Hamas’ attack on Israel is all the more painful because of the role played by Iran, as confirmed reports the Wall Street Journal. This comes after the Biden administration announced last month – actually on the anniversary of 9/11 – that $6 billion would be released as part of a prisoner swap. When news of the attack spread on Saturday morning, members the Biden administration and its media allies almost immediately called them out, including sitting members of Congress, which dared to raise $6 billion. Nevertheless, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a significant admission during Sunday’s edition of NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” In featherlight of all this, members of Congress are calling on the administration to rescind the deal and freeze the funds. This applies even to Democrats now.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s response about the funds during Tuesday’s news conference was unhelpful at best, and caused quite a stir.
Jake Sullivan won’t say whether Biden will try to freeze $6 billion in Iranian assets again. pic.twitter.com/uxNSXdi9KW
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 10, 2023
Shortly after the briefing, POLITICO reported that “Centrist Senate Democrats Call for Freeze of $6 Billion in Iranian Assets After Hamas Attack in IsraelThe article isn’t just about “centrist state Democrats,” but also about vulnerable officials up for re-election next year, including Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who is clearly up for re-election.
“I did not support the initial $6 billion transfer. We should completely freeze these Iranian assets while considering additional sanctions,” Manchin, who has not yet made clear his plans for 2024, told POLITICO.
Another Democratic senator running for re-election, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, also made a statement. “In light of Hamas’s brutal and horrific terrorist attack on Israel and Iran’s long-term support for Hamas, we should freeze these assets,” she told the website.
As of Tuesday evening, another vulnerable Democratic incumbent, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, did not yet appear ready to commit. “I am talking to my colleagues, the administration, the government of Israel and the Jewish community in Ohio and across the country to assess next steps, looking at every available tool to support Israel and defeat Hamas,” he told POLITICO.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has already called for a funding freeze, and on Monday she sent a letter to other senators calling on President Joe Biden to take such action, to which Blinken is responsible in the letter. As of Monday evening, twenty senators had signed it, and many senators had separately called for a funding freeze.
As for next year’s Senate elections, Dave McCormick, running as a Republican to challenge Sen. Bob Casey Jr. in Pennsylvania, he insisted a vulnerable Democratic incumbent who will call on Biden to freeze the funds or introduce legislation to do just that if Biden doesn’t do it himself.
.@townhallcom read the letter sent by @MarshaBlackburn calling @POTUS cancel the Iran deal and freeze $6 billion in funds.
Check out the letter and read my latest one! https://t.co/unGbQoiEgg pic.twitter.com/ndM9O8TGAM
— Rebecca Downs (@RebeccaRoseGold) October 10, 2023
