The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill requiring President Joe Biden's administration to ensure uninterrupted weapons supplies to Israel. According to the text of the bill introduced by Republicans, Congress members "condemn Biden's administration's decision to suspend the shipment of certain weapons to Israel." The bill restricts the use of budget funds from the State Department, the Pentagon, and the National Security Council at the White House until the weapons needed by Israel are delivered.
The bill, which passed with a majority of 224 votes to 187, is expected to go nowhere in the Democrat-controlled Senate, where party leaders have pledged not to consider it at all. The Republican efforts against Biden intensified after the president halted the shipment of approximately 3,500 heavy bombs to Israel in a show aimed at deterring Tel Aviv from launching a large-scale attack on Rafah.
Many lawmakers have questioned the constitutionality of the Republicans' bill, noting that the executive branch – not Congress – typically holds the authority to dictate U.S. foreign policy. Democratic Representative Dan Goldman from New York stated that "this bill has no impact on anything happening in Israel, and instead the Republicans are using it as a political weapon."
President Joe Biden stated on May 8 during an interview with CNN that the United States would stop weapons supplies to Israel if the latter launched a major military operation in Rafah, Gaza. The United States demands that Israel refrain from conducting large ground operations in Rafah without evacuating civilians. Observers believe that what is occurring in the U.S. and Israel is merely a role distribution aimed at absorbing public anger in the U.S., while both sides agree on the ongoing situation, especially as Israel continues its military operation in Rafah without much regard for warnings, and American arms shipments to Israel have not practically stopped.
