Jeffries: We Should Have ‘Comprehensive’ Linking of Israel, Ukraine Money

On Thursday’s “PBS NewsHour,” House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) responded to a question on linking Ukraine funding and Israel aid by stating that while he’s waiting to see the funding requests from the Biden administration, “it should be comprehensive, which would include aid to Israel, aid to Ukraine, and aid to other allies within the free world to make sure that we are meeting the national security needs of the American people.”

Co-host Geoff Bennett asked, “Extending Ukraine funding is now a point of contention among House Republicans. Do you support the idea, as is being discussed, of linking aid to Israel with extended Ukraine funding as a strategy to have both priorities pass?”

Jeffries responded, “Well, I think it’s important for the Congress to meet the needs of the American people in the most comprehensive way possible. That involves ensuring that we are providing the State of Israel with the support that it needs to defeat Hamas and stabilize the situation in the region. But it also means that we should stand by the Ukrainian people in their courageous effort to defeat Russian aggression in Europe, the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. There are also some other national security priorities that may be important in an increasingly dangerous world that may be part of the requests that the administration submits. And so, we’re taking a wait-and-see approach until the administration actually sends up the specifics of the requests. But I do think, Geoff, that it should be comprehensive, which would include aid to Israel, aid to Ukraine, and aid to other allies within the free world to make sure that we are meeting the national security needs of the American people.”

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