House Vote On Republican Israel Bill Underway Shortly

Debate in the House of Representatives is underway ahead of a vote on a Republican bill - the Israel Security Assistance Support Act - which criticises the Biden administration’s decision to withhold some heavy weapons transfers to Israel. LIVESTREAM

• House Republicans have held a number of such votes on Israel, designed to expose Democrat divisions on the issue, force frontline Democrats into tricky votes, and keep one of Biden’s vulnerabilities in the spotlight ahead of the general election.
• The Washington Post notes, “House Democratic leaders are whipping against the bill… Democrats predict they’ll keep Democratic defections to around two dozen and as possibly as low as 15, which would be considered a major win on an issue that has divided the party.”
• House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said at a press conference ahead of the House debate: “If you’re not supporting Israel, you're supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization…We will have Israel's back and we're gonna see who else does when the vote happens later today.”
• The White House has issued a veto threat, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has stated he won’t consider the bill, and President Biden notified Congress this week of a new USD1 billion weapons package for Israel this week - actions to provide some cover for Democrats to vote against the bill.