President Bush Needs to Make Israel’s Emergency Aid a Priority
Listed in: Israel, NJDC News, Press Releases
Funds Require Both President's Signature and "Emergency" Declaration
Washington, DC: One component of a $28.9 billion supplemental appropriations bill awaiting President Bush's signature contains $200 million in emergency aid to Israel, to help support the Jewish state's fight against terrorism. The difficulty is that Israel may not see these funds.
While President Bush is expected to sign the legislation shortly, the aid to Israel is in a portion of the bill - containing $5.1 billion in earmarks - which the President must declare as an "emergency requirement" before any part of the $5.1 billion in funding is released. If Israel is to receive this assistance, President Bush must make such an emergency declaration to Congress within 30 days of signing the larger supplemental appropriations bill - a time period that will likely expire while Congress is in its summer recess.
"President Bush could have previously committed to declaring this aid to Israel an 'emergency requirement' by including it in the administration's original supplemental request. But regardless, now is the time to sign this measure and make the declaration, so that these vital needs can be met without further delay," said National Jewish Democratic Council Executive Director Ira N. Forman. "Throughout the months-long process of negotiations that yielded this supplemental spending bill, the administration and its representatives repeatedly worked to reduce the overall level of funding of this appropriations package. Now that a compromise bill has been reached containing this long-awaited aid to Israel, and now that it is apparent that the President intends to sign it, it is imperative that President Bush sign the legislation and then make the emergency declaration immediately so these critical funds can be released.
"In addition to addressing very real needs in Israel, this money will send a crucial signal of support to the Israeli people as they fight against brutal terrorist attacks on a daily basis. And to those who wish to see Israel destroyed, it will similarly send a powerful signal - that America stands by its close strategic ally in a time of crisis. It is the right thing to do, and the only way to appropriately reflect the strong rhetoric of the House, Senate and White House is an expeditious signature and emergency designation by the President.
"Especially In the wake of incredibly long and drawn-out negotiations, in which both Democratic and Republican appropriators on Capitol Hill excoriated White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mitch Daniels for his handling of this process, it is absolutely essential that President Bush send the correct message right away by making this emergency designation as soon as possible.
"Now is the time. President Bush should sign this legislation and make the emergency declaration quickly. If the President fails to back his rhetoric with action, the rest of the world will receive a poor message concerning US support for the State of Israel."
