Ukraine is at a life or death moment. On my 5th trip to Ukraine—since the start of Russia’s savage, murderous invasion 2 years ago tomorrow—I heard from President Zelenskyy that his lines will break & Putin will conquer his country, unless the U.S. provides arms & ammunition.  1/

https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1761073346169430298

The facts on the ground here are starkly, staggeringly clear: With American support, Ukraine can win. Without it, Ukraine is sure to lose. The National Security Supplemental passed by the Senate must be approved by the House for Ukraine to survive, & prevail. 2/

No real time broadcast, no visual record, not a single camera. Having argued 4 SCOTUS cases, & many more in lower courts, closing the courtroom to all cameras is incredible at a time when the Court will be hearing some of the most consequential cases in our history. Here’s why 1/ I’ve found that reading the bench is crucial to understanding the Justices—a view shared virtually universally by SCOTUS advocates. Yet, federal judges have barred any broadcast & visual recordings—not only at SCOTUS, but all federal courts—for outdated & outlandish reasons. 2/

The Tuberville holds are taking a totally unacceptable toll. Ask our military men & women, most immediately the U.S. Marine Corps. They deserve support, not disrespect. Here’s why you should care. 1/ Hundreds of military officers are being forced to work multiple high-stress, high-impact jobs because Senator Tuberville has halted progress on these nominations & won’t let the Senate finish the confirmation process. 2/

Over the last several days, I have visited Saudi Arabia, Israel, & Egypt. Having met with heads of state in each country, here are some key takeaways from my conversations on the ground.  1/ These world leaders agree, Hamas is a scourge that must be fought & dismantled. We must stand together to deter Iran, who enables & empowers Hamas, & ensure that Iran’s malign proxies don’t expand this conflict. 2/

One of the consequences of OPEC+’s oil supply cut must be a temporary halt in U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia in defense of our national, security, & economic interests. I joined @RepRoKhanna to highlight our bicameral measure that would take this critical step. 1/ The only apparent purpose of this cut in oil supplies is to help the Russians & harm the United States. There are serious security concerns. The Saudis’ actions aid & abet a murderous, brutal, criminal invasion by Russia & threaten higher gas prices at the pump. 2/

Saudis siding with Russia—a deeply offensive blunder. Unconscionable at this moment in world history. There must be consequences. nytimes.com/2022/10/05/bus… There was no immediate need for the Saudis to push to reduce supply unless they were seeking to harm the U.S. to the benefit of Russia.

THREAD: After thirty years, hundreds of thousands of gun deaths & dozens of failed pieces of gun safety legislation, we have finally taken one small step forward with this deal. 1/ In Congress, if you wait for everything, you’ll get nothing. This deal is a significant, positive step forward that will save lives. It is not the measure I fought for or would have written if I were acting alone, but it marks meaningful progress. 2/

THREAD: The #EarnItAct is very simply about whether tech companies should be held responsible for their complicity in the sexual abuse & exploitation of children when they refuse to report or remove images of these crimes hosted on their platforms. 1/ The internet is infested with stomach-churning images of children who have been brutally assaulted & exploited, & who are haunted by a lifetime of pain after these photographs & videos are circulated online. 2/

Thread: I'm disappointed & deeply concerned that Facebook appears to have concealed vital information about teen mental health & addiction on its platforms from me, other members of Congress, & the public. Congress needs to hear directly from Mark Zuckerberg. 1/ On October 5th, my subcommittee heard powerful testimony from former Facebook employee, @FrancesHaugen, whose revelations paint a powerful picture of a corporate titan that has failed to act to protect teens because it prioritized its financial bottom line over safety. 2/

Thread: Thank you @FrancesHaugen for speaking to my subcommittee. I’m grateful for your courage & strength in standing up, speaking out, & sharing these bombshell documents. The evidence speaks volumes about how Facebook puts profits ahead of people. 1/ Facebook exploited teens using powerful algorithms that amplified their insecurities & dragged children into dark places. Facebook knows it’s doing harm to our kids' mental health & well-being, but they’ve continued using these tactics undeterred. 2/

Like so many, I was deeply moved by Frances, who proved courageous, credible, & compelling on 60 Minutes. From her first visit with my office, I’ve admired her backbone & bravery in revealing terrible truths about one of the world’s most powerful, implacable corporate giants.

https://twitter.com/60minutes/status/1444809720808845315

We now know about Facebook’s destructive harms to kids—harms that Facebook concealed & knowingly exploited to increase profits—because of documents Frances revealed.

Justice Alito’s recent speech at Notre Dame was deeply improper—& gravely mistaken on both law & facts. Count the ways. 1/
cnn.com/2021/09/30/pol… Alito’s very specific, pointed diatribe on court orders went well beyond proper public comments by a sitting Justice. 2/

Thread: If trending can get more people interested in discussing Facebook’s heinous wrongs, let’s talk about it. This month a whistleblower approached my office to provide reports & documents about Facebook & Instagram. What they reveal is damning. 1/ We now know while Facebook publicly denies that Instagram is deeply harmful for teens, privately Facebook researchers/experts have been ringing the alarm. 2/

THREAD: My staff & I have worked night & day to secure the safe passage of two planes waiting in Mazar-e Sharif to take American citizens, at-risk Afghan allies, & their families to safety. 1/6 My office joined forces in this humanitarian mission with an incredible coalition of advocates—NGOs, former servicemembers, & journalists—to try & evacuate our fellow citizens & Afghan allies. 2/6

Today, as the last U.S. combat troops depart Afghanistan, I am deeply grateful for their service & for the sacrifices of an entire generation of war veterans. My heart is especially with the families of thirteen heroic servicemembers killed last week. 1/7 I am always thinking of the generation of war veterans who served in Afghanistan, including so many who stepped up again these last few weeks, leading the way in a Digital Dunkirk evacuating their Afghan friends & allies. 2/7

This is a powerful sign that Apple&Google’s stranglehold over app store markets is self-serving. These tech giants thought they could get away with squashing competition to pocket hefty windfalls—all while insisting their ironclad grip on app markets serves consumers/developers.

https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1431067148781342723

This marks a significant step forward, but does not rectify the full & vivid range of market abuses & practices still widespread across app markets that my & Senator Blackburn’s Open App Markets Act would address.

I’m devastated by reports of terrorist attacks around the Kabul airport that killed & wounded numerous U.S. servicemembers & Afghan civilians. My heart goes out to the victims of this brutal attack. An attack that directly and purposefully targeted Afghans & Americans trying to escape only underscores the threat they face.

As the Taliban seizes Afghanistan, our immediate priority must be evacuating all U.S. personnel, servicemembers & citizens, as well as the vulnerable Afghan women leaders, journalists, civil society advocates & democracy activists who are at immediate & direct risk. 1/5 We must make all efforts to secure the Kabul airport so civilian & military aircraft can evacuate those in need. Now is not the time for red tape & bureaucracy—we need to move people to safety now. 2/5

Turning our back on the worst refugee crisis in modern history is a tragic mistake. This cruel policy is no more acceptable now than it was during the Trump Admin. Biden’s decision reverses his previous commitment & denies safe haven to refugee seekers who have been fully vetted.

https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1383097700946694147

To be clear: the asylum process at the southern border & the refugee process are completely separate immigration systems. Conflating the two constitutes caving to the politics of fear.

This is the most significant executive action on gun violence in a generation. These actions set a model of courage & strength that Congress must now match. 1/7

https://twitter.com/guardian/status/1379951627491229704

I’m especially glad to see steps to expand ERPO laws. For years, I’ve worked to provide additional support for states seeking to help law enforcement take action when there is solid evidence that someone is in crisis—intensely & imminently a danger to themselves or to others. 2/7

Facebook & Google’s advertising continues to fund & promote dangerous conspiracy theories, COVID-19 disinformation, & malign foreign propaganda. Big Tech’s business model propagates this problem & highlights why Sec. 230 matters. A thread: Facebook & Google operate the most sophisticated, expansive, & intrusive advertising networks—built on troves of your personal data & designed to precisely target you.