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The threats posed by China, Russia, Iran and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are all part of “one fight” that the U.S. and its allies must win, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers Tuesday as the Biden administration mounted a full-court press to push through Congress a comprehensive $106 billion aid package that would reach all corners of the globe.
In a joint appearance, Mr. Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin took their case to the Senate Appropriations Committee and found a mostly receptive audience. Even most Republicans agreed with the broad point that the U.S. cannot step back in the international arena while its adversaries become emboldened.
The package would provide $14.3 billion for Israel, more than $61 billion for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, $7.4 billion to defend Taiwan and fund other U.S. military priorities in the Pacific, $14 billion for southern border security, and more than $9 billion in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the home base of Hamas that is now ground zero in Israel’s counterattack.
That package faces a steep climb in the House. Skeptical Republicans aim to pass a stand-alone Israel funding bill and insist that any other portions, including support for Ukraine, be considered individually.
A growing number of Republicans want assurances that the administration has a plan for eventually ending the Russia-Ukraine war, now nearing its third year.
Mr. Blinken said it would be a grave mistake for the U.S. to pick and choose between priorities when critical allies are attacked. Doing so, he said, would send the wrong signal to America’s adversaries.
“Increasingly, Russia and Iran are working together. … They’ve been partners in a devastating war in Syria, and now we have Iranian proxies firing missiles from Syria into Israel,” Mr. Blinken said. “Russia could stop this, but it doesn’t. Instead, to the contrary, its government is hosting Hamas for talks in Moscow. Iran is sending [drones] to Russia to attack Ukrainian civilians. So, we’re seeing the profound connections here.”
Mr. Blinken met privately with House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, before leaving Capitol Hill. He said U.S. adversaries, including China, should not “learn the wrong lessons” from the American response.
“This is all one fight,” he said. “And we have to respond in a way that recognizes that. If we start to peel off pieces of this package, they’ll see that and understand we’re playing whack-a-mole while they cooperate increasingly and pose an even greater threat to our security as well as that of allies and partners.”
Some Senate Republicans also have expressed skepticism about Mr. Biden’s proposed bundling of aid.
“We have a Republican majority in the House; we need to follow the speaker,” said Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.
The House is expected to vote on the stand-alone package for Israel by the end of the week. It will set up the relatively untested Mr. Johnson for his first major clash with the Senate and the White House since his election as speaker last week.
Raw emotions
The U.S. and its closest allies face a crucial moment. Hamas’ assault on Israel, which killed more than 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals, was one of the worst terrorist attacks in recent times. It prompted a military response from Israel that critics say has gone too far. Local officials in Gaza say more than 8,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed.
The growing divisions over Israel’s response were on clear display in the Senate hearing room. Protesters interrupted the hearing and yelled, “Save the children of Gaza!” The demonstrators said Mr. Blinken and Mr. Austin have “blood on your hands” for backing Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray, Washington Democrat, struggled to restore order. Mr. Blinken’s opening statement was disrupted at least five times.
Sen. Susan M. Collins, Maine Republican and committee vice chair, stressed that all efforts must be made to protect innocent civilians in Gaza but the two sides in the conflict are not the same.
“There’s a critical distinction here. Hamas targeted civilians. They kidnapped innocent children as well as people as old as 85 years old. Israel is not doing that,” she said.
Most Republicans on the panel agreed with the need to support Ukraine. They said a victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin could put him in a position to threaten NATO’s eastern flank. The Senate is expected to back the administration’s request on a bipartisan basis.
Republican senators also pushed for a change in the administration’s strategy to break a stalemate in eastern Ukraine.
I want to make certain that as we assist Ukraine, we are assisting Ukraine in a way that allows them to succeed. I don’t want this to just be a stalemate,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, Kansas Republican. “I do not want Ukraine to have the dollars necessary not to lose. I want Ukraine, with our help and others, to have the opportunity, with their capabilities, their own personnel, to win.”
Mr. Austin agreed.
“That’s exactly what we’re doing,” he said.
Key Democrats agreed with the need to push through one major aid package rather than several stand-alone bills. That position sets up a high-stakes showdown between the House and Senate with far-reaching implications for U.S. foreign policy.
“If we let politics and division drive us away from this mission, I worry about where we will stand for years to come,” Ms. Murray said.
At another point, she said, “Make no mistake: We need to address all of these priorities as part of one package because the reality is these issues are all connected, and they are all urgent.”
The Iran question
Mr. Austin also faced tough questions about whether the U.S. would strike Iran directly if a Tehran-backed militia kills an American service member.
In a tense back-and-forth with Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, the Pentagon chief said only that “Iran should be held accountable” for the actions of its proxy groups, which have attacked U.S. troops in the region nearly two dozen times over the past three weeks.
“Is it a red line for Iran to orchestrate an attack on our forces that kills an American?” Mr. Graham asked.
“Can we say publicly to the families who have service members over in Iraq and Syria that we will hit Iran if they kill an American through their proxies? Can we say that?” he said.
“What we have said and will continue to say is that we’re going to continue to hold” Iran accountable, Mr. Austin said before he was interrupted by the senator.
“I wish you would be more clear,” Mr. Graham said.
The U.S. last week conducted retaliatory airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Syria. Attacks on American troops have increased dramatically since the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel. Iran is one of Hamas’ key financial backers, and Iranian leaders have publicly praised the assault on Israel. Still, the Biden administration said it had not seen evidence that Tehran knew of the Hamas rampage in advance.
In strikes last week on two facilities near Abu Kamal on the Syria-Iraq border, 21 U.S. service members were wounded and one American contractor died from a cardiac incident while sheltering in place. All of the wounded service members have since returned to duty.
Although he did not explicitly say the U.S. would respond directly against Iran, Mr. Austin made clear that the Pentagon is willing and able to ramp up its retaliation if necessary.
“If this doesn’t stop, then we will respond,” Mr. Austin said. “We maintain the right to respond. We have the capability to respond. And we will respond at a time and place of our choosing.”
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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