Washington, D.C. — Today, the House passed three pieces of bipartisan legislation to steer $95 billion in stalled security funding to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The Senate is now set to consider these bills in one package. In response, Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Aid to Ukraine is a crucial investment in our national security and our efforts to counter the threat of authoritarianism worldwide. But it is unacceptable that this legislation comes at the expense of oversight on military aid to Israel following the bombings of civilians and aid workers that President Joe Biden has called “indiscriminate” and “over the top.” It’s a disgrace that we will link our noble support for Ukrainian self-determination and fundamental rights to legislation that may deprive the Palestinians of the same.
The legislation includes nearly $9 billion in additional military aid that Israel may use to purchase deadly weapons that it has used against civilians in Gaza. A waiver that allows the president to bypass congressional notification only for arms sales to Israel means the public will have almost no visibility on the taxpayer-funded weapons that the United States supplies. The legislation provides much-needed investment in humanitarian needs in Gaza, but a prohibition on funding UNRWA directly undermines the effectiveness of these investments.
Congress and the administration need to make it clear that U.S. security assistance is not a blank check. We must apply these standards even to our closest allies.
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