Following Iran’s unprecedented retaliatory strike against Israel, J Street urges House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the Senate Supplemental Aid Package to the House floor for an immediate vote so that vital security aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan – and funding for additional humanitarian aid – can be sent directly to President Biden’s desk.
Unfortunately, instead of moving swiftly to put urgent assistance in the hands of our partners, House Republican leadership seems more interested in political gamesmanship – filling the Congressional calendar with a slew of resolutions and messaging bills designed more to score political points than to seriously address the crisis in the Middle East.
J Street urges Members of Congress to oppose these maneuvers and press House leadership to pass the comprehensive aid package that is awaiting a House vote today after passing the Senate with bipartisan support from 70 Senators. We note that organizations as diverse as the Democratic Majority for Israel and the Republican Jewish Coalition – as well as 91 Members of Congress who issued a letter yesterday – agree that this must be Congress’s top priority.
If Speaker Johnson continues to play political games with our national security and that of our partners, Democrats should keep working to bring the package to a vote without him – and must continue to reject efforts to splinter their support.
We know that if a vote were held now, the package would pass with overwhelming bipartisan support. The vast majority of House Members know the best way to serve American interests and uphold our values is to support our partners in Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan and to surge essential humanitarian aid into Gaza and other crisis spots around the world.
Nevertheless, the MAGA movement continues to put its own ideological and political goals first. They are seeking to use this moment of crisis to wedge, divert and distract their Democratic opponents. Democrats must not play along.
The flood of legislation that Republicans are bringing to the floor this week will not materially enhance US or Israeli security. They will only deepen political divides, project reckless hawkish bluster, and tie the president’s hands as he pursues urgent diplomacy to de-escalate this crisis and prevent violence from spiraling out of control regionally.
J Street urges Congress to reject party-first, country-second political ploys and instead focus on passing the only meaningful piece of legislation in front of it: The Senate supplemental.
The stakes are simply far too high.