From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Fed chief Yellen says aid to Israel top priority, Congress must get House in order
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleUS Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says support to Israel and Ukraine and Israel are “absolute top priorities” for the United States and she expects bipartisan support despite political upheaval in Congress.
Military and economic support for Ukraine “along with resources for Israel are our absolute top priorities for the Biden administration,” Yellen says.
“We’ve made that completely clear to Congress, and we believe there is substantial bipartisan support,” she says at a press conference on the sidelines of IMF-World Bank meetings in Marrakesh, Morocco.
“We’ll leave it to members of Congress to figure out how to move forward on this when a speaker is in place, and I can’t tell you precisely what the timetable is for getting this done,” Yellen adds.
The ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week by Republican hardliners has raised concerns about a prolonged paralysis in Congress.
Almost 400 lawmakers introduced a symbolic resolution standing with Israel, and a separate group drafted bipartisan legislation to expand the White House’s power to sanction Hamas.
But none of the measures can be taken up until a new speaker is elected, and lawmakers are also unable to sign off on emergency aid.
The Times of Israel Community.