Senator J.D. Vance | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Senator J.D. Vance | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Senate Democrats have blocked an urgent aid package of $14.3 billion to Israel, led by Senators JD Vance, Roger Marshall, and Eric Schmitt. The legislation, known as the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, had already passed the House with bipartisan support earlier this month. This move by Senate Democrats comes just a week after they rejected a similar effort to advance the aid package.
Senator JD Vance expressed his disappointment at the decision, stating, "The United States Senate would pass aid, much needed aid, to Israel today, at this very moment, aid the House has already passed, it could go to the President’s signature this afternoon, if my Democratic colleagues would stand down, but they won’t."
He further criticized the Democrats' decision to combine the aid package with other unrelated issues, saying, "The Democrats have decided that this must be combined into a massive hodgepodge package for it to pass the United States Senate. They’re doing this because they know that America is united behind Israel, and they want to use our Israeli allies as a political cover in their time of crisis. That is all this is about."
Senator Vance also questioned the focus on Ukraine policy in relation to the aid package, stating, "I’m getting sick in this Ukraine policy debate, of hearing the same exact slogans repeated. This country has been governed for 30 years on bipartisan foreign policy slogans. Why don’t we have a real debate?"
He urged for a discussion on the President's Ukraine policy and expressed the need to separate it from the urgent aid to Israel, saying, "Let the Israel aid flow through and let’s let it flow through today."
The decision by Senate Democrats to block the Israel aid package has drawn criticism and raises concerns about the level of support for one of America's most important allies in the region. The fate of the aid package now remains uncertain as the Senate continues to deliberate on its next steps.
To learn more, click on this link: https://www.vance.senate.gov/press-releases/senate-democrats-block-urgent-israel-aid
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