The White House has always wanted to tie Ukraine and Israel's aid to border reform legislation, feeling that it could get the funding while also getting major concessions on the border.
The GOP, thus far, has refused to link them together, and with the clock ticking for Israel, Biden is now threatening to veto stand-alone aid for Israel.
Talking Points...
- Biden says “urgent” need for Israel aid
- Biden threatens veto
- Analysis
Back in October, Biden was telling Congress how urgently he needed the aid for Israel. Biden called it a “smart investment” and the way to help keep “American troops out of harm’s way.” He stated:
“It’s a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations.
"Help us keep American troops out of harm’s way. Help us build a world that is safer, more peaceful and more prosperous for our children and grandchildren.”
Biden would go on to say how the world and our allies were watching, and how we responded to Israel is how we would be judged moving forward.
Biden has always wanted this to be a package deal and has refused to accept anything else. But, if the aid for Israel and Ukraine for the matter is so urgent, then why not take the stand-alone bill and work on the other legislation after the fact? Yet, when Republicans offered to send an Israel aid bill to the president’s desk, the White House Office of Management and Budget called it a “political maneuver.” OMB stated:
“The Administration spent months working with a bipartisan group of Senators to reach a national security agreement that secures the border and provides support for the people of Ukraine and Israel, while also providing much-needed humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by conflicts around the world.
“Instead of working in good faith to address the most pressing national security challenges, this bill is another cynical political maneuver. The security of Israel should be sacred, not a political game.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) responded to the veto threat:
“What a betrayal of our great ally and friend Israel in their time of desperate need… the idea that Joe Biden would suggest that he would not send a clean funding measure to assist them is just outrageous…”
Biden wants his cake and eats it, too... on everything. The man who preaches about working with the other side of the aisle and creating unity constantly throws down the gauntlet with Republicans; then, he gaslights the American people on why things are not getting done.
Biden will now tell the American people that the GOP is not serious about border reform while not telling them the border bill that is going through the Senate offers the GOP very little and more or less codifies everything he has been doing since taking office.
Biden will tell the American people that the GOP is going to hang out Israel to dry while at the same time threatening to veto stand-alone legislation that would give Israel what it needs to fight Hamas. The man is talking from both sides of his mouth right now, which is simply unacceptable.
