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The next is the transcript of an interview with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Aug. 24, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re again now with the highest Democrat on the Overseas Relations Committee, New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen. She joins us from Amman, Jordan. Good morning, Senator. I do know we have a little bit of a delay right here, so I will launch proper in.
SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN: Good morning, or, afternoon right here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, precisely. You do sit on the Armed Providers Committee as effectively. Right here in Washington, there was a sudden spherical of firings we realized of on Friday. There was Lieutenant Normal Jeffrey Kruse, the pinnacle of the Protection Intelligence Company. He was dismissed, the Pentagon didn’t clarify why. As well as, the Navy Reserve chief, Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore, was fired. The Navy SEAL who oversees Naval Particular Warfare Command, Rear Admiral Milton Sands, was dismissed. Has Congress been knowledgeable as to why these leaders are being fired by Secretary Hegseth?
SEN. SHAHEEN: I am not conscious that Congress has been knowledgeable about any of those firings, they usually come on the heels of firings earlier this yr, of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the pinnacle of Naval Operations, Admiral Franchetti, and a sequence of different army leaders. And it is unlucky, as a result of one of many issues, one of many strengths of America’s army, are the skilled army leaders who’ve come up by way of the ranks, who’ve the coaching, the experience, to have the ability to do the roles. And what we do not need is political individuals in these jobs, who should not going to offer sincere assessments of the army scenario wherever we occur to be. So it’s extremely troubling.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I imagine our feed there simply froze, and we’ll attempt to get that again up, if we are able to. The Senator is becoming a member of us from Amman, Jordan. So I will take a break whereas we reestablish that connection.
SEN. SHAHEEN: The feed simply froze.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re again now with Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who joins us distant from Amman, Jordan. We- we misplaced you there, however we’re so glad you are again with us now, Senator. Let me ask you about why you might be within the Center East proper now. We heard on Friday, this internationally acknowledged physique, backed by the UN, the IPC. It tracks starvation. And so they confirmed, technically confirmed, there’s a man-made famine underway in Gaza. This can be a very uncommon designation, solely 4 different occasions has one been designated. The nation you might be in, Jordan, referred to as it a “shameful failure of humanity” that Israel is ravenous Palestinians with impunity, referred to as it a warfare crime. Would you say that that three month blockade by Israel of Gaza is a warfare crime?
SEN. SHAHEEN: I feel is- it’s a shameful black mark on humanity that the world has allowed this to occur and that Israel is permitting this to occur. One of many- we had an excellent assembly at present with King Abdullah of Jordan, and one of many locations that we visited is the Jordan humanitarian help program that’s making an attempt to get help into Gaza. That is an- it funded vans and warehouses and meals that the US has contributed to as a part of this administration. They’re making an attempt to get in 150 vans a day into Israel. And Israel has prevented these vans from stepping into in a means that would supply the diet that Gazans want to forestall hunger. It’s unacceptable. Prime Minister Netanyahu is the purpose at which obstruction is going on. He wants to have a look at what he is doing and alter his place.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The Israeli Prime Minister’s Workplace on Friday had a really harsh assertion in regards to the famine designation. They referred to as it, quote, “a contemporary blood libel, spreading like wildfire by way of prejudice.” That means that is about anti-Jewish hate reasonably than hunger. How do you make sense of the Israeli protection?
SEN. SHAHEEN: I do not suppose that is a superb protection. The actual fact is, this isn’t about antisemitism, which I abhor, and the US’ place is in opposition to antisemitism, and we have to do every little thing we are able to to forestall it. However the actuality is, we now have individuals dying as a result of they’re systematically being starved to demise, as a result of Israel is refusing to permit within the humanitarian help that folks have to preserve alive. Not solely that, they’re on the point of do another- or, they’ve already began, planning one other main incursion into Gaza in methods which can be going to kill extra individuals. So this isn’t acceptable. The world wants to talk out. I feel it is crucial that we enable that humanitarian help in, to the people who find themselves ravenous.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I- I perceive your criticism proper now. I wish to ask you a bit of bit although about standing U.S. coverage, as a result of this has been an issue even through the Biden administration. In actual fact, former deputy nationwide safety adviser for President Biden Joe- Jon Finer, simply wrote a chunk within the Atlantic, and he stated that whereas he stands by the choice to embrace Israel after October 7, he believes “we did far too little, far too late to restrict the actually catastrophic civilian hurt that Israel’s response inflicted.” Do you agree with him, and do you want that you simply spoke out extra forcefully sooner?
SEN. SHAHEEN: I do not suppose this can be a partisan place. With me on this journey to Jordan is Congressman Joe Wilson from South Carolina. He agreed with me that we want to verify these humanitarian help vans get into Israel. We have to do every little thing doable to make sure that Prime Minister Netanyahu is stopping the roadblocks which can be stopping the humanitarian help from getting in. I feel it is one thing that, I hope, that each Democrats and Republicans can embrace.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However- however do you agree with this self criticism by this key Democrat? Do you suppose Democrats ought to have stated extra sooner–
(BEGIN CROSSTALK)
SEN. SHAHEEN: We needs to be doing extra and we must always have finished extra. Completely.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah. I wish to additionally ask you–
SEN. SHAHEEN: I feel everybody–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Go forward.
SEN. SHAHEEN: –should have stated extra sooner, not simply Democrats, however Republicans.
(END CROSSTALK)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why are you now?
SEN. SHAHEEN: We had the chance to be right here at present to satisfy with these Jordanians who’re working very laborious to attempt to get humanitarian help into Gaza, who’re being stymied in that effort by bureaucratic obstacles that make no sense. When it takes hours to scan a truck, which may very well be finished in two to 3, and it diverts the help when it is costing a whole bunch of {dollars} per truck, they usually flip these vans away, and once they come again the following day, it prices one other a whole bunch of {dollars} extra for a similar truck, once they discover an excuse for why it will get stopped on the border. That is- that is not a official effort to get humanitarian help in to the individuals of Gaza who’re ravenous. And that may be modified. All it takes is Prime Minister Netanyahu saying, we’ll enable that help in.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senators Jeanne Shaheen becoming a member of us from Amman, Jordan. Little bit of a delay there. We’ll be proper again.
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