Cutting Foreign Aid Favored by Half of House GOP
Listed in: Israel, Other Foreign Policy, NJDC News, Press Releases
Washington, DC: House Democrats yesterday demonstrated their strong support for Israel, as well as their commitment to maintaining an internationalist approach to world affairs -- while a whopping 46 percent of House Republicans voted unsuccessfully to cut foreign aid, including aid to Israel. Only six percent of Democrats voted likewise.
During House consideration last night of the foreign operations appropriations bill for the 2006 fiscal year, 105 Republicans voted unsuccessfully to support an amendment sponsored by Rep. Joel Hefley (R-CO) to cut such spending -- including aid to Israel -- by more than $200 million. Only 12 Democrats did the same. On final passage of the bill that includes foreign aid, 27 Republicans -- but only five Democrats -- voted against.
"We are proud that once again, our Democratic lawmakers have demonstrated that they take a back seat to nobody when it comes to supporting Israel, our sole Democratic ally in the Middle East," said Ambassador Arthur Schechter, the National Chairman of the National Jewish Democratic Council. "And while half of the House GOP apparently thinks that reducing America's overseas involvement is the right way to go, Democrats overwhelmingly rejected that backward sentiment. This is no time for the United States to be turning inward, or to be reducing our support of Israel. I'm proud that House Democrats resoundingly voted against this overwhelmingly Republican initiative," Ambassador Schechter added.
