The leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee introduced a resolution, backed by 390 of their House colleagues, expressing support for Israel in the aftermath of terrorist attacks this weekend.
“I expect this bipartisan resolution to be one of the first, if not the first items considered on the floor once we elect a new Speaker. And I expect it to receive overwhelming bipartisan support,” Chair Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who teased the resolution this weekend, said in a statement.
Among the provisions, the resolution says the U.S. “stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists,” “condemns Iran’s support for terrorist groups and proxies” and “stands ready to assist Israel with emergency resupply and other security, diplomatic, and intelligence support.”
They won’t be alone: Reps. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and Don Davis (D-N.C.) have also prepared a resolution in the aftermath of the attacks. Nunn told POLITICO he sees it as crucial for the U.S. to reassert its support for Israel as quickly as possible.
“We came to Congress to take action, not to give floor speeches,” he said in an interview. “This resolution shows the world it shows the American people and shows our allies in Israel, that we are committed to making sure Israel gets military aid. … It is a clear indicator to both Hamas, the actioner of this violence — but also to Tehran the capital of Iran, that this conflict will not spill out into the larger region.”
Nunn, a freshman, said it was “essential” for the House to coalesce around a speaker as quickly as possible: “I need a speaker who could bring 218 people together to make sure that we have Israel’s back in this fight.”