The Biden administration is bypassing Congress to get 13,000 rounds of tank ammunition to Israel to fuel its onslaught in Gaza by waiving a congressional review period for foreign weapons sales.
On Friday night, the State Department notified Congress that it was going through with the $106 million sale of 120mm tank ammunition. The US provides Israel with $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing each year, but it’s unclear if those funds are being used for this deal.
A State Department official told The New York Times that the administration invoked an emergency provision in the Arms Export Control Act to push through the sale without congressional oversight. Secretary of State Antony Blinken personally approved the sale and defended the move on Sunday.
“Israel is in combat right now with Hamas,” Blinken said. “And we want to make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Hamas.” According to the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the tank shells will come from the US Army’s inventory.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) criticized the administration’s decision to bypass Congress. “The administration’s decision to short-circuit what is already a quick time frame for congressional review undermines transparency and weakens accountability. The public deserves better,” he said.
US military aid to Israel has come under increasing criticism due to the massive civilian casualty rate in Israel’s assault on Gaza. The news of the administration bypassing Congress to get more arms into Israel’s hands came after the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“The combination of the United States’ veto of a ceasefire resolution in the UN, and this expedited provision of lethal arms to Israel, should cause some serious consideration of whether the secretary’s repeated assertions that the US seeks to minimize civilian casualties in Israel’s operation in Gaza are sincere,” Josh Paul, a former State Department official who resigned over President Biden’s full-throated support for Israel, told the Times.
Blinken also urged Congress to authorize an over $100 billion spending request that includes $14 billion in new military aid for Israel and $61 billion for Ukraine. Senate Republicans blocked a motion to advance the spending bill last week as the GOP is looking for concessions from Democrats on border issues. Blinken said President Biden is willing to “engage” with Republicans to get the funds authorized.
Does the US ever effort to utilize PEACE to deal with issues?…
The war in Gaza and in Ukraine are hurting the U.S. only in its reputation (what little it had). We are not being hurt by bombs, rockets, drones. The downing of the Twin Towers, horrible as it was, was nothing like having an entire city erased. The people here can watch their TV, b*tch and moan about the world and its wars, but would sing a different tune if the bombs dropped on our cities. We are one smug nation.
Befor the 9,11 we did. Welcome to the new era of
hope and change,
make america great again,
and build back better.
. . . Just dont look at the dead children.
Reagan had a slogan = “Let’s Make America Great Again”, which Trump stole literally word for word with his MAGA bs.
then Bush sr = “read my lips, no new taxes”
and Clinton = “it’s the economy, stupid” focused on pretending to improve American’s lives at a personal level.
there was a noticeable change in campaigning starting with Bush jr, when they began pretending to “reshape America for the better” =
New American Century
hope and change
Make America Great Again
build back better
i bet that Carter and Ford and Nixon and on back all had magic catch-phrases as well
“ Befor the 9,11 we did.”
No. We did not. The war machine has never stopped.
Gotta wonder what the Israelis have on Biden. He is sacrificing his party, his legacy and the standing of the US in the world for an arrogant warlord who hates America.
?Jeffrey Epstein?
Almost barfed up breakfast on the “legacy”.
Yeah, Legacy?? What legacy? The man is a follower, has always been a follower, a sycophant of the first order, kissing ass all the way to the top. He has no ethical core.
Yes. He’s actually adding to his legacy.
I don’t think the Israeli government has anything on anyone. Well, I mean, nothing really REALLY blackmail-worthy.
I think it’s just been an amazing, long-running PR campaign to convince people – religious people generally, and religious politicians and their voter base specifically, in the USA – that their religion is real.
That the religion of Israel is 100% Totally Real And True (so by proxy, Christianity is true)(and by Special Pleading, Islam isn’t) and that Zionism and the insistent divine command to support Gerd’s Chosen Peeps is supporting the one (two) true religion(s).
The auto-deceptive power of faith CANNOT be understated.
I don’t think the Israeli government has anything on anyone. Well, I mean, nothing really REALLY blackmail-worthy.
I think it’s just been an amazing, long-running PR campaign to convince people – religious people generally, and religious politicians and their voter base specifically, in the USA – that their religion is real.
That the religion of Israel is 100% Totally Real And True (so by proxy, Christianity is true)(and by Special Pleading, Islam isn’t) and that Zionism and the insistent divine command to support Gerd’s Chosen Peeps is supporting the one (two) true religion(s).
The auto-deceptive power of faith CANNOT be understated.
I mean, if you remove religion from the Gaza situation, it’s like France invading Monaco.
Not even people who hated Club Monaco sweaters in the 1990s could be okay with that.
Jerk in chief.
“The combination of the United States’ veto of a ceasefire resolution in the UN, and this expedited provision of lethal arms to Israel, should cause some serious consideration of whether the secretary’s repeated assertions that the US seeks to minimize civilian casualties in Israel’s operation in Gaza are sincere,” Josh Paul, a former State Department official who resigned over President Biden’s full-throated support for Israel, told the Times.
Earth to Josh, they’re not.