WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) introduced The Israel Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023, which ensures that funding for Israel is not coupled with billions of additional dollars in aid to Ukraine.

This legislation would provide $14.3 billion to Israel, including $10.6 billion for assistance through the Department of Defense (DOD), $3.5 billion for foreign military financing, and $200 million in diplomatic funding to help protect U.S. embassies and personnel. 

“Israel is our closest ally in the Middle East, and there is an immediate responsibility on Congress to make sure Israelis have what they need to defend themselves and defeat Hamas. To hold that aid hostage by linking it with a myriad of other issues – including bailout for sanctuary cities and more money for Ukraine – is irresponsible. These separate funding requests should be considered as such,” said Senator Blackburn.

“The brutal, savage attacks launched by Hamas against our closest ally in the Middle East, Israel, have sent shock waves across the world,” Senator Marshall said. “My colleagues and I firmly believe that any aid to Israel should not be used as leverage to send tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine. Any package that does so would result in funds and resources being delayed in Israel’s time of need. The legislation we’ve introduced provides the aid to Israel requested by the Biden Administration and should be considered by the Senate immediately.”

• U.S. Senators J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla) are co-sponsors.

• By putting forth a standalone spending bill, the Senators will speed up the time that the assistance gets to Israel and ensure their funding is not held hostage for additional supplemental money for President Biden’s priorities that are outside of the scope of the war in Israel. Providing assistance to our ally Israel has garnered overwhelming bipartisan support and would likely pass quickly through both chambers. 

• The Israel Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023: 

• Blocks the Biden administration from leveraging aid to Israel for more Ukraine funding and clarifies that none of the amounts made available by the bill can be used in connection with the Ukraine war. 

• Funding to strengthen Israel’s defense, including the Iron Dome and Iron Beam systems, and to replace weapons the DOD sends Israel. 

• Authority to send Israel equipment and services already in U.S. stocks.

• A waiver allowing the U.S. to stockpile more weapons in Israel.

• Funding to protect U.S. embassies and personnel in Israel and to help repatriate U.S. citizens from the region. 
• Strips all aid to Gaza that could be funneled to Hamas terrorists.