US House Majority Leader says removing military fund for Israel ‘technical delay’

Majority Leader of the US House of Representatives, Steny Hoyer, told Israel foreign minister, Yair Lapid, that removing military fund for Israel from government spending bill was a “technical delay”.

Reported by the American news website, Axios, Lapid spoke with Hoyer following the passing of the spending bill without the fund for Israel.

Lapid’s office said Hoyer stressed the holdup was “technical” due to disagreements in Congress about the deficit, Axios reported.

It also reported that Hoyer conveyed the commitment by him, the White House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, to pass the Iron Dome funding soon.

At the same time, a House Appropriations Committee spokesperson said, “The Iron Dome will be included in the final, bipartisan and bicameral fiscal year 2022 defense bill.”

A spokesman for Hoyer told the Times of Israel that he “believed, and continues to believe, that it is important to urgently fund the Iron Dome request to ensure our ally, Israel, has the ability and resources to defend itself amid growing tensions in the region.”

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