The next is a transcript of an interview with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Nov. 24, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face the Nation. We’re now joined by Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, good to have you ever right here.
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: It is nice to be with you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, in these closing days of democratic management, the Senate and the White Home has a protracted to-do record. Congress has to fund the federal government by the tip of December, go the protection bil l-the NDAA- and extension to the farm invoice. And I do know Democrats wish to verify as many judges as potential. What’s high of your record?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: Nicely, all of these are on the record. Prime of my record can also be the catastrophe aid funding- emergency Aid. We had massive components of the nation hit by hurricanes and different pure disasters. In my state of Maryland, we had the collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore. So we have at all times taken the method that the entire nation shall be there to assist fellow People in want. The President has now submitted a $100 billion emergency catastrophe aid plan that features funding for the Key Bridge. So I hope that we’ll get that carried out by the tip of the yr. Individuals want that aid, they usually want it now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That is about $8 billion for the bridge alone. Is that proper?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: Not for the bridge alone. This- that is a part of the Emergency Aid Fund that features roughly $2 billion for the bridge.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And also you’re comparatively assured that this may be delivered on?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: I hope that every one of our colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike will help catastrophe aid. We have at all times had the philosophy” all for one and one for all” when People get hit by these disasters, I hope we’ll stick to that place.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, we are also taking a look at a brand new Congress very quickly, and as you recognize, a brand new commander-in-chief. Republicans could have the bulk within the Senate with 53 seats, so they do not actually need Democratic votes to verify most of the picks that Mr. Trump has been making to run businesses. However from what you’ve got seen to this point, are you in favor of any of them, your colleague, Marco Rubio, as Secretary of State, for instance. Or this new option to be labor secretary?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: Look, my view is that is what the vetting course of is all about. The listening to course of. The Senate, in fact, underneath the Structure, has the job of advising and consenting on nominations, and I take that duty very critically. I’ve been troubled by some speak that President-elect Trump needs to brief circuit that constitutional method utilizing this recess appointment gadget, and it is going to be actually essential that the brand new Republican chief within the Senate uphold the Senate’s prerogatives underneath the Structure and never attempt to do it and run.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll keep tuned to see how that performs out. Let’s flip to the Center East. You stated that President Biden’s inaction to halt the horrific humanitarian state of affairs within Gaza is a stain on his administration that it is shameful. Is there something in these closing weeks that might be carried out to erase that stain?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: I feel there are issues that may be carried out, and I ought to emphasize that I supported President Biden’s determination to journey to Israel within the aftermath of the brutal Hamas assaults of October 7 of final yr and stand with the folks of Israel as they confront this risk. However I additionally want the President had successfully used US leverage to primarily assert his personal positions. We have seen this sample the place President Biden makes calls for of Prime Minister Netanyahu, solely to be ignored or slapped down fully, after which President Biden sends extra bombs and more cash. That isn’t an efficient use of leverage. So, I do hope in these closing months, the President will lastly make simpler use of American leverage to on the very least uphold American legislation, to insist that the Netanyahu authorities permits humanitarian assist into Gaza they usually use our weapons in a fashion in line with the legal guidelines of struggle.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you’re taking a nuanced and particular stand on that upholding, US legislation. That is usually characterised, although, as being for or towards serving to Israel. There have been 19 senators, you had been one in every of them who voted this previous week to pause particular shipments on three completely different teams of weapons, offensive weapons, to Israel. You stated the State Division is reviewing 500 incidents the place US weapons had been used and induced pointless civilian hurt. The State Division has stated Israel is doing issues to repair the state of affairs, which is why weapons proceed to be greenlit. Are you suggesting that is a lie?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: I am suggesting that the President of the US just isn’t absolutely complying with American legislation on this query. In case you have a look at the letter that was despatched by secretaries Austin and Secretary Blinken to Israeli authorities in October, you have a look at that closing paragraph, you may see that they are complaining about the truth that there isn’t a efficient mechanism proper now for attending to the underside of claims of civilian hurt. The State Division has, as I stated, about 500 as you stated. And we’ve not gotten the underside of these.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: As a result of the method is damaged, and I’d argue that there is not been the need to repair the method, as a result of lots of people don’t desire the method to supply the apparent reply, which is, there have been many instances the place we have seen US weapons utilized in violation of worldwide humanitarian legislation. In truth, for those who return to the NSM-20 report earlier this yr, the Biden administration stated particularly that there was a excessive probability that US weapons had been being utilized in violation of worldwide legislation, and but they’ve carried out nothing within the intervening interval to implement that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Once I pressed US officers on this privately, they’ve stated, “What would you like us to do? You need us to place in a halt for a couple of weeks after which Donald Trump reverses it. What is the level?” How do you reply to that?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: Nicely, the purpose is, they need to have been doing this for a for much longer time period. The President had ample alternatives during the last yr. There are numerous folks within the administration, senior level- on the senior degree, who advised me that this struggle was going to return to an finish again in January. You recognize, I met with hostage households on quite a few events who’ve been calling out Prime Minister Netanyahu for not agreeing to a stop fireplace and a return of their family members. Minister Gallant, the protection minister of Israel was fired as a result of he wished to prioritize the return of hostages, and but, President Biden has by no means referred to as out Prime Minister Netanyahu–
MARGARET BRENNAN: – Why?–
SEN. VAN HALLEN: –for his obstruction on this, regardless that these households I’ve met with are calling him out.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Even post-election, why do you assume he will not do this?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: I actually do not know. I simply do not know why the President of the US has not been keen to make simpler use of American leverage to claim his personal said targets. I imply, he is been ignored on different issues too, proper? He needs the PA to be the nucleus of governance in a post-war Gaza–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — the Palestinian Authority–
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: He needs a two-state answer. Prime Minister Netanyahu has not solely ignored these he is gone on the market and bragged about how he is blocking President Biden’s efforts, and but the clean verify simply retains on coming. So what my colleagues and I are saying is, let’s simply pause these transfers of offensive weapons, sure ones, till Prime Minister Netanyahu and his authorities come into compliance with American legislation. These are American legal guidelines on the books. So this isn’t about whether or not we help Israel or not. In fact, we help Israel. It is about whether or not our help is utilized in a fashion in line with American legislation and American values.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Van Hollen, thanks for explaining your place. Thanks. We’ll be proper again.
