Dems to Johnson: Invite Netanyahu, but pass Ukraine-Israel package

House Democrats said Thursday that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is free to invite the Israeli prime minister to address Congress, but would not show greater support for Israel on foreign aid pending action. He argued that it was about voting for the package. House.

“There is one group in Congress that supports national security aid that is desperately needed by the Ukrainian people and many other allies, and that is the House Republicans,” said Representative Katherine Clark (Massachusetts). State) told reporters at the Capitol.

“This bill needs to be brought to the floor,” she continued. “So you can invite anyone you want to come to Congress and speak. But let’s do the job that needs to be done.”

Republicans called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress, largely in response to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York’s recent criticism of Netanyahu over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. I’m urging you to do it.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday he was prepared to formalize the invitation.

“I would love to have him come to Congress and address a joint session of Congress,” Johnson said in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

“We will definitely accept that invitation.”

The trip comes at a difficult time for U.S.-Israel relations, as President Biden and many Democrats on Capitol Hill have stepped up their criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamast terrorist attack. Become.

In the wake of these attacks, which left about 1,200 people dead, Democrats have virtually united in supporting Israel’s right to defend itself. But Israel’s retaliatory operations in the Gaza Strip have left more than 30,000 dead, many of them women and children, raising concerns even from some of Israel’s closest allies.

One such ally, Schumer, sparked a heated controversy last week when he criticized both Netanyahu’s domestic policies and actions in Gaza. Schumer accused Netanyahu of undermining Israel’s security and global standing, primarily to distract from a series of corruption charges he faces.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by putting his own political survival above Israel’s best interests,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. He called for new elections to replace Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The remarks sparked a backlash from Republicans on Capitol Hill, many of whom have called for Netanyahu to defend himself in a speech to Congress.

Liberal Democrats are likely to boycott such a speech, but Democratic leaders have said they would welcome Netanyahu to Capitol Hill, a list that also includes Schumer.

“I always welcome the opportunity for an Israeli prime minister to speak in Congress on a bipartisan basis,” Schumer said.

But House Democratic leaders also said a more realistic show of support for Israel would be for Republican leaders to take away a Senate-passed foreign aid package that combined military aid to Ukraine and Israel with humanitarian aid to Gaza. It is claimed that it is. The bill passed the Senate last month with the support of 70 people, including 22 Republicans, but Johnson refused to consider it in the House of Commons.

He has vowed to amend the Senate bill and send it back to the Senate next month when the House returns from its extended recess. But it is unclear what changes the speaker will make or how he intends to get it through the deeply divided House.

For these reasons, Democrats are pushing for Johnson to simply move the Senate bill to the House, where they say it would receive more than 300 votes.

“Republicans, it’s shameful what they’ve done over the last few months, wasted your time,” said Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado, the Democratic Party’s chief of staff. “Then they should bring the bill to the floor and vote yes or no.”