On Thursday, the GOP-led House passed a bill that pressures the Biden administration not to withhold arms from Israel as the U.S. ally fights Iran-backed Hamas following a deadly terrorist attack in October of last year.
The “Israel Security Assistance Support Act,” which President Joe Biden has threatened to veto, received support from 224 lawmakers. A total of 187 members, including three Republicans and 184 Democrats, voted against the bill. Nineteen lawmakers did not vote.
House Democrat leaders had urged members of their caucus to oppose the legislation, but that did not stop 16 Democrats from breaking ranks and joining the 208 Republicans to advance it to the Senate.
“The Biden Administration’s decision to withhold weapons is catastrophic and goes directly against the will of Congress,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in a statement. “With the passage of the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, we send a clear message of solidarity and support to Israel and demand the urgent delivery of defense weapons to our most important ally in the Middle East.”
