Boise City Wire

U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, have sent a letter to President Biden expressing their concerns over his administration's handling of arms sales, particularly in relation to Israel.

The members stated in their letter, “Unfortunately, the failure to respect congressional prerogatives has risen to new levels with your recent decision to unilaterally pause a shipment of weapons to Israel without any prior notification or consultation with Congress.” They further expressed their concern that despite multiple requests from their respective chambers, they still lack basic answers about the weapons that have been stopped from shipping.

The members continued by emphasizing the potential implications of this decision on foreign policy and perceptions of the United States as a reliable security partner. They wrote, “Threatening to abandon Israel as it prepares to undertake the last stage of its campaign to eradicate the threat posed by Hamas is deeply troubling. The foreign policy implications of your recent decision will have a lasting impact on perceptions of the United States as a dependable security partner.”

The full text of the letter includes a detailed list of questions for President Biden regarding this issue. The members are seeking clarity on various aspects such as who initiated this policy review, what agencies are responsible for it, and what exactly is being delayed among other things.

The letter concludes with an urgent call for transparency and accountability: "America’s allies and adversaries are watching. Partners straddling the fence between the United States on one hand and China and Russia on the other are watching. They’re drawing the conclusion that the United States is a fickle friend and cannot be relied upon to follow through on its commitments in their hour of need."