In a recent Newsweek op-ed, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) made a compelling case for the need to pair aid to Israel and Ukraine. Houlahan, who is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and serves on both the House Armed Services Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, argued that this joint support is crucial for preserving democracy and ensuring the security of the United States.
Houlahan’s stance comes in response to proposals by House Republicans to introduce budget offsets for money sent to Israel, a move that has been dismissed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Rumors are also circulating about Speaker Mike Johnson’s evolving views on supporting Ukraine.
In her op-ed, Rep. Houlahan urged her colleagues in the House to vote immediately for President Biden’s full supplemental funding bill. She also called on faith communities that have been vocal about their support for Israel to demand Congressional funding for Ukraine with the same urgency.
Drawing from her personal history as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, Houlahan passionately advocated for supporting Ukraine and Israel against global threats to democracy. She criticized attempts by House Republicans to politicize aid to Israel with budget offsets and called on Speaker Mike Johnson to back President Biden’s full supplemental funding bill as presented.
The congresswoman emphasized the necessity of pairing aid to Israel and Ukraine in her piece. She highlighted President Joe Biden’s request for a clean supplemental funding bill, while noting that House Republicans are attempting to separate the requests for support from Ukraine and Israel and proposing what she considers to be unreasonable budget offsets for money sent to Israel.
In a poignant conclusion, Houlahan wrote, “People are fighting and dying on all fronts. As our pasts have been tied to one another, so is our collective future. The fates of all of us who value life, freedom, and democracy are connected, and right now these principles are under direct threat.”
She urged her fellow Americans to see the interconnectivity of these issues and not look back with regret that more could have been done to preserve global democracy. Now is the time, she argued, for her colleagues across the aisle to step up to protect national security and pivotal democracies across the globe.
Read Rep. Houlahan’s full opinion in Newsweek here.
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