Callahan Calls Emergency Israel Aid Pork; Leads Effort to Block Funds

Washington, DC: Representative Sonny Callahan (R-AL), a past chairman of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, pledged yesterday to lead an effort today to strike $200 million in emergency assistance to Israel and $50 million in Palestinian humanitarian aid from the House supplemental appropriations bill. Rep. Callahan made the comments yesterday on the House floor.

Focusing on Israel, the Congressional Record reports that he said, "I am going to offer amendments as we go through the bill to strike all of the aid to Israel that was included here

• without any request from Israel,
• without any request from the administration,
• without any requests from anybody.

"But someone within this Beltway decided since we were going to have a supplemental bill, they were going to get some pork in it for Israel."

"Leading an effort to strike emergency aid for Israel at a time of crisis like this is problematic enough, but referring to bipartisan support of the Jewish state as 'pork' is singularly inappropriate," said Ira N. Forman, Executive Director of the National Jewish Democratic Council. "Now is the time for all legislators, Democrats and Republicans alike, to come together and stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult time.

"Indeed, when it comes to assistance for Israel, there is a minority in each party that opposes certain foreign aid. But Mr. Callahan is hardly a back-bencher; as the former Chairman of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee, he is seen by many in the GOP as a deeply knowledgeable source of information. Because of Mr. Callahan's leadership status on this issue, I would hope that Rep. Tom DeLay and other leaders within the Republican Party would have a heart-to-heart talk with Mr. Callahan about what he has to say about aid to a close American ally in her hour of need."

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