Congress eyes military aid boost for Jordan
Key House members are seeking to expedite the delivery of precision weapons to fight the Islamic State.
Key House members are poised to introduce legislation to speed up shipments of advanced US weapons to Jordan, Al-Monitor has learned.
The bipartisan effort comes amid mounting concerns that the kingdom is ill-equipped to fight the Islamic State (IS). It is being offered by the chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs panel on the Middle East, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., and by Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, the powerful chairwoman of the committee that holds the foreign aid purse strings.
“It’s time to show support,” Ros-Lehtinen told Al-Monitor. “Here’s an ally who’s standing up to this evil, this poison that’s going to drag us all downhill if we don’t defeat the enemy.”
Other early co-sponsors include Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., the top Democrat on the Middle East panel, and Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee.
