Biden will veto Republican-led House bill that would pressure him to send weapons to Israel: White House

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden will veto a Republican-led bill in the House of Representatives that would pressure him to send weapons to Israel, the White House said Tuesday, calling the legislation a "misguided reaction to a deliberate distortion of the administration’s approach to Israel."

In a statement, the White House said the bill, the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, "would undermine the president’s ability to execute an effective foreign policy.”

"This bill could raise serious concerns about infringement on the president’s authorities under Article II of the Constitution, including his duties as Commander-in-Chief and Chief Executive and his power to conduct foreign relations," it said.

"The president has been clear: we will always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself. Our commitment to Israel is ironclad."

House Republicans introduced the bill over the weekend after Biden said in an interview with CNN last week that he paused arms shipments to Israel amid concerns over its offensive on Gaza's southern city of Rafah, where some 1.5 million displaced Palestinians have sheltered from Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

The bill condemns the Biden administration's decision to pause arms shipments to Israel and calls for the "expeditious delivery of approved defense articles and services to Israel, including third-party deliveries."

It is scheduled for a House vote on Wednesday and has a companion Senate version.

During the interview, Biden said he would stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if it launches a major invasion of Rafah.

"Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," he said, referring to 2,000-pound bombs.

Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that the US is continuing to send military assistance, adding they will "ensure that Israel receives the full amount provided in the supplemental."

"We have paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs because we do not believe they should be dropped in densely populated cities. We are talking to the Israeli government about this," he added.

Last month, Biden signed into law a $95 billion foreign aid package which includes $26 billion for Israel.