Following votes in the House of Representatives today to approve a foreign aid package that includes robust assistance to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, as well as humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, Democratic Majority for Israel President and CEO Mark Mellman released the following statement:
“A week after Iran’s unprecedented, unwarranted, and disproportionate attack on Israel — and after more than two months of senseless delay and cynical political gamesmanship — Speaker Johnson and congressional Republicans have finally allowed a vote on critical aid to Israel, which passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority.
“Thanks to support from Democrats on the House Rules Committee, whose votes were needed to bring the bill to the House Floor — and to support from Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the vast majority of House Democrats — Israel is set to receive more than $26 billion in critical military aid, including funding for defensive missile and laser systems that protect innocent civilians from attacks by Iran and its proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah.
“The bill also provides $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Palestinians while prohibiting the disbursement of any funds to the deeply flawed United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), several of whose staffers in Gaza participated in Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7th attacks on Israel.
“We applaud the House for passing this vital aid package and for sending a clear, bipartisan message of American resolve to support our democratic allies. We are confident the Senate, led by Majority Leader Schumer, will issue final approval and send the bill to President Biden who has vowed to swiftly sign it into law.
“DMFI worked to assure passage of the supplemental aid package, issuing a rare joint statement with the Republican Jewish Coalition urging the House to approve the bill. DMFI supporters also sent more than a thousand letters to Democratic members of Congress encouraging them to support the aid.”
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