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House Votes on Bill Forcing Biden to Release Aid to Israel

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  May 16, 2024 5:45 PM

This post has been updated to include posts about New York House Republican members countering staffers of House progressive members who protested the bill. 

On Thursday afternoon, the House voted in a bipartisan measure to pass the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which would force the Biden administration to release aid to Israel that had been halted. The 224-187 vote included three Republicans voting against it, while 16 Democrats voted in favor of the bill, despite how House Democratic leadership was whipping against the legislation.

Republicans opposed to the bill included Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Massie had indicated on Tuesday night as the House Rules Committee was discussing the bill that he would vote against it.

The Democrats voting in favor included Reps. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania, Angie Craig of Minnesota, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Lois Frankel of Florida, Jared Golden of Maine, Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Greg Landsman of Ohio, Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Frank Pallone of New Jersey, Mary Peltola of Alaska, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, David Scott of Georgia, Darren Soto of Florida, Tom Suozzi of New York, and Ritchie Torres of New York. 

Gottheimer had led 26 Democrats in a letter to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan last week that expressed concern about aid to Israel being halted. 

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Not only did President Joe Biden threaten to veto the bill, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced on Wednesday afternoon that he wouldn't even let the bill come up for a vote in his chamber. 

Biden and his administration have increasingly turned their backs on our ally in the Middle East, despite how we still constantly hear that commitment to Israel, and supporting its right to defend itself as well as destroy Hamas is supposedly "ironclad." 

In calling on Biden to act, Rep. Scott Franklin (R-FL) shared remarks that Biden made while speaking to "PBS News Hour" in 2019. "The idea that we would cut off military aid to an ally, our only true, true ally in the entire region, is absolutely preposterous. It's just beyond my comprehension that anyone would do that," Biden claimed at the time. 

During a press conference earlier on Thursday, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) called out both Biden and Schumer, reminding of how they had previously claimed to be committed to providing aid to Israel, but this time they were the ones "standing in the way." He also reminded how halting aid comes just weeks after Congress passed a foreign aid package, which included billions of aid to Israel. 

"This is a catastrophic decision with global implications. It is obviously being done as a political calculation. And we cannot let this stand," Johnson highlighted. Democrats have been in disarray over supporting Israel versus catering to the far-left, pro-Hamas base. The president is especially concerned about key swing states like Michigan, where former and potentially future President Donald Trump has a slight lead. 

While Biden may have once called for the destruction of Hamas, Johnson pointed out "now it's clear that Biden and Schumer have turned their back on Israel," declaring "they are carrying water for Iran and its proxies."

"This is not complicated, it's actually very simple," the speaker offered. "This is a moment where we need, not just the American people but the entire world, need moral clarity. You are either with Israel or you are not, and if Schumer refuses to bring this up for a vote he’ll be telling the world that his party, the Democrats, are no longer willing to stand with our great ally," offering "I don't think that that is a palatable position for the American people."

While the House was voting on the bill, staffers of House progressive members were rallying outside against Israel. Many wore masks to conceal their identifies as they carried a banner that read "Your Staff Demands You SAVE RAFAH." Staffers were also told to keep their staff IDs inside of their pockets. 

New York House Republicans, who voted in favor of the bill, came out to counter such protests. 

The IDF has gone through measures to evacuate civilians in the region as they launch their offensive to defeat Hamas.