WASHINGTON
US Congressman Ro Khanna on Monday urged Democrats to make removing a provision in the defense bill aimed at integrating the US and Israeli militaries a “top priority” during Congress’s post-election lame-duck session.
“As an American, I am outraged by Section 219 that integrates our military with Israel’s. Who do they think they are?” Khanna said in a video message posted on the US social media platform X.
“This needs to be the top priority in the lame duck session,” he added.
“I am pushing every Democrat and our leadership to get Section 219 out of our defense bill,” said the California Democrat.
Section 219, titled the “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,” is part of the House version of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). It would require the secretary of defense to designate an “executive agent” to expand and accelerate bilateral defense technology research, development, testing, evaluation and industrial cooperation with Israel.
The House Armed Services Committee rejected an amendment from Khanna to strike the provision in June, when it was numbered Section 224. The House Rules Committee later blocked a floor vote on a bipartisan amendment from Khanna and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie to remove it.
The House passed the $1.15 trillion bill on July 22 by a 216-212 vote, with 205 Democrats voting against it.
The Senate version, which includes a similar provision, has not passed.
Khanna’s push came after President Donald Trump said last week that the US would stop providing about $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel by the end of this year, saying the aid had become a “talking point” Democrats used against Republicans.
It also came as a Gallup poll showed this year that, for the first time in its tracking, more Americans sympathize with Palestinians than Israelis following Israel’s two-year genocidal war on Gaza, which killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured more than 175,000, according to Palestinian figures.
