politics
House Rules Committee Keeps U.S.-Israel Defense Technology Provision in Defense Bill
The House Rules Committee rejected an amendment offered by Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie that sought to eliminate Section 219 from the National Defense Authorization Act. The section directs the Defense Secretary to designate an executive agent to integrate U.S. and Israeli military technology. The decision prevents a House floor vote on the proposal.
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The House Rules Committee blocked an amendment on Monday evening that would have removed Section 219 from the National Defense Authorization Act, Washington Examiner reported. The bipartisan proposal came from Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep.
Thomas Massie (R-KY). Section 219, titled “The United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,” requires the Secretary of Defense to name an executive agent tasked solely with integrating U.S. and Israeli military technology.
The committee’s action means the House will not vote on removing the provision, which was previously numbered Section 224. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) chairs the panel that sets the amendment list and decides which measures reach the floor.
The committee’s published list omitted the Khanna-Massie proposal. Rep. ” He called the outcome “unconscionable” and said he and Massie would continue to oppose any compromise of American sovereignty.
Rep. Massie described Section 219 as an “unprecedented escalation of foreign involvement” in the U.S. military. He said the measure exceeds existing arrangements such as Five Eyes intelligence sharing or standard bilateral weapons contracts.
The Defense Intelligence Agency has designated Israeli espionage a “critical” threat, the highest level, NBC News reported. The Senate’s proposed Intelligence Authorization Act contains parallel measures to expand intelligence sharing with Israel and requires future presidents to document any limits placed on such cooperation.
