In Congress, Republicans Urge Israel to Strike Back Hard at Iran

Republican leaders called for more U.S. military support for Israel and retaliation against Iran, as Democratic leaders promised to watch and wait as the situation rapidly deteriorated in the Middle East.

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Senator Mitch McConnell, in a navy suit and a yellow tie, walking past a group of photographers on Capitol Hill.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, at a news conference in Washington. “It is time to replenish Israel’s supply of critical munitions,” he said after Iran’s missile attack.Credit...Tom Brenner for The New York Times

Karoun Demirjian

By Karoun Demirjian

Reporting from Washington

 

Oct. 1, 2024, 7:45 p.m. ET

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday urged Israel to retaliate fiercely against Iran’s missile barrage and demanded the United States supply the weapons to do it, while leading Democrats sounded a more cautious tone, promising to watch and wait as the situation unfolded.

 

“It is not enough to intercept missiles and drones moments before they reach civilians in Israel or U.S. personnel in the Red Sea,” Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, said in a statement. “It is time to replenish Israel’s supply of critical munitions. It is time for the world’s leading architects of terror, and their proxies, to face severe consequences.”

 

“The United States will continue to stand by our ally Israel in support of Israel’s right to defend itself,” Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, said in a statement in which he promised “to monitor developments in the region closely.”

 

“Iran and its proxies must be held accountable,” Mr. Schumer added, without offering any details on possible consequences.

 

Since Hamas militants raided Israel in a fatal and bloody attack almost a year ago, military aid for Israel has been both a bipartisan rallying point and a political cudgel in Congress, where Republicans and Democrats are competing to appear strongest on national security matters in advance of the November election.

 

Earlier this year, after several failed attempts, Republicans and Democrats approved a military aid package for Israel worth approximately $15 billion, as part of a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill. On Tuesday, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, urged leaders to reconvene Congress and send even more weapons funding to Israel, as part of legislation that would also pour money into disaster relief to address the devastation wrought across the Southeastern United States by Hurricane Helene.

 

“I want Iran to see great resolve when it comes to Congress’s willingness to assist Israel,” Mr. Graham said in a statement, noting he was already “reaching out to Republican and Democratic colleagues to put a package together as soon as possible.”

 

Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a Democrat who is vocally pro-Israel, released a statement that suggested he might support such a move.

 

“My voice and vote follows Israel to ensure they have whatever resources they need — whether that’s military, financial, or intelligence — to prevail over terror,” he said.

 

But Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, and Senator Schumer gave no indication on Tuesday that they intended to call lawmakers back to Washington from the campaign trail ahead of an election in which control of both chambers is being hotly contested.

 

Many Republicans demanded instead that the Biden administration step in more forcefully.

 

“The Biden-Harris administration must provide Israel with any and all military support they need as they defend themselves against Iran’s unprovoked attack,” Representative Mike Rogers, Republican of Alabama and the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.

 

“I urge the reimposition of a maximum pressure campaign against Iran and fully support Israel’s right to respond disproportionately to stop this threat,” Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, wrote on social media.

 

Democratic leaders studiously avoided pushing either President Biden or Israeli leaders toward any particular course of action, pledging solidarity and encouraging de-escalation.

 

“Iran must immediately cease its attack and have its proxy militias stand down to avoid a broader war that no one wants,” Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island and the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.

 

“The United States will continue to stand alongside and assist Israel as it works to defend itself,” Mr. Reed added. “I urge Israeli leaders to act with prudence and wisdom.”

 

At the same time, Israel’s critics in Congress questioned the motives of their colleagues who were leaning into the idea of a wider war.

 

“So sick,” Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, a Democrat who is the first Palestinian American woman in Congress and an outspoken critic of Israel and its military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon, wrote in a social media post that showed how contractors’ stock prices were soaring. “Remember that members of Congress are permitted to own stock in war manufacturing, so when they vote to send more bombs or send our loved ones to war, they profit personally.”

 

Karoun Demirjian covers Congress with a focus on defense, foreign policy, intelligence, immigration, and trade and technology. More about Karoun Demirjian