The Jewish News Weekly: GOP Senate freshmen pledge support for Israel
The vast majority of Republican freshmen in the Senate have signed on to a letter committing to current levels of defense assistance to Israel.
Among the 13 freshmen, 11 have signed the letter initiated by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to the party’s Senate leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
“As we work to reduce wasteful government spending, we recognize that providing for the national defense is a constitutional responsibility of the federal government,” said the letter, first reported last week by Politico. “Therefore, we must continue to prioritize the safety of our nation and the security of our allies, including Israel.”
A similar letter from House GOP freshmen in February garnered 65 signatures in a class of 87. The appeals are significant because they answer questions that pro-Israel groups had about the 2011 class of GOP freshmen, many of them spurred to office by the tea party movement, which has cost-cutting as its central focus.
The two freshmen who did not sign are Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has called openly for cutting aid to Israel and for halting the bulk of foreign aid funding, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).
The letter is an indication that President Barack Obama’s proposal to maintain levels of funding for Israel, currently at about $3 billion annually, will be untouched.
