Senate passes $95 billion foreign aid package, but my concern is Palestinians
Marjorie Taylor Greene versus House Speaker Mike Johnson isn't the biggest story
Weird times we live in when I don’t totally disagree with George House Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — but for completely different reasons. On April 20, Greene called it “bullshit” for House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the $95 billion foreign aid package up for a vote. Once he brought it to the House floor, the bill passed with the support of 210 Democrats and 101 Republicans.
While Greene could take her wrath out on all 101 Republicans who voted in support of the foreign aid bill, her gripe is with Johnson — who she wants ousted as House Speaker the same way Kevin McCarthy was for disagreeing with conservatives.
“[Johnson] did this bullshit on the House floor,” she told reporters. “Foreign war package that does nothing for America. It’s unbelievable. I’m thankful that America gets to see who this man is … while we’re doing nothing to secure our border.”
The Border debate versus the foreign aid bill
I’m fully in support of Ukraine fighting back against Russian President Vladimir Putin since February 2022. (R.I.P. to Alexey Navalny.) I totally disagree with not releasing defense funds ($61 billion) to Ukraine.
However, part of her venom is where the lines get blurred. I don’t totally disagree with her when it comes to her point about border control, especially when Chicago has had almost 40K migrants coming from Texas buses and more than 4,700 arriving via airplane.
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Meanwhile, in January 2023, there were a total of 6,139 Chicagoans estimated to be experiencing homelessness, with 5,149 individuals in sheltered locations and 990 individuals in unsheltered locations. So if they haven’t found homes, where are all these migrants supposed to reside? I believe Chicago natives — or pretty much anyone who was here first — should be the priority on food and housing.
The Israeli–Palestinian war versus the foreign aid bill
And speaking of people in a helpless situation, I cannot get on board with $26 billion going to Israel. (Tonight, the Senate also voted 79-18 in support of the foreign aid bill. Fifteen Republicans voted with three Democrats against the bill. Forty-eight Democrats and 31 Republicans voted for the bill.)
I’m still thinking about the 300 bodies found in mass graves from a hospital in Gaza. Scripps News reported that some women and elderly people were found “with their hands and feet bound.”
Gaza's Civil Defense agency said on Monday that its health workers found the bodies of people (allegedly) killed and buried by Israeli forces inside of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Palestinian territory.
Less than a week ago, AP reported that Israeli strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah killed 22 people, including 18 children — and now Israel gets billions more, even after more than 34,000 Palestinians are already dead.
Aid for one (helping Ukraine) should not be lumped in with the other (killing Palestinians).