The vast majority of the GOP-led House rallied behind a resolution voicing support for Israel as it goes to war with Hamas after the militant group launched a deadly attack on Israel from Gaza over the weekend.
Though it has yet to come to a vote, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY) said they were joined by 390 colleagues in introducing the measure on Tuesday. There are 435 seats in the House and only two vacancies at the moment.
The four-page resolution says the House “stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists.”
NEW: Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), joined by 390 of their colleagues, introduced a bipartisan resolution standing with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and… pic.twitter.com/NUHhScFmPL
— Jerry Dunleavy 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) October 10, 2023
It contains a number of clauses, including sections that call on Hamas to release hostages and stop violent attacks, urges enforcement of law to stop any U.S. funds from being used to benefit terrorists, and seeks to ensure compliance of sanctions to prevent “Iran’s funding of terrorist groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”
There has been some doubts about what the House can do in response to the violence in Israel after members voted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) out as speaker last week. Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) is serving as speaker pro tempore in the short term, but as Newsweek points out it is “unclear” whether he has the power to bring measures to the floor for a vote in the temporary role.
But House lawmakers may soon elect a new speaker as Republicans and Democrats sort out who they will support this week. A simple majority is needed for victory. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), one of the declared candidates, said his first act as speaker would be in support of Israel. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), two other leading contenders, have also backed Israel.
“Now is the time to show the world the United States firmly stands with our friend and ally Israel in our condemnation of this heinous attack by Iran-backed terrorists,” McCaul said in a statement. “I expect this bipartisan resolution to be one of the first, if not the first items considered on the floor once we elect a new Speaker. And I expect it to receive overwhelming bipartisan support.”
Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, noted that President Joe Biden has already “committed the United States fully to Israel’s self defense” and noted that the resolution “will demonstrate this is one issue in which the US House of Representatives is united, and I expect it to pass the House with broad bipartisan support.”
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Meanwhile, a handful of House lawmakers, particularly members of “The Squad,” have voiced solidarity with Palestinians while also condemning the violence. For instance, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the sole Palestinian American member of Congress, placed fault on what she called an “apartheid system” backed by the United States.
Officials have reported that more than 1,500 people have been killed — including at least 11 Americans — and thousands more wounded in Israel and Gaza amid the conflict. Dozens of others are believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas.