M. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill, which conditions emergency, essential aid to Israel on cuts to the domestic budget. The majority is attempting to divide Congress for purely partisan gain. It is despicable.

I stand here as a proud progressive Zionist. Support for Israel is built into my DNA. I was horrified by the events of October 7th. It was a traumatic moment for Israel and a traumatic moment for the global Jewish community. I remain committed to doing whatever I can to support our ally Israel in its fight against the terrorist organization Hamas.

I look forward to voting for President Biden’s complete supplemental military and humanitarian aid package, including strategic and military assistance to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, and humanitarian assistance to Gaza, Israel and Ukraine to deal with extreme crisis conditions caused by two major wars.

However, today’s vote is not about supporting Israel. It is not about global security.

Rather, today’s vote is on a divisive political maneuver that leads us down a dark road. It sets a dangerous precedent, pitting our national security and support for democratic allies against domestic expenditure.

And, it must be repeated, this so-called offset will actually increase the deficit, all while allowing the wealthiest to cheat on their taxes. As the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office made clear, it would add 12.5 billion dollars to the deficit in the next decade.

I will proudly support emergency supplemental aid to Israel. I look forward to voting for that bill.

Instead, the bill we are voting on today is just a partisan game. It is an insult to Jewish Americans, and it is an insult to our ally Israel.

The pro-Israel vote is a No. I will proudly vote No and reject this unprecedented partisanship. I yield back the balance of my time.