McCollum Statement on House GOP Introduction of Israel Standalone Supplemental

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, released the following statement today after House Republicans introduced a standalone Israel supplemental bill:

“This weekend, House Republicans introduced legislation that fails to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza or provide urgently needed U.S. support for Ukraine. What they did do was provide funding only for security assistance to Israel and for U.S. military operations in the Middle East. This legislation is insufficient to address the full scope of the national security challenges we face as Americans. I cannot support it.

“The world is facing global instability at levels unseen since World War II. Russia’s illegal and unjust invasion of Ukraine threatens the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the security of our NATO allies in Europe. Israel’s military response to the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7 has spiraled into a regional conflict between the United States and Iranian proxies in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq, and tragically, three American service members have lost their lives. This moment requires U.S. leadership and decisive action from this Congress to address these crises. 

“This bill is dead on arrival in the Senate. Speaker Johnson knows that. For those of us who support meaningful action to address our national security, this legislation is a non-starter.   

“Instead of playing politics with our national security, House Republicans must work with Democrats to address our national security challenges in a comprehensive manner. Here is how we do that: Alongside defensive assistance to Israel, we must also get more life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza. If we do not, starvation will continue to grow and disease will spread. Palestinian civilians, many of them children, will continue to die. Israel’s security situation will worsen because of it. We need to support our national security priorities around the world, and our service members working day and night to defend commercial shipping routes and deter global conflicts deserve our support. And we must provide additional security assistance to Ukraine. The situation there is desperate. Ukrainian civilians continue to die in Russian attacks. Putin continues to target civilian infrastructure, and the Ukrainian military faces a serious ammunition shortage that must be remedied.

“I am also concerned that the House Republican Majority included activities for the Department of Defense without consulting with Democrats. This gives the appearance that the Majority is trying to get around the allocation for the Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Appropriations Act. The Majority knows that the only way to pass the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations bills is with Democratic support. Dropping this bill over the weekend with no minority consultation is not how to achieve bipartisan consensus on consequential spending decisions. 

“Congress cannot afford to ignore any of our national security challenges, because America cannot afford to ignore them. The President and the Senate are showing the bipartisan leadership we need. The House must join them and work to pass a comprehensive, bipartisan security supplemental that addresses all our national security challenges at once.”

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