White House ‘strongly’ opposes GOP bill pressuring Biden on Israel aid

The White House said Monday it strongly opposed a GOP bill taking aim at President Biden’s handling of aid shipments to Israel.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre rejected the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which is expected to be voted on this week in the House.

“We strongly oppose attempts to restrict the president’s ability to distribute US security assistance in a manner consistent with US foreign policy and national security objectives,” Jean-Pierre said at a press conference.

“It is our goal to also plan to spend every last penny appropriated in accordance with legal obligations, including on the recent…national security supplement that was just approved,” she added.

Biden last week, in an interview with CNN, warned that he would stop supplying Israel with offensive weapons, such as bombs and artillery shells, if Israeli forces launched an invasion of Rafah, where about a million refugees have settled after fleeing the fighting. in northern Gaza.

The US already suspended a bomb shipment to Israel earlier this month due to concerns of an imminent full-scale invasion of Rafah. Officials said the large bombs were held back because of the damage they could cause in high-density areas.

In response, the House is scheduled to vote this week on the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which calls for the “expedited delivery” of defense items and services to Israel, condemns the Biden administration’s decision to suspend shipments to Israel and reaffirms Israel’s right to self-esteem. -defense.

It also calls for funds for the Secretaries of Defense and State and the National Security Council to be withheld until defense items are delivered to Israel.

President Mike Johnson (R-La.) suggested last week that the president was having a “senior moment” when he announced during an interview with CNN that the U.S. would stop sending offensive weapons to Israel if its forces invaded Rafah. , and the Republican congressman. Cory Mills (R-Florida) filed an article of impeachment against Biden last week after he issued his warning.

The vote on the bill has the potential to divide Democrats, however.

Progressives praised Biden’s threat to halt arms shipments to Israel, describing it as the right move amid a rising number of humanitarian deaths in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, a group of 26 House Democrats wrote a letter to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan last week, saying they were “deeply concerned” about the message the administration was sending to Hamas and other terrorist proxies. supported by Iran, retaining some weapons. shipments, a sign that some Democrats may support the GOP-led resolution.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story