The House will vote Wednesday on whether to condemn President Joe Biden for pausing arms transfers to Israel.
The legislation, drafted by the House Republican leadership, calls on the Biden administration to allow previously approved arms transfers to proceed quickly and requires the administration to utilize all appropriated funds for Israel as Congress intended, Punchbowl News reported.
Biden announced last week he is blocking the transfer of bombs to Israel after the country said it would invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
The bill also puts House Democrats in a tricky spot, as they either must vote against Israel or Biden.
Punchbowl News reported that nearly every House Republican is expected to support the bill, while House Democratic leadership expects 40 lawmakers to vote for the bill. The White House has not yet persuaded Democrats to vote against the bill.
"We strongly, strongly oppose attempts to constrain the president's ability to deploy U.S. security assistance consistent with U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
Despite the Biden administration's stance on the Rafah invasion, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said he does not believe Israel is committing genocide.
Sullivan said the U.S. wants to see Hamas defeated, that Palestinians caught in the middle of the war are in "hell," and that a major military operation by Israel in Rafah would be a mistake.
"We do not believe what is happening in Gaza is a genocide. We have been firmly on record rejecting that proposition," Sullivan said.
More than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza have died, according to Gaza health officials.
Sullivan said there could be a cease-fire in Gaza if Hamas would release hostages. The world should be calling on Hamas to return to the negotiating table and accept a deal, Sullivan said.
The U.S. is working urgently for a cease-fire and hostage-release deal, Sullivan said. He said he could not predict when or if such a deal would be sealed.
The Israeli government is not lobbying House Democrats on the bill, sources told Punchbowl News.
The legislation is expected to die in the Democratic-controlled Senate, Politico reported.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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