Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer has staunchly committed support to Israel since the October 7th terror attack carried out by Hamas pledging to deliver us Aid and other support in the war effort he's also part of a larger bipartisan group of federal lawmakers urging the White House to take a stronger stance against Arab countries that have helped funded and helped Hamas as he Fields phone calls from victims families and those whose loved ones have been taken hostage Congressman Gottheimer joins me now from Capitol Hill Congressman Gottheimer thank you so much uh for your time let me ask you first I know you've been attending vigils um holding meetings what are you hearing from your constituents right now with how things stand in Israel I think it's a painful time for our community and our country and I've met yesterday with families who have children who are hostages uh right now in in Gaza right who are who Hamas kidnapped and including in northern New Jersey one of my constituents his son is IDF in the Israeli military right now was taken hostage uh on the first day of the attack and it is a very difficult time right now for for everyone and you're talking about right 31 Americans killed and and uh at least a dozen American hostages that we know of um and you know if you're looking at 1400 Israelis and American who were killed uh that day and so it's and the rockets continue to be fired into Israel yeah I think perhaps a lot of the the nation in the world uh hadn't realized just how much of a population we have in New Jersey um with connections with family who travel back and forth let me ask you though uh you joined some of your colleagues in writing a pretty strongly worded letter to President Biden uh who has pledged unwavered support to Israel but asking him to boost security there uh but also put put pressure on Nations who support Hamas What specifically do you want to see the White House do but it called for additional action making sure that Israel has everything she needs to be able to get the hostages out uh and get them home as well as uh crush and kill Hamas terrorist organization with along with Palestinian Jihad and others were responsible for this heinous attack barbaric attack so those were the the major points of the letter as well as making sure we have additional sanctions on Iran which as you know have has always been a big supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah there been there have been growing calls including from uh your Democratic colleagues Bonnie Watson Coleman among them for a ceasefire where do you stand on that and and what are your thoughts on their call for a ceasefire they continue to actually fire Rockets into Israel so they're continuing their attack I don't believe anybody would just sit back and say do nothing right we would take action to get those hostages out and to crush and kill the terrorists and I believe that should be right now the policies that we support of our key Ally Israel of course none of this can happen a lot of these take congressional action without a speaker in the house um where do things stand with perhaps extending um the interm speaker Powers uh to enable some of these resolutions to go forward so many of us Democrats and Republicans in the problem Sol caucus which is a group I co-chair have been working since uh early last week on the idea of extending the power of the temporary speaker the speaker Pro called the speaker protemp who is a gentleman named Patrick McKenry who is effectively the administrative role overseeing the house right now after Kevin McCarthy uh left the chair so this would give the speaker protemp Patrick McKenry the power to be able to run the house and open it including making sure that we avoided a government shutdown and that we continue to pass legislation to support the American people as well as resources a package that the president called for yesterday uh support for Israel Ukraine uh including border security and and other actions that are coming from us from the Senate's working on that legislation right now for us to consider until the house opens for business and right now because the Republicans have been unable to pick a speaker uh a full-time speaker until they do the house can't open Congressman Josh Gottheimer joining us Congressman thank you so much thanks for having me