Rep. Roy issues statement on H.R. 7217

WASHINGTON, DC — On Tuesday evening, Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement after voting on H.R. 7217:

I love and support Israel. America must stand alongside our friends as they defend their sovereignty in their campaign to defeat Hamas – an Iranian-backed terrorist organization.  For this reason, I did not hesitate to vote for H.R. 6126 in November, which provided $14.3 billion of aid to Israel, and was paid for.

However, I could not vote for today's bill – notwithstanding my very real concern for Israel.  First, I have made abundantly clear that we must end the swamp practice of passing “supplemental” spending bills that are not paid for – as this attempted to do under “suspension” of the rules.  Second, the Texans I represent are waiting for us to do our job to secure our own nation before we send money overseas – notably at our southern border, through which radical terrorists are entering our sovereign nation.   

Third, but most importantly, we cannot continue the practice of sending good money after bad – where we help fund even our greatest friends, like Israel, while simultaneously funding their enemies through the United Nations and other aid programs.  We cannot undermine Israel’s domestic tranquility through Secretary Blinken’s meddlesome “diplomacy.” We cannot continue to slow-walk munitions as the Biden administration has.

It is frustrating that House Republicans were forced to make the choice between Israel and honoring our commitments to drain the swamp.  If we do not stop spending money we do not have, if we do not protect our own sovereignty and security first, if we do not stop the duplicity of funding friend and foe at the same time… then we will fail as a republic, and there will be no America left to stand with Israel.

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