Here and Now
US Rep. Mark Pocan on Israel, Hamas and Congress
Clip: Season 2200 Episode 2216 | 4m 38sVideo has Closed Captions
Mark Pocan on Hamas, Israel and growing concern for Palestinian and Israeli civilians.
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, discusses terrorist attacks by Hamas, airstrikes on Gaza by Israel and concern for Palestinian and Israeli civilians as the U.S. House seeks a Speaker.
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Here and Now is a local public television program presented by PBS Wisconsin
Here and Now
US Rep. Mark Pocan on Israel, Hamas and Congress
Clip: Season 2200 Episode 2216 | 4m 38sVideo has Closed Captions
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, discusses terrorist attacks by Hamas, airstrikes on Gaza by Israel and concern for Palestinian and Israeli civilians as the U.S. House seeks a Speaker.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>> GLENN GROTHMAN, THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> NEXT, WE TURN TO SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MARK POCAN, WHO HAS CALLED FOR A CEASEFIRE OF HOSTILITIES AGAINST CIVILIANS IN THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS.
TO PAVE THE WAY FOR ROBUST AID IN AN UNFOLDING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
HE JOINS US NOW.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> YEAH.
THANK YOU, FREDERICA.
>> FIRST, IN THE FACE OF WAR AND HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IS IN CHAOS.
HOW DOES THEIR STRUGGLE TO ELECT A SPEAKER EFFECT THE U.S.
RESPONSE THIS ISRAEL?
>> WELL, IT AFFECTS ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO IN CONGRESS.
WE CAN'T PASS ANY LEGISLATION ON THE FLOOR UNTIL WE HAVE A SPEAKER, BY OUR RULES, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, UNTIL WE HAVE A SPEAKER, WE'RE A BIT PARALYZED.
NOW, ACTION HAPPENS OFTEN AT THE ADMINISTRATION LEVEL SO THE PRESIDENT IS ACTING AND DOING WHAT WE NEED TO IN THE IMMEDIATE SITUATION IN SOME WORLD EVENTS, BUT WE DO NEED CONGRESS TO PASS FUNDING AND OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN AND YOU CAN ONLY DO THAT WHEN THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS BECOMES LESS CHAOTIC AND CAN SELECT A SPEAKER.
>> DID PRESIDENT BIDEN ADDRESS LAST NIGHT WHAT YOU THINK IS NEEDED IN TERMS OF SUPPLEMENTL MILITARY AND HUMANITARIAN AID FUNDING?
>> WELL, WHAT WE NEED ABSOLUTELY IS FUNDING FOR HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN PARTICULAR.
I THINK THAT FIGURE IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE MUCH MORE SUBSTANTIAL THAN WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST GIVEN WORLD EVENTS, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF HOW THE U.S. IS POSITIONED IN THE WORLD, IS THAT KIND OF -- SHOWING THAT COMPASSIONATE VALUES OF OUR COUNTRY.
AND THEN THERE WILL ALSO BE ADDITIONAL MILITARY ASSISTANCE FOR UKRAINE, THEY'RE PROPOSING FOR ISRAEL AND SOME BORDER FUNDING AND OTHER THINGS.
THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE ANOTHER DOMESTIC SUPPLEMENTAL THAT WILL HAVE MONEY FOR THINGS LIKE CHILDCARE AND OTHER ISSUES.
SO THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THAT CONGRESS DOES HAVE TO ACT ON WHICH IS, AGAIN, ALL THE MORE REASON WHY WE NEED TO HAVE A SPEAKER, SO THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
SHORT OF THAT, SOME OF THOSE FUNDS CANNOT BE EXPENDED.
>> YOU'VE CALLED FOR CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES TOWARDS CIVILIANS IN THE REGION.
WHAT ARE YOUR UTTERING CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT'S -- URGENT CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?
>> THERE'S NO QUESTION.
THIS IS A HORRIFIC ATTACK BY A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, HAMAS, AND THE PRICE HAS TO BE PAID.
I DON'T BLAME ISRAEL IN GOING AFTER HAMAS.
THE PROBLEM IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS NOT GOING AFTER STRATEGICALLY HAMAS.
WE'RE SEEING A COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT, IT APPEARS TO BE, OF ALL PALESTINIANS IN GAZA.
THERE ARE 2.2 MILLION PEOPLE.
CLEARLY THEY ARE NOT ALL HAMAS.
HALF OF THEM ARE CHILDREN.
AND WE'VE SEEN THOUSANDS PLUS NOW OF PEOPLE DEAD, INCLUDING CHILDREN, AND THE AMOUNT OF BOMBING, THE TYPE OF PLACES THAT ARE BEING BOMBED, THE VERY BROAD ATTACK IS NOT A TARGETED ATTACK GOING AFTER HAMAS, AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO STOP THE CESSATION OF THIS -- IN REGARDS TO CIVILIANS IN PARTICULAR, AND THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN ENSURE THAT PEOPLE AREN'T BEING JUST PUNISHED IS TO DO THAT.
>> JUST SPEAKING WITH REPUBLICAN GLENN GROTHMAN, HE AND OTHERS CALL TO CLOSE OUR BORDERS TO PALESTINIAN REFUGEES OF WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> IT'S CREDIBLE XENOPHOBIC.
NOT ALL PALESTINIANS ARE MEMBERS OF HAMAS, BY AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT, AND HAMAS DOESN'T NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
IN FACT, THEY'VE HAD PEOPLE IN GAZA UNDER QUITE TOUGH CONDITIONS WITH THEIR GOVERNING IN THAT AREA, COMBINED BY THE INABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND GO BECAUSE OF ISRAEL AND EGYPT ON THE BORDERS HAS REALLY MADE THIS, IN MANY WAYS, AN OPEN AIR PRISON FOR TO 2.2 MILLION PEOPL.
I'VE BEEN DENIED TO GET INTO GAZA WHEN I WANTED.
I WOULD BE THE FIRST MEMBER IN 10 YEARS TO GO INTO GAZA AND THEN THIS HAPPENED OF IT'S AN ISSUE THAT'S BEEN BREWING FOR A LONG TIME, BUT CLEAR, A HORRIFIC ATTACK LIKE OCCURRED IS WRONG AT ANY LEVEL.
THERE'S NO JUSTIFICATION WHATSOEVER.
BUT HAVING THE OVERRESPONSE THAT'S HAPPENING, INCLUDING PEOPLE SAYING NO PALESTINIANS SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME, THAT'S A RIDICULOUS STATEMENT AND IT REALLY SHOWS I THINK AN UNAWARENESS OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING ON THE GROUND.
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