Senate Democrats Push to Preserve Oversight of Military Aid to Israel
Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Tim Kaine of Virginia announced Jan. 9 that they plan to oppose a provision in the Biden administration’s fiscal year 2024 supplemental appropriations request that would waive congressional oversight requirements for U.S. funding provided to Israel under the Foreign Military Financing program.
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Durbin, the Senate majority whip, and Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, plan to file an amendment to strike the provision, saying that while they continue to support helping Israel defend itself, the nation should be held to the same standard as other countries that receive U.S. arms transfers.
The amendment also is sponsored by Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Peter Welch of Vermont, Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, and Raphael Warnock of Georgia.
Under the supplemental request, Israel would receive $14.3 billion in military and humanitarian aid, including $3.5 billion in foreign military financing. Citing “Israel’s urgent need for FMF assistance,” the administration said its request “includes the authority to waive congressional notification requirements that would otherwise apply with respect to such assistance.”
The total $106 billion request, which the administration unveiled in October, also includes funding for Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific and homeland border security. It has stalled in Congress amid disagreements over border security.