,,iii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #bh  ,,in ,,the       
,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states   
,february #ac 7legislative day1         
,february #ab71 #bjbd,mr4 ,scott of     
,south ,carolina 7for himself and ,mr4  
,wicker7 submitted the following        
concurrent resolution2 which was        
referred to the ,committee on ,foreign  
,relations  ,,concurrent ,,resolution   
,expressing the sense of ,congress      
regarding the authority of the          
,president to use appropriate and       
necessary force to liberate ,united     
,states citizens being held by ,hamas4  
,whereas ,hamas1 an ,iranian-backed     
terrorist organization1 carried out a   
coordinated series of surprise terrorist
 attacks against ,israel on ,october #g1
 #bjbc2 ,whereas1 during the attacks of 
,october #g1 #bjbc1 ,hamas brutally     
claimed the lives of more than #a1bjj   
,israelis and foreign nationals1        
including #ce ,united ,states citizens2 
,whereas1 during the attacks of ,october

 #g1 #bjbc1 ,hamas took an estimated    
#bdj ,israelis and foreign nationals    
hostage2 ,whereas1 after a temporary    
pause in hostilities in ,november #bjbc1
 during which some hostages were        
released in exchange for the release of 
,palestinian prisoners1 ,hamas continues
 to hold approximately #acj people      
hostage in ,gaza1 including #f ,united  
,states citizens2 ,whereas the hostages 
who were released from ,gaza in         
,november #bjbc have provided harrowing 
reports of the brutality they faced at  
the hands of ,hamas terrorists1         
including starvation1 sexual assault1   
and other forms of torture2 ,whereas    
,presidential ,policy ,directive #cj1   
issued on ,june #bd1 #bjae1 states1 ,the
 ,united ,states will use every         
appropriate resource to gain the safe   
return of ,u4,s4 nationals who are held 
hostage4 ,but the ,united ,states       
,government will make no concessions to 
individuals or groups holding ,u4,s4    
nationals hostage42 ,whereas article    

,,ii of the ,constitution of the ,united
 ,states empowers the ,president1 as    
,commander-in-,chief1 to direct the use 
of military force in self-defense1      
including the defense of ,united ,states
 citizens2 ,whereas section #b7;c7 of   
the ,war ,powers ,resolution 7#ej       
,u4,s4,c4 #aeda7;c77 further states that
 the article ,,ii powers of the         
,president1 as ,commander-in-,chief1 to 
introduce the ,armed ,forces into       
situations of hostilities or imminent   
hostilities can be exercised in the     
event of national emergency created by  
attack upon the ,united ,states1 its    
territories or possessions1 or its      
,armed ,forces42 ,whereas ,executive    
,order ,no4 #adjgh 7relating to         
bolstering efforts to bring hostages and
 wrongfully detained ,united ,states    
nationals home71 issued on ,july #ai1   
#bjbb1 declared a national emergency to 
address the unusual and extraordinary   
threat to the national security1 foreign
 policy1 and economy of the ,united     

,states posed by the wrongful detention 
and hostage-taking of ,united ,states   
citizens and other persons abroad2 and  
,whereas1 since #aihj1 the ,united      
,states has utilized military force at  
least ten times for the rescue or       
attempted rescue of ,united ,states     
citizens and other persons held hostage 
overseas3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that  
it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7
 the act by ,hamas of taking ,united    
,states citizens hostage on ,october #g1
 #bjbc1 constitutes an attack on the    
,united ,states and its citizens2  7#b7 
the ,president has the authority under  
article ,,ii of the ,constitution of the
 ,united ,states to use appropriate and 
necessary force to liberate ,united     
,states citizens being held hostage by  
,hamas2 and  7#c7 such authority should 
be utilized4