Several House Democrats, including Representatives Tom Suozzi, Darren Soto, Ritchie Torres, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, and Henry Cuellar, joined Republicans in supporting the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which rebukes President Biden for withholding offensive aid from Israel. The bill passed in a 224 to 187 vote, with three Republicans also voting against it. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul criticized Biden’s decision to withhold weapons approved by Congress, calling it an “arms embargo” against Israel. The bill would compel the Biden administration to send weapons shipments approved by Congress without delay and would withhold funding from various departments if there was any delay in aid.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer accused House Democrats of standing in solidarity with terrorists rather than supporting Israel, their strongest ally in the Middle East. However, opponents of the bill voiced concerns that it could set a dangerous precedent for restricting a president’s authority to conduct foreign policy. President Biden faced criticism for pausing a bomb shipment from Israel over fears it could be used in Rafah and for warning Israel about using offensive weapons on population centers in the southern Gaza Strip. Despite this, Biden announced that he was moving forward with a $1 billion weapons shipment to Israel just days before the vote on the bill.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer indicated that he does not plan to take up the bill, citing the White House’s threat to veto the measure if it reached Biden’s desk. The White House argued that the bill is a misguided reaction to a distortion of the administration’s approach to Israel, emphasizing that the President has always ensured that Israel has what it needs to defend itself. The White House also expressed concerns about potentially unintended consequences of the bill, stating that it could restrict the U.S. from adjusting its security assistance to Israel in response to changing military needs.
House Democratic leaders urged their caucus to vote against the bill, highlighting the politically fraught nature of discussions about Israel within the Democratic Party. The issue has revealed divisions between more moderate and traditional Democrats who support a close U.S.-Israel relationship and progressives who are critical of those ties. The growing number of lawmakers expressing concern about Israel’s invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas’ recent terror attack has intensified these tensions within the party. Despite the passage of the bill in the House, its fate in the Senate remains uncertain, with Schumer’s reluctance to take it up and the White House’s veto threat complicating its prospects.
