Bill to override Biden's halt on Israel aid moves to Senate

On Thursday, the US House of Representatives approved a bill to reverse President Biden’s pause on weapons shipments to Israel.

The bill, HR 8369, known as the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, would expedite arms shipments to Israel to provide the country with defense articles and services that were previously approved by Congress before Biden intervened.

This includes 3,500 heavy bombs to Israel and additional artillery shell shipments.

However, the Democrat president stated earlier this week that he would override the bill with a veto if it were to pass, and party leaders in the Democrat-controlled Senate vowed to dismiss it upon arrival.

The president’s executive office issued a statement on the proposed bill on Tuesday and said: “The Administration strongly opposes HR 8369, the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which seeks to limit the President’s discretion to ensure that the delivery of certain defense articles and services aligns with U.S. foreign policy objectives.”

“The bill would undermine the President’s ability to execute an effective foreign policy… The bill is a misguided reaction to a deliberate distortion of the Administration’s approach to Israel,” the letter stated. 

“This bill, if enacted, could lead to spiraling unintended consequences, prohibiting the United States from adjusting our security assistance posture with respect to Israel in any way, including to address unanticipated emergent needs, even if Israel and the United States agree that military needs have changed and supplies should change accordingly. If the President were presented with HR 8369, he would veto it,” the statement concluded.

The bill cleared the House chamber in a 224-187 vote.

Just 16 Democrats backed the bill with most caucus members sided with Biden. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has boasted that opposition by declaring that his chamber will not take up the issue, and Democratic leaders rallied against it, portraying it as a small-time political ploy.

“The legislation on the floor today is not a serious effort to strengthen the special relationship between the United States and Israel — period, full stop,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) before the vote. 

The GOP bill is the most recent Israel-related legislation to pass the House since Hamas launched its terrorist attack on October 7.