'Inexcusable': Speaker Mike Johnson Blasts VP Kamala Harris For Boycotting Netanyahu Speech

5 months ago

At a House Republican press briefing on Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Transcript

00:00Finally, it's been mentioned where I'm happy to welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

00:08for what will be his fourth address to a joint session of Congress.

00:12He will set the record, surpassing Winston Churchill as the foreign leader who's addressed Congress the most times,

00:18because we live in historic moments and because his testimony directly to Congress is so important

00:25with regard to what's happening in Israel right now.

00:28120 hostages languish in tunnels deep in the land over there in Gaza built by Hamas.

00:36These tunnels have been, and that includes, of course, eight Americans.

00:40We cannot forget that.

00:42Our two nations are united in our common cause to bring the hostages home,

00:46and we are united to stand against our common enemies.

00:49As Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah and the Houthis, have become increasingly hostile,

00:55they attack Israelis in the north and in Tel Aviv.

00:58We have to be clear that Israel is not alone.

01:01It has never been more important than it is right now for us to stand with our closest ally in the Middle East

01:07and our traditional partner in all these things.

01:11And it is outrageous to me and inexcusable that, as the leader mentioned,

01:15that Kamala Harris is boycotting this joint session.

01:19This is an historic moment.

01:21It's an important moment for the country for all the reasons we've said.

01:24The gravity of the situation cannot be overstated, and yet Kamala Harris will abandon her seat.

01:30As you all know, as the vice president and as serving as the president of the Senate,

01:34she is supposed to be seated next to me at the rostrum.

01:37She will not be there because she refuses to attend.

01:40She needs to be held accountable for that, and she needs to be asked very searing questions about why.

01:44They went down the roster to find out who else would sit in the seat.

01:49Senator Patty Murray declined the opportunity as well.

01:52They also boycotted the event, skipped the speech.

01:54They landed on Senator Cardin, who is retiring from the Senate, so has little political risk.

02:00The idea that they're making political calculations when our ally is in such dire straits,

02:06fighting for its very survival and fighting back against the horrific attack in October is unconscionable to us.

02:15America's relationship with Israel has always been bipartisan, and it should stay that way.

'Inexcusable': Speaker Mike Johnson Blasts VP Kamala Harris For Boycotting Netanyahu Speech

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