U.S. lawmakers scramble to help constituents stuck in Israel
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Passengers look at a departure board at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 7, 2023, as flights are canceled because of the Hamas surprise attacks. Photo: GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images.
Members of Congress from across the country are trying to help extract constituents caught up in the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Why it matters: Several Americans have been killed by Hamas, according to Israeli officials, with major airlines scaling back flights in and out of the region due to the violence.
- In a statement on Monday, President Biden said "we now know that at least 11 American citizens were among those killed—many of whom made a second home in Israel."
- "While we are still working to confirm, we believe it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held by Hamas," Biden said.
Driving the news: Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday that her office has "received harrowing reports from constituents who remain in Israel and are seeking to return to the United States as soon as possible."
- Citing the reduced flights from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, Meng urged the State Department to help ensure Americans can book passage on commercial flights and to consider making chartered and military aircraft available, writing that her constituents "fear for their lives."
- Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) sent a letter to Blinken requesting information on the number of Americans in Israel, what outreach is being done and whether the State Department is planning to help evacuate them.
- Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) put out a statement "encouraging all constituents or American citizens to register with the [State] department so our government can get a full accounting of how many Americans are on the ground and are in need of assistance."
By the numbers: Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said Saturday he was contacted by 53 "panicked" constituents in Jerusalem, while Lawler said Sunday he still had "hundreds" of constituents throughout country.
- Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) told Axios his office has communicated with and assisted around a dozen constituents, but "there clearly are dozens more who are in Israel at this time."
- “We're all hands on deck to meet the urgency of this dangerous moment, working around the clock to help dozens of constituents who are desperately trying to escape Hamas's ongoing terrorist attacks,” Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.
The details: Congressional casework is mostly focused on coordinating with the State Department, connecting constituents with airlines – and trying to monitor the situation.
- "You do feel a sense of incapacity," said Molinaro. "You want to be helpful, and you're seeing this happen and there are so many bureaucratic steps ... but we're doing everything we can."
- Molinaro said he has also seen "horrific" photos and videos from families where "you can see the missiles launching above them, of course the sirens going off regularly," adding, "The level of anxiety and fear is indescribable."
- Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), in a statement to Axios, said the constituents he is helping are caught up in a “nightmare.”
The big picture: The presence of so many Americans in the country underscores the degree to which Hamas' sudden onslaught of attacks on Saturday caught the U.S. and Israel off guard.
- At least two members of Congress, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), were in Israel as the attacks began and sheltered in place on Saturday night as rockets flew overhead.
- "Clearly, if there were warnings, they were not known to individuals who [got] clearance to travel," said Molinaro.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify that President Biden said it's "likely" that Americans have been taken hostage by Hamas.
