OCTOBER 30, 2023 Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on House Republicans Politicizing National Security

 OCTOBER 30, 2023

Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on House Republicans Politicizing National Security

Politicizing our national security interests is a nonstarter. Demanding offsets for meeting core national security needs of the United States—like supporting Israel and defending Ukraine from atrocities and Russian imperialism—would be a break with the normal, bipartisan process and could have devastating implications for our safety and alliances in the years ahead.

 

There is strong bipartisan agreement that humanitarian aid is critical to stopping the suffering of innocent people in Gaza, which is in our direct national security interest.

 

There is strong bipartisan agreement that it is in our direct national security interest to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty against appalling crimes being committed by Russian forces against thousands of innocent civilians—including attacking them with Iranian weapons. Those atrocities include the hideous use of rape as a weapon and the kidnapping and forced deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children.

 

There is also strong bipartisan support for investing more in border security—including technology to detect fentanyl and hiring more CBP officers—as the President called for.

 

Threatening to undermine American national security unless House Republicans can help the wealthy and big corporations cheat on their taxes—which would increase the deficit—is the definition of backwards.

 

Playing political games that threaten the source of funding for Israel’s self-defense—now and into the future—would set an unacceptable precedent that calls our commitment to one of our closest allies into question. We cannot afford to jeopardize that commitment as Israel defends itself from the evil unleashed by Hamas.