Yesterday, the U.S. House passed by 224-187 the Israel Security Support Act, intended to restrict President Joe Biden’s ability to withhold weapons transfers to Israel. The Republican initiative, which garnered 16 Democratic votes, is largely symbolic, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has announced he has no intention of taking it up in the Senate.
Introduction and passage of the bill, which prohibits using federal funds to restrict sending weapons to Israel, did give House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) a chance to denounce Biden for failing to abide by his promise that support for Israel is “ironclad.” This, he said, “is a catastrophic decision with global implications. It is obviously being done as a political calculation. And we cannot let this stand,” NBC News reported him saying. The bill sends a “clear message of solidarity and support to Israel,” he said, and demanded “the urgent delivery of defense weapons to our most important ally in the Middle East.”
