving human trafficking from having been a $500 million-a-year business in 2019 to today, this year, $150 billion--``billion'' with a B. Those are the numbers that we are dealing with. And for terrorists who want to get in this country--and I would say it is not a stretch to think they are coming here to do us harm--maybe they are saying: It is the easiest way. You can claim asylum. You can grab a child and say you are bringing your child to America for a better life. But the numbers are not my numbers. They are not Republican numbers. They are not Senate numbers. These are the numbers that come from the Department of Homeland Security. This is what they have logged. Now, the other thing that we have to look at is that in fiscal year 2022, DHS reported that 2.4 million individuals tried to force their way across the southern border. And, indeed, we have to say that. And, in that, we also have an additional 600,000 ``got-aways.'' Those are the ones who can be seen on surveillance but they can't get to. Those are pretty hefty numbers, and those are the 2022 numbers. In 2023, the numbers are even above that. It is impossible to control an influx of this magnitude, which means it is also impossible for us to control the collective threat that this poses to our country. Because, in those ``got-aways,'' how many are terrorists? How many are gang members? How many are drug traffickers? How many are sex traffickers? How many of those ``got-aways'' are coming to inflict harm on our cities, our towns, our communities, and our citizens? Now, what has concerned me and what concerns so many Tennesseans--and I hear it regularly--last night, I did a cell phone townhall, which I enjoy doing and hearing firsthand from Tennesseans, spending an hour taking questions, answering their questions. And what really bothers so many of them is our President and his administration's unwillingness to acknowledge the very existence of the threats that that open border brings to us. It jeopardizes our safety and our security and, I would say, even the security of our allies. We have got a lot of adversaries in this world. We all know that. When you look at Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, we know we have got adversaries. You look at what is happening with Hamas in Israel, in those horrific attacks there. And we can say our adversaries may be sadistic, but they are not stupid. They know the border is open. They know that we are practicing--this administration is practicing-- a foreign policy of appeasement. And maybe that is the reason that even this month what you saw was 2,000 Chinese, 100 Russians, 35 Pakistanis, and 30 Iranians coming to our southern border; coming in the country illegally; coming, saying they are claiming asylum. Does this make us safer? No, it doesn't, when you do not know who is coming into this country and their intent. Now, Hamas has noted the confusion in our foreign policy and the lack of clarity. They saw it when President Biden withdrew troops from the CENTCOM area. They saw it. So what we did when we withdrew those troops was, effectively, to leave Israel surrounded by their worst enemies. They have also noted Biden's record of appeasing hostile regimes. When Biden chose not to enforce--and this is important to note--this administration, this National Security Director, this President chose not to enforce oil sanctions against Iran. They did this knowing this would end up benefiting Hamas, Hezbollah, and the terrorist groups that are the proxies for Iran. The President also knew that $6 billion in a ransom payment would free up even more money for terrorist groups, more money for Hamas, more money for Hezbollah. That is the hallmark of this administration: looking the other way, appeasing Iran, and doing it at cost to the American people. Since 2021, President Biden has funneled $730 million to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. Now, this agency, which has been around for decades, what they have become is a ferociously anti-Semitic organization that has a long history of employing people that--guess what--they are associated with Hamas. And Hamas has a history of stealing money from this agency and using the agency's facilities to store weapons. Now, does that sound like humanitarian aid? Does that sound like money going to the purpose for which it was given? Of course not. And that is why, in 2018, President Trump halted the funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees. Well, President Biden comes in and guess what he does. He turned that spigot back on, running wide open, even though he knew it was pretty much as good as writing a check to Hamas, a terrorist organization. And, by the way, we declared and recognized Hamas as a terrorist organization. We as a country did this in 1997. So, you know, there are things we can do. And I have introduced legislation to halt funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees until Iran is expelled from the U.N. and until we investigate their crimes--what they are doing with this money, how it leads to death and destruction--because they are giving it to these terrorist organizations. Iran gives Hamas about $100 million a year--$100 million. They also provide them with the weapons and armor and ammo and with supplies and training. We also know that Hamas has grabbed aid this week for State kits, medical supplies, food. It is not going to the people, the Palestinians; it is going to Hamas for their efforts. Now, in the first 2 weeks of fiscal year 2024, Border Patrol captured 30 Iranians, as I said a few minutes ago. Now, they were trying to come across the southern border; two of them, Terrorist Watchlist. Now, this is this month. This is in the last couple of weeks. And we have gotten reports of at least two more Iranians on that Terrorist Watchlist that have tried to come in. So since last Monday alone--Monday a week ago--we have had 19 Iranians and 17 Syrians that tried to sneak into this country over the southern border. So I would just ask my colleagues, my Democratic colleagues: Why do you think the terrorists--why do you think these people feel so emboldened? Whether it is the Iranians, the Pakistanis, the Russians, the Chinese, why are they flooding to our border to gain illegal entry into our country to evade our immigration laws, to fly under the cloak of darkness and get in here on U.S. soil? Why are they emboldened? Does this not worry you? Does this not cause you to say it is an imperative that we secure this border? You know, right now, as we have looked at what is happening around the globe and, specifically, as we look at what has happened in Israel, you have got 1,400 Israelis who are dead; you have got 31 Americans who are dead; you have got individuals from dozens of other countries around the globe who are dead, who are injured, who have been taken hostage and have faced a horrific circumstance. We cannot let this pattern of neglect continue in our country. We cannot continue to make our Nation and our citizens vulnerable. We cannot let attacks happen on our soil. It is time that we close that southern border. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, well, we all know what has happened since October 7. Hamas has launched more than 6,000 rockets into Israel. They have sent more than 1,000 terrorists across the border to murder civilians. This is the most devastating slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. They have killed more than 1,400 Israelis; 291 of them have been soldiers. They have taken 199 hostages, including an unknown number of Americans. This was also one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in our history. They killed 30 U.S. citizens, and 13 are still missing or are unaccounted for. Israel is the victim. Even the Biden White House has acknowledged that. This hasn't stopped several of my Democratic colleagues from calling for a cease-fire. All of this, also, has not stopped Black Lives Matter and other pro-Palestinian groups from glorifying the mass slaughter of Jews. Students for Justice, in Palestine, called it a ``historic win.'' Jews in New York, Atlanta, Washington, DC, London, Berlin, and so many other cities around the globe are once again living in fear. Just this weekend, protesters in Nashville, TN, refused to condemn the horrific violence against the Israelis. Instead, they insisted that these innocent people had it coming because their government's politics don't line up with the radical left's talking points. This is, indeed, insanity. If we allow these positions to define our foreign policy, we put the lives of Israelis and Americans and our allies in danger. The United States designated Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. Their stated goal is to destroy the State of Israel through jihad. Over the years, we have seen them commit acts of violence so depraved that allies to the so-called Palestinian cause deny them entirely rather than attempt to rationalize them. We know, right now, that 600,000 Gazans have been evacuated but that they have trapped more than enough women and children to use as human shields. Absolutely despicable. We also know that they use international aid money not for humanitarian aid but to fund their efforts, their war efforts--their jihad. Iran is the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism and sends $100 million annually to Hamas. That is in addition to supplying them with technology, logistical support, and weapons. When the Biden administration announced their plan to give the Iranians access to $6 billion in frozen assets, we knew exactly what that meant for Israel. The constant refrain from the Biden administration is that there is ``no direct link to Iran regarding this attack.'' It is time for whomever wrote that talking point to turn on the news, to look at the pictures that are on the screen, to listen to what you are hearing from the Ayatollah and some of the Iranian officials who are, by the way, meeting with Hamas leadership in Qatar. In the first hours of the attack, the Biden administration projected nothing but weakness. They deleted multiple tweets calling for a cease- fire. It took the President almost 12 hours to make a statement. This sent a very clear message to our enemies. It also sends a message to our allies. We can start by giving Israel what they need to eradicate these terrorists. Last week, I sent a letter urging President Biden to support Israel in all possible ways. Under President Trump, we cut aid to the Palestinians because the Palestinian Authority used that money to reward terrorism. In 2021, President Biden reversed that policy, and since then, he has sent more than $730 million to the Palestinians, even though he knows there is a high risk. We know money is fungible, and we know what Iran does with their money--they fund terrorism; they fund their proxies. And, while we are at it, let's start treating Iran like the dangerous state sponsor of terror it is. Last week, I led 19 Senate Republicans, in a letter, calling on President Biden to permanently freeze Iran's access to that $6 billion. We should send those dollars to Israel to pay for the damage that Hamas has done. There should be no more backdoor deals with Qatar, no more silent agreements, no more quiet agreements. Let's have a formal agreement that will stop the backpedaling and will stop the intentions to release that money, which is what they will do when the media attention on this issue dissipates. None of this will matter if we don't root out the incompetence and malicious influence in our own government. Last week, I sent a letter to President Biden demanding the immediate removal of Jake Sullivan as his National Security Advisor. He was wrong about Afghanistan, the Middle East, and that nuclear deal with Iran in 2015. He has got to go, as do the Iranian assets that President Biden has given top secret security clearances to. Last month, I stood right here and described how President Biden sent Robert Malley, Ariane Tabatabai, and other operatives to negotiate the failed Iran nuclear deal. Now, Mr. Malley and Ms. Tabatabai have been involved with the Iran Experts Initiative, and then the President gave them top secret security clearances and sent them to negotiate on the Iran deal. This has to stop. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that these letters be printed in the Record.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, we all have a choice here: Will the United States act with courage or are we going to sit quiet and allow this barbarism to continue? Israeli forces report that Hamas bound boys and girls before shooting them in the head--children who were bound and then shot in the head. They found families who had been burned alive. There are reports that young women had been raped and then mutilated. Hamas turned a music festival into a killing field. The beheadings of babies--we have heard those reports. These will live in infamy. The historians have a phrase to describe massacres like this. It is ``Holocaust by bullets.'' It is inconceivable that any of my colleagues could tolerate the demands that Israel surrender to terrorists. It is time for this President, his advisers, and all of our colleagues--all of our colleagues--who told the Israelis to stand down to take a good, hard look at where complacency and appeasement gets us. Look at Gaza. Look at Iran. Look at Afghanistan. Look at China. Look at our own southern border. Since October 1, Border Patrol has apprehended 30 Iranians. That is since the 1st of this month, this year. This is who the Border Patrol has apprehended: 30 Iranians, 60 Syrians, 35 Pakistanis, more than 100 Russians, 285 Afghans, and 2,000 Chinese-- trying to cross our southern border undetected. Now, do they all mean us harm? Probably not, but we cannot know that for sure because this administration refuses to acknowledge the possibility that terrorists are coming across this southern border--246 apprehended since Joe Biden became President. What are we doing? What are we doing? How do we know the intentions of those 30 Iranians? 2,000 Chinese? 100 Russians? Is there a guarantee they are not here to kill us? The job of Hamas: kill people. You have watched them do it with glee. Terrorists, what do they do? They set up terror cells. They wait to strike to kill you--to kill you. I have got to tell you: This administration needs to grow a spine. They need to grow a spine, and they need to be solid and resolute that they are going to protect this country and our citizens and our allies. And our enemies are going to know that they are an enemy, because we will treat them like that. We have got a choice: We can show courage; we can surrender; we can practice appeasement. But that is the choice. This country needs to show courage and leadership. I hope that this body and this administration will choose courage and leadership. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, Tennessee is home to the world's most talented singers, songwriters, musicians, and composers. The music that these gifted artists create connects with us on such a personal level that sometimes it is easy to forget about the dedicated industry professionals working behind the scenes to make sure we hear it. Doug Howard has been at the center of Nashville's music industry since the 1970s, first as a student, and then in the worlds of publishing and recording before heading back to academia. Last year, he retired from his role as the dean of Belmont University's Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music, and earlier this month, he received the Mulloy Award of Excellence for his important impact on the entertainment industry and his notable service to the Belmont University music community. Over the years, Doug has not only nurtured this community's creative spirit but empowered them to take ownership of their craft. The fusion of artistry and business acumen that he helped foster at Belmont and in the careers of up-and-coming music professionals has, slowly but surely, changed the way artists and fans alike think about the presence of music in their lives. On behalf of all Tennesseans, I want to thank my friend Doug Howard for his dedication to Nashville's music community and congratulate him on receiving this latest, tremendous honor.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, today it is my honor to congratulate the women of the General James Robertson Chapter of National Society Daughters of the American Revolution on their organization's 100th anniversary. The General James Robertson Chapter was founded on October 16, 1923, by Maria Kirkman ``Queenie'' Woods Washington, a Nashville social icon who could trace her family's roots back to President George Washington. Queenie served as the chapter's first regent and immediately set high standards for her fellow members. Their early emphasis on historic preservation, education, and patriotism laid the foundation for what has become one of the Volunteer State's most active service organizations. I am honored to count myself among the approximately 100 women of the General James Robertson Chapter who today honor that singular commitment to service. And it is my hope that the love of country that drives our membership will inspire future generations of Tennessee women to put their talents to bear on behalf of students, Active-Duty servicemembers, and their neighbors in the greater Nashville community.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.