Maryland Democratic Senator Ben Cardin expressed his stance on the issue of conditioning aid to Israel, firmly stating that he would not support such a measure. Senator Cardin emphasized the importance of Israel as a key ally of the United States and highlighted the country's ongoing battle for security.
He pointed out that all aid provided by the U.S. to any country already comes with conditions regarding its appropriate use and intended purpose, as mandated by current law. Senator Cardin underscored the challenging circumstances faced by Israel in dealing with threats such as Hamas and the complex tunneling system in Gaza.
Senator Cardin stressed the need for Israel to minimize civilian casualties in its efforts to combat these threats and emphasized the importance of providing humanitarian assistance to the region. He expressed hope that a temporary pause in hostilities would create an opportunity to establish an authority in Gaza that respects the rights of its people.
Shifting focus to the issue of border security, Senator Cardin acknowledged the concerns raised by recent polling data indicating that a significant majority of Americans view the situation at the U.S. southern border as a major problem or emergency. He echoed sentiments that the border crisis has significant national security implications.
Senator Cardin called for legislative action to address the broken immigration laws contributing to the border challenges. He emphasized the need for Congress to pass bills that would provide necessary resources to immigration authorities for border protection and asylum determinations.
Senator Cardin highlighted a missed opportunity for bipartisan legislation to address border issues, attributing the failure to pass such a bill to former President Trump's focus on using the matter as a campaign issue rather than prioritizing effective border security measures.
