Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) will this week introduce legislation to disapprove of a multimillion-dollar package of bomb equipment for Israel proposed by the Biden administration, a source familiar with her plans told HuffPost ― posing the first congressional challenge to the U.S.’s policy of uninterrupted and expanding military support for Israel amid its deadly campaign in Gaza.
Omar will by Wednesday file a bill known as a “resolution of disapproval” targeting a $320 million sale of gear for precision guidance kits for bombs, the source said, likely with a group of fellow Democratic lawmakers as co-sponsors. If the House of Representatives and the Senate both pass such a resolution, the administration would not be able to transfer the bomb equipment unless President Joe Biden vetoed the bill.
A spokesperson for Omar did not immediately provide comment for this story.
The Biden administration and Israel agreed on the arms deal earlier this year ― before the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas sparked the current fighting with a brutal attack inside Israel on Oct. 7 ― and Congress did not express objections then. But on Oct. 31, after Israel’s offensive in Gaza had already killed thousands, the administration told Congress it would begin transferring the gear, which helps makes bombs more advanced, The Wall Street Journal revealed. |
