The White House announced on Monday that it opposes a Republican-led bill that would force President Joe Biden to send withheld military assistance to Israel.
“We strongly, strongly oppose attempts to constrain the president’s ability to deploy a U.S. security assistance consistent with U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
House Republicans introduced the bill over the weekend in response to Biden’s decision to pause a shipment of weapons in an effort to deter Israel from launching a full-scale ground operation in the Gaza city of Rafah.
Last week the administration announced it was pausing a shipment of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs. Then in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Biden said he had told Israeli leaders the U.S. would cut off its military aid if they decide to go ahead with an invasion of the city.
The warning generated praise among progressives and others in the Democratic Party who have questioned Biden’s steadfast support for Israel amid a rising death toll in Gaza.
But it also prompted immediate criticism from Israel supporters as well as Republicans who accused the White House of hampering Israel’s offensive against Hamas. In response, GOP leaders said they planned a floor vote on legislation prohibiting Biden from withholding aid, which they dubbed the Israel Security Assistance Support Act.
The bill also would freeze the budgets for the offices of the Defense Secretary, Secretary of State and National Security Council if Biden doesn’t deliver the weapons being withheld.
The vote is likely to serve as a tricky political test for some vulnerable Democrats who have tried to toe the line between supporting Israel’s war against Hamas and the White House’s efforts to limit the impact on civilians in Gaza.
The White House has repeatedly warned Israel against a major ground operation in Rafah, though it has struggled to articulate what that would look like. Israeli forces are already in the city, though they have not yet conducted sweeping missions. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said he would go forward with an invasion with or without U.S. support.
Jean-Pierre on Monday defended Biden’s decision to pause the military shipment, noting that it included “2,000-pound bombs which can be very destructive in densely populated urban environments such as Rafah.”
“The president has been very clear: His commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad,” she said. “It is our objective as well that we plan to spend every last cent appropriated consistent with legal obligations.”
