Rep. Cory Mills filed his impeachment articles against President Biden on Monday, accusing him of engaging in “quid pro quo” in his threats to keep from sending more arms to Israel.
Mr. Mills, Florida Republican, contended in his resolution that Mr. Biden “solicited a quid pro quo” from the Israelis by threatening to withhold weapons shipments to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rein in his strategy on charging into Rafah, the Gaza home to over 1 million Palestinians.
“In so doing, President Biden used the powers of the presidency in a manner that compromised the national security of the United States and its ally Israel,” Mr. Mills said in the resolution. “He thus ignored and injured the interests of the nation.”
Mr. Biden has come under intense scrutiny from Republicans and some Democrats since threatening to withhold more weapons from the Jewish state. The White House already paused a shipment of thousands of bombs last week.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, on Tuesday said that when Mr. Biden was a candidate for office in the last election cycle he was “saying the right thing” about America’s commitment to Israel.
“Unfortunately, today he’s doing the complete opposite,” Mr. McConnell said. “The president and his administration are withholding critical military assistance from Israel as it fights to restore its security against savage terrorists, and they’re refusing to answer basic questions about it.”
Critics say Mr. Biden was politically motivated to make the threats in order to gain more traction with Democratic voters who have been outspoken against his administration’s handling of the war, not out of concern for Palestinian civilians.
His threats also sparked a push from the House GOP to pass the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which demands the White House continue sending weapons and money approved by Congress in the recently passed $26 billion Israel aid measure.
The GOP-led House Oversight and Accountability Committee also launched a probe into the decision last week. Lawmakers on the panel wrote in a letter to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan that they wanted a briefing from the National Security Council on “any legal justification for withholding essential supplies from Israel” while it fights Hamas.
That same committee is also investigating Mr. Biden as part of the impeachment inquiry, launched by the GOP last year, into alleged shady business dealings by him and his family.
“The Biden administration’s priorities appear to be motivated by public perception and not what is best for national security or diplomacy,” the lawmakers wrote.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
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