U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) is circulating a memo to fellow legislators calling for Israel and Ukraine aid to be split up — made discrete and voted on individually ahead of the November 17 funding deadline.
The memo, which is titled ‘Differentiating Ukraine and Israel,” criticizes the Biden administration’s proposal to link Ukraine and Israel funding. It reads: “This is a grave error that betrays a lack of strategic focus. Each conflict is distinct and represents a different claim on U.S. interests.”
[Note: On Fox News, Vance took a more aggressive tone and said: “What the President did is completely disgraceful. If he wants to sell the American people on $60B more to Ukraine, he shouldn’t use dead Israeli children to do it. It was disgusting.”]
“What the president did is completely disgraceful. If he wants to sell the American people on $60B more to Ukraine, he shouldn’t use dead Israeli children to do it. It was disgusting.” pic.twitter.com/LVRmTuTR6V
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) October 20, 2023
Vance wrote in the memo: “Israel has a clear plan, and we have a clear means of helping them to fulfill that plan — by providing very specific munitions to enable Israel to conduct a limited operation with a view to neutralizing the threat Hamas poses to Israel. We have no such plan for the Russia-Ukraine War.”
[Note: While running for Senate, Vance said: “It’s ridiculous that we’re focusing on this border in Ukraine. I gotta be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens in Ukraine one way or another.]
“I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.”
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) October 16, 2023
– JD Vance (R) @RonFilipkowski / February 19, 2022.
pic.twitter.com/YWD48lsbOe
When Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) heard about Vance’s memo and its intent, he wrote: “F–k that.”
Fuck that https://t.co/DjC2WXS8l1
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) October 23, 2023
Note: The funding proposal includes $61.4 billion for Ukraine; $14.3 billion for Israel (with $10.6 billion allocated for military aid); and an additional $9 billion earmarked for humanitarian aid in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza.
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