GOP House Appropriators Bring Bill to Squeeze Biden Into Unblocking Israel Weapons Shipments

Republican House Appropriators Introduce Bill to Pressure Biden to Unblock Israel Weapons Shipments

May 14, 2024 TruthUSA

Republican appropriators in the House of Representatives are pushing forward a bill to ensure that President Joe Biden’s administration delivers all the weapons Congress has approved for Israel. The administration had halted some weapons deliveries and threatened to stop more.

Last Friday, Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee introduced the “Israel Security Assistance Support Act” as a response to President Biden’s reluctance to provide aid amid the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The bill, presented as a resolution, criticizes President Biden’s decision to pause certain arms deliveries and calls for the use of taxpayer funds as allocated by Congress. It also seeks to withhold funds for key offices until they certify the delivery of defense articles to Israel.

“Unlike the Administration, House Appropriators will not waver in our ironclad support for Israel,” stated the House Appropriations Republicans on Friday. They emphasized the need to equip Israel to defend itself against terrorist organizations like Hamas and maintain peace in the region.

White House ‘Strongly, Strongly’ Opposes Constraints

President Biden’s administration raised concerns about the risks to civilians in Rafah from a large-scale military operation and insisted on a careful plan from the Israeli military to minimize those risks. The administration decided to delay the shipment of certain weapons due to these concerns.

White House officials emphasized the need for caution in deploying high-payload weapons in densely populated areas to prevent harm to civilians.

Despite the push from House Republicans, the White House reiterated its commitment to spend all allocated funds, including aid for Israel and other global relief efforts.

Republican Bill Could Divide Democrats

The bill introduced by House Republicans could create a division within the Democratic Party and its base regarding the Gaza conflict.

The conflict has triggered tensions within the Democratic Party, with some groups threatening to withdraw support for President Biden and other Democrats if they do not advocate more strongly for a ceasefire in Gaza. Some Democratic voters have protested by casting “uncommitted” ballots in primary races.

While some Democrats have pushed for a ceasefire and attempted to put conditions on military aid for Israel, others, like Sen. John Fetterman, disagreed with pausing aid for Israel. Pro-Israel Democratic House members also expressed concerns about the delay in aid delivery.

These members called on the administration to explain the decision and ensure the timely delivery of aid to Israel as authorized by Congress.

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