“The United States’ commitment to the security of our friend and ally Israel is ironclad. Replenishing interceptors used to protect Israel from attacks is our legal and moral responsibility,” House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro, the Connecticut Democrat who introduced the bill, said in a statement Wednesday.
“While this funding would ordinarily be included in a year-end spending package, we are advancing this legislation now to demonstrate Congress’ bipartisan commitment to Israel’s security as part of a Middle East with lasting peace,” she said.
The clause approving the huge sum to restock Israel’s Iron Dome interceptors — which are crucial to protecting Israeli towns from rocket attacks and whose stocks were depleted somewhat during May’s Gaza war — had caused a hangup in the House of Representatives: Democratic leaders sought to push forward a bill to raise the debt ceiling while progressives in the party, who are critical of Israel, said they wouldn’t vote for it if it included the Iron Dome funding.
After the funding was struck from the spending bill, US House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday that it would be brought for a separate vote this week. His announcement came amid pressure from pro-Israel Democratic Reps. Ted Deutch, Kathy Manning, Josh Gottheimer, Ritchie Torres, Brad Schneider and others, who were livid over the decision. READ MORE
