The Republican-led House passed a bill on Thursday aimed at restricting President Joe Biden’s ability to withhold weapons transfers to Israel.
The bill, named the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, passed with a 224-187 vote. It saw bipartisan support with 16 Democrats, including Thomas Suozzi of New York, Jared Moskowitz of Florida, and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, voting in favor, while only three Republicans opposed it.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., praised the bill’s passage, criticizing the Biden administration for halting shipments of certain weapons to Israel, such as 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs.
Johnson stated that the bill sends “a clear message of solidarity and support to Israel” and urged for the “urgent delivery of defense weapons to our most important ally in the Middle East.”
The White House had recently paused a shipment of weapons to Israel, prompting this legislative response. President Biden, in a recent interview with CNN, justified the withholding of specific weapons, arguing they had been used by Israel to kill Palestinian civilians, particularly if the Israeli military invades Gaza’s southern city of Rafah.
The bill, however, is largely seen as symbolic. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has indicated that it is “not going anywhere” in the Senate.
Additionally, the White House has expressed its opposition, with a statement on Tuesday arguing that the bill would “undermine the President’s ability to execute an effective foreign policy” and confirming Biden would veto the measure if it reached his desk.
National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson labeled the bill a “deliberate distortion” of Biden’s policy, emphasizing that the legislation was more about political posturing than genuine support for Israel.
Watson reiterated that President Biden remains committed to ensuring Israel has the resources to combat Hamas while also advocating for the protection of innocent civilians.
Outside the Capitol, around 20 pro-Palestinian congressional staffers staged a rare protest, calling for an immediate end to U.S. support for what they described as Israel’s assault on Gaza civilians. Samantha Elghanayan, a staffer for Rep. Ro Khanna, participated in the protest on her personal time, underscoring the deep personal convictions driving this demonstration.
