The House of Representatives is set to vote on a bill Thursday that would prevent President Biden from blocking offensive weapons aid to Israel. The move comes amid bipartisan backlash against Biden for withholding a bomb shipment from Israel over concerns it could be used in Rafah and for warning Israel that the U.S. would not send offensive weapons if they were used on population centers in the southern Gaza Strip.
The Israel Security Assistance Support Act would condemn the president’s stance on Israel’s Gaza invasion and require the Biden administration to swiftly send any weapons shipments already approved by Congress. It would also withhold funding from the secretary of defense, secretary of state, and the National Security Council if there was any delay in weapons aid.
Democrat leaders in the House and White House are actively opposing the bill, but it’s expected to have at least a few supporters on the left. One House Democrat aide told Fox News Digital that they anticipate roughly 10 left-wing lawmakers to join Republicans in supporting the bill. A second House Democrat aide put the number at under 20, noting that the White House was “pushing hard” against the bill.
At least two Democrat lawmakers – Reps. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and Greg Landsman, D-Ohio – have told Axios that they are voting for the bill. The issue of Israel has proven to be a potent political cudgel for the GOP as Democrats grapple with a growing chorus of voices who are increasingly critical of the U.S.’s traditionally unconditional support for Israel.
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said Wednesday morning, “We know this is a political sham bill. And really, when you look at this bill, they are looking to [the Pentagon], State Department, the NSC, in this time of global conflict. It’s shameful.”
The White House has called the bill a “misguided reaction to a deliberate distortion of the administration’s approach to Israel” in its veto threat. The vote comes days after Biden announced he was moving forward with a $1 billion weapons shipment to Israel, according to reports.
