Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Capito’s floor speech.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, delivered remarks on the Senate floor about Democrat hypocrisy.

During her remarks, Senator Capito highlighted U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.), the Senate Majority Leader, speech last week where he called for new elections in Israel, a democratic ally of the United States that is currently fighting a war against Hamas. During her remarks, Senator Capito also pointed to several other instances of Democrats’ willingness to change their positions based on political convenience.

Senator Capito’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, are included below:

“Mr./Madame President,

“Last week on this very floor, the Democrat Leader of this chamber, Senator Schumer, delivered an unprecedented speech that clearly crossed a line, wading into the electoral process of a free and fair democracy.

“Not just any democracy, but one of our most steadfast allies, Israel, who is currently in a war for their survival against a terrorist organization that wishes to remove their country from existence.

“The remarks by Leader Schumer calling for a new election in Israel, and the replacement of Prime Minister Netanyahu, are many things: irresponsible, ill-advised, and misguided.

“But, above all else, they are hypocritical and send the wrong message to the world and our allies during a vacuum of American leadership on the international stage.

“My Republican colleagues were quick to draw contrast to these remarks and affirm our support for Israel and the leadership they have duly elected.

“But don’t just take our word for it. Michael Hertzog, Israel’s ambassador to the United States called these comments ‘counterproductive to our common goals.’

“Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett noted that he is opposed to any ‘external political intervention in Israel’s internal affairs.’

“And even political opponents to Netanyahu quickly condemned this rhetoric, saying that any interference in Israel’s electoral process is ‘unacceptable.’

“Not only are these remarks unacceptable, but they come at a time when we should be displaying our unwavering support for our friend Israel, not calling their leadership into question.

“It’s important that we identify this situation for exactly what it is: an attempt by Democrats to appease the progressive wing of the left that wishes to vilify Israel and abandon them when they need us the most.

“I can assure you that this is something that Senate Republicans will not stand for.

“Could you image if the roles were reversed here?

“If the leaders of another country called for new elections in the United States, named our leader as ‘an obstacle to peace,’ and claimed that our government was not serving the needs of our people, the calls claiming election interference from this chamber would be deafening.

“And just like in the U.S., where the American people decide who leads this country, the people of Israel are the only ones who can decide which leader meets their needs.

“My Democrat colleagues here in the Senate have said quite a bit about foreign election interference and ‘attacks on democracy’ in recent years.

“With Senate Democrat Leadership saying in 2019 that ‘foreign election interference cannot be ignored,’ and that our government ‘must make clear that the cost of trying to interfere with American elections will be dear.’

“Or calling it ‘reprehensible… that the American people would not have the last word, that there would be other factors and other people, other countries engaged in our election.’

“The words of my colleagues ring as true then as they do now: no one but the American people should have a say in our democracy and how our country is run.

“But that same protection needs to be applied to our allies in free and fair democracies, and the rights of their citizens to choose the leaders that guide their country and represent their interests.

“That is especially true when it comes to an ally at war, such as Israel.

“My Republican colleagues and I recognize this hypocrisy displayed by Leader Schumer, and it is shocking that President Biden would support these comments.

“Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time we have seen this level of hypocrisy from the other side of the aisle.

“On energy policy debates, we saw Democrats praise the EPA’s Electric-Vehicle mandates just yesterday, without recognizing that they are the ones forcing the closure of power plants through policies like the Clean Power Plan 2.0, cutting off the very baseload power that EVs will need to operate.

“On issues regarding the economy, we’ve seen the passage of trillions of dollars in reckless spending and increased taxes by Democrats lead to record high inflation, only for the president to establish a ‘Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing’ to blame others for the impacts of their policies.

“Or even regarding the foundation of the rules that this body stands on, we’ve seen Senate Democrats wage war to remove the filibuster in recent years, the same rule they fought tirelessly to protect while they were in the minority.

“Perhaps one of the greatest hypocrisies we have seen was on display when the president delivered his campaign rally disguised as the State of the Union address a few weeks ago.

“When he was sworn into office, the president promised to unite the country. Instead, he continues to alienate and disparage anyone who may disagree with his radical policies.

“The continued hypocrisy of these political games is not lost on the American people.

“They want their elected officials to stand for their interests and deliver on what they say they are going to do.

“That is a central tenet of effective government, and something that guides my work on behalf of West Virginians every day.

“I, along with my Senate Republican colleagues, will continue our efforts to lead our country towards a stronger future, and to call out these pretenses when we see them.

“With that, I yield the floor.”

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