WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is joining U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and other colleagues in supporting an amendment to preserve Congress’s role in approving U.S. assistance to foreign militaries.  This amendment would strike a provision in the proposed national security supplemental funding bill that would waive notification requirements for U.S. funding for Israel under the Foreign Military Financing Program.  If passed, the amendment would maintain the existing Congressional notification process for all the recipients of security assistance in the bill.

“Israel was brutally attacked on October 7th by Hamas terrorists and has a right to defend itself. The U.S. is right to support Israel in defending itself.  But doing what is right shouldn’t mean that Congress should abdicate its responsibility to do its job.  Congress should continue to have the ability to review and weigh in on these matters.  Arms transfers to any country must be held to the same standards,” said Senator Reed.

In addition to Reed, Kaine’s amendment is supported by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).