The Senate Appropriations Committee added $225 million to its Emergency Supplemental Funding bill for the current fiscal year to support Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system in light of ongoing conflict with Hamas.
The Senate’s supplemental bill originally totaled $3.5 billion–about a billion dollars less than the president had requested–and mostly paid for addressing the unaccompanied minors illegally entering the country through the border with Mexico, as well as some funding to fight wildfires.
But Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel wrote to Senate and House leadership and defense committee leadership this week to ask for additional fiscal year 2014 dollars to support Israel.
“Due to recent missile defense activities associated with Operation Protective Edge, the Government of Israel has requested $225 million in additional U.S. funding for Iron Dome to accelerate production of Iron Dome components in Israel in order to maintain adequate stockpiles,” Hagel wrote. “The Department of Defense has reviewed and supports this urgent request. These funds would be in addition to the $176 million requested in the President’s FY 2015 budget for Iron Dome and also in addition to the proposed FY 2015 Congressional increase of $175 million to offset the costs of initiating Iron Dome production in the United States.”
Hagel went on to write that the United States and Israel reached a co-production agreement in March, but the U.S. production would take several years to ramp up and therefore would not address the current shortfall.
“I recommend that the $225 million noted above be exempt from the terms and conditions of the U.S-Israel Iron Dome Procurement Agreement. However, all other funds appropriated by Congress for Iron Dome should remain subject to the terms and conditions of this signed international agreement,” he added.
Senate Appropriations Committee chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) said in a statement July 22 she had added the request to the emergency supplemental funding bill, which she would bring to the Senate floor Wednesday.
“Hamas has launched more than 2,000 missiles at Israel from Gaza in the current conflict,” she said. “The Iron Dome has saved lives by intercepting 90 percent of these rockets. Israel is an essential American ally and needs these assets to defend itself.”
“I agree with the President that this is an emergency under the law. I hope the Senate will move forward swiftly to consider it before more people suffer as a result of these growing crises,” she concluded.
The House and Senate have so far taken very different stances on how to address the border crisis, which comprises the vast majority of this spending bill. But House Armed Services Committee ranking member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said, “I applaud Secretary Hagel and the Administration for making this request. I will work with my colleagues in Congress to get this request approved.”
It is unclear what the chances are of this emergency spending measure passing quickly. The House and Senate are in session this week and next week before adjourning for a five-week recess.