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Politico: Freshman GOP Senators Support Aid for Israel

Apr 7, 2011 | News

Even as they push for huge spending cuts, 11 freshman GOP senators say the U.S. must continue to provide foreign aid to its strongest ally in the Middle East: Israel.

The senators delivered a letter Wednesday to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), reaffirming their support for security assistance for Israel. The U.S. spends more than $3 billion a year to help keep the nation safe.

“As we work to reduce wasteful government spending, we recognize that providing for the national defense is a constitutional responsibility of the federal government,” the senators wrote in a letter spearheaded by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. “Therefore, we must continue to prioritize the safety of our nation and the security of our allies, including Israel.”

In recent months, the Middle East has seen a series of mass protests and political uprisings, many of them violent.

“Given the uncertainty of these events, and in light of the ongoing threats from Hezbollah, Hamas and a nuclear Iran, we believe that U.S. security assistance to Israel will continue to be a key national security interest,” the senators wrote.

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