At the same time, Congress must also address a looming government shutdown as the funding patch expires on November 17th.
“There’s nothing the House can do until it elects a speaker, but I don’t know if that will happen anytime soon,” the former speaker said. kevin mccarthy (R-Calif.) told Fox News on Saturday.
A Pentagon official, who requested anonymity to discuss the rapidly evolving issue, said there were no immediate plans to send more weapons or military equipment to Israel, but the situation was in its early stages. Ta.
Lawmakers from both parties have made it clear that Congress is eager to find a way to quickly help. This is in stark contrast to the support for Ukraine that has divided the Republican Party and contributed to Washington’s flirtation with last week’s government shutdown and ouster of the speaker.
“I strongly support strong U.S. security assistance to Israel, because Israel must always be ready to strike back at any time. Israel has the right to defend itself, and the United States We stand by our friends and allies.” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman michael mccall (R-Texas) in a statement.
As Hamas attacks unfold, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer He vowed to use his influence to make sure Israel got what it needed.New Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman ben cardin (D-Md.) said he is “committed to ensuring that Israel has what it needs to protect itself and its people today and every day.”
senate minority leader Mitch McConnellAmong the most vocal Republicans in favor of continued support for Ukraine are those who link it to support for Israel. He said the perception that U.S. support for both countries would decline as the attack unfolded would spur the invasion.
“Failure to support our friends under attack in Kiev and Tel Aviv will only embolden the world’s largest state sponsors of terrorism and the authoritarians who are closely monitoring the weakening of American leadership and Western unity.” ,” McConnell said in a statement.
Similarly, former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, as a Reagan Republican, argued that “democracies should protect themselves in tough regions or alongside tough neighbors,” whether that meant Israel, Ukraine, or Taiwan. He said he supported the “higher-level principle” of “supporting people.”
Asked what the decline in political support for aid to Ukraine meant for Israel, Esper said: “I don’t think it’s an either/or. I’m confident that the Pentagon will support Israel.” .
However, the dysfunction of Congress will prevent it from responding quickly. The Senate is in recess next week, but the House of Representatives cannot conduct business until a new speaker is elected in the next election. mccarthyHe will be removed from his post this week.
Any potential Congressional action to support Israel, or any legislative action lawmakers may take regarding Middle East policy, will be put on hold until Mr. McCarthy’s successor is chosen. The speaker is also a member of the Gang of Eight, a group of congressional leaders who scrutinize the most sensitive information and are usually the first to be briefed during a crisis.
Infighting within the Republican Party could mean a long fight for the speaker’s gavel, a point McCarthy himself emphasized.California Republican said his removal at the hands of Republican hardliners could “raise doubts around the world” about the United States.
“We had better stand firmly with the Israeli side and let them do what they need to do. And that could last more than a week,” he said. “If they don’t, they won’t be safe, and the world won’t be safe.”
House Republicans will meet next week to decide between two candidates for speaker and majority leader. Steve Scalise Louisiana State Representative and Judiciary Committee Chairman jim jordan of ohio.
Two of the House speaker candidates immediately expressed support for Israel on social media.
“America stands with Israel today and every day,” Jordan said in the post. “We must protect our country from these Hamas terrorists. We will continue to pray for our great ally and its people.”
“Make no mistake: The United States will always support Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East,” Scalise said in the post. “They must protect themselves as their people are slaughtered by Hamas terrorists. We have their full support and prayers.”
Congress is also far from agreeing on full-year spending and associated aid to Israel. Member of the House of Representatives, one of the senior appropriations members of the House of Representatives. dave joyce (R-Ohio) called on Congress to “move quickly to pass the House-passed authorization bill, which includes billions of dollars in combined security assistance to Israel.”
The U.S. government last year approved $3.3 billion in security assistance to Israel, the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid since World War II.
After the Gaza war in May 2021, parliament agreed It includes $500 million to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, $72.5 million for U.S.-Israel counter-drone and anti-tunnel cooperation, and $6 million for a new joint cybersecurity program. The effort overcame resistance from some House progressives.
Michael Herzog, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, said he was confident in the continued support of the United States.
“If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to ask. I am confident that the administration and Congress will support Israel during this difficult time,” Herzog told CNN.
Member of Parliament kevin hahn (R-Okla.), who announced on Saturday that he would not pursue the gavel, argued that Republicans need to unite around the speaker to make the House work again and “push back” against the administration.
“Republicans have always supported Israel and will continue to do so, but we have to get leadership back in place in order to move Congress forward in the Republican conference,” Hahn said on Fox News. .
Meanwhile, House Democrats broadly support Israel and are likely to consider further aid to the US ally.House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries On Saturday, he condemned the attack on Israel as “despicable.”
“America has a firm and clear position on Israel. We strongly support Israel’s right to defend itself,” Jeffries said in a statement.
There is a faction of House Democrats who are vocal critics of Israel, especially members of the so-called Squad.representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (Minnesota Democratic Party) issued a statement Saturday afternoon condemning the attack and calling for a ceasefire and de-escalation.Member of Parliament Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) was among those who did not immediately issue a statement.
