Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Section 219 in the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act is an existential threat to American sovereignty and democracy. She posted on social media on Tuesday and urged every member of Congress to vote no.
The provision sits inside the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, which the House passed on Wednesday by 216 to 212. The bill remains stalled in the Senate after Democrats voted against its advancement last week.
Section 219 in the NDAA
Ocasio-Cortez said the NDAA includes a provision to merge parts of the U.S. military with the Israeli military. She also said the measure would require cooperation on technology and intelligence with Israeli forces even when the U.S. gets little in return. The measure is called the U.S.-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative.
That description puts the fight over Section 219 at the center of the larger bill. If the provision stays in place, the House and Senate would have to settle it in conference before the final NDAA can move forward.
House Rules Committee amendments
Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie introduced an amendment to remove Section 219 from the bill, but the House Rules Committee did not include that proposal in its list of amendments this week. Ro Khanna said in a video posted on social media on Tuesday, “It’s shocking that this even has to be explained. It’s about American sovereignty.”
Khanna added, “We do not even have the chance to vote in the House to stop Israel and the United States from co-producing weapons.”
Ilhan Omar called the provision an “outrageous threat to our country’s security and autonomy.” She also said, “Americans want no part in Netanyahu’s genocidal regime. Congress cannot continue to bankroll Israel’s campaign of terror,” and added, “Despite Americans demanding an end to genocide, this bill deeply merges the U.S. and Israeli militaries, fuels Trump’s immoral war on Iran, and enriches billionaire arms dealers,” ahead of the House vote on Wednesday.
House vote and conference
The House vote split 216 to 212, with six Democrats voting yes and seven Republicans voting no. That left the House NDAA passed but still vulnerable to changes once the House and Senate begin conference talks over Section 219 and the rest of the bill.
Last week, the House voted to kill a Thomas Massie amendment to strip $3.3 billion in military assistance to Israel from a State Department funding bill, and that amendment drew 103 votes from Democrats. Benjamin Netanyahu has advocated for the Section 219 measure.
For members of Congress, the immediate question is whether Section 219 survives conference in the final National Defense Authorization Act. Ocasio-Cortez has already put her position on the record: vote no.
