Reps. McCaul & Meeks: Learning a hostage deal is ‘very close’ was ‘the most encouraging news’

Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the chair and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, join Andrea Mitchell following their bipartisan trip to Israel to discuss what they learned about the situation on the ground and their hopes for additional funding for Israel and Ukraine. “To find out that they're actually very close to a potential deal, particularly with women and children, to be able to get them out of Gaza, and it would entail a potential short ceasefire, but I think that was the most encouraging news we had,” McCaul says. On whether a supplemental aid bill for Israel and Ukraine will be passed after holidays, Meeks says, “I definitely hope so. I know that we're very locked and ready to go. We think we should have the funding for Israel, funding for Ukraine, funding for humanitarian purposes. And I think we also need funding for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific.” McCaul adds, “We're in agreement. We think all these threats are linked together.”Nov. 15, 2023