Speaker Johnson accuses Biden of supporting Hamas and Iran

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday accused President Joe Biden of “carrying water for Hamas and Iran” after the White House announced he would veto the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which if signed into law would compel the United States to send defense weapons to Israel.

“President Biden has turned his back on Israel,” Johnson, R-La., said in a statement. “He has refused to enforce oil sanctions on Iran, allowed our ballistic missile sanctions there to expire, and done nothing about Iran’s dangerous nuclear buildup.”

The House is set to vote on the bill this week. It comes after Biden threatened to withhold shipments of certain weapons to Israel for use in an offensive in the Gaza city of Rafah against Hamas.

The White House said the bill “seeks to limit the President’s discretion to ensure that the delivery of certain defense articles and services align with U.S. foreign policy objectives,” and “would undermine the President’s ability to execute an effective foreign policy.”

In addition, the administration said in its announcement that the bill would also “raise serious concerns about infringement on the President’s authorities under Article II of the Constitution, including his duties as Commander-in-Chief and Chief Executive and his power to conduct foreign relations.”

Johnson, however, said that Biden “took no decisive action when Iran was planning to attack Israel, and now that Israel is fighting for its very survival, he is withholding weapons and threatening to veto legislation that would give the Israelis what they need to adequately defend themselves.”

The speaker also called on Biden and the administration to “reverse course immediately to stand with Israel and against the terrorism and atrocities of Iran and its proxies.”