US assistance to Israel took a partisan turn Sept. 20 as a hawkish group of Senate Republicans tore into President Barack Obama's record-breaking $38 billion aid package.

Seven lawmakers signed on to legislation from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that would provide an extra $1.5 billion in missile defense and direct assistance to Israel's military next fiscal year. They object to the White House's efforts to short-circuit unsolicited annual aid hikes by Congress as well as the elimination of a 26% carve-out for Israel's domestic defense industry instead of US weapons-makers.

"Now is not the time to tell the Iranians that we're going to be less supportive of Israel's ability to defend herself," Graham, the chairman of the Senate spending panel that controls foreign aid, said at a press briefing to unveil his bill. "Now is not the time to say that we're going to nickel and dime Israel."

The $1.5 billion aid boost is attached to legislation to renew sanctions on Iran's energy sector that expire at the end of the year. Six other senators have signed on to the bill: Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H.; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Mark Kirk, R-Ill.; and Roy Blunt, R-Mo. Graham said he plans to separately introduce legislation to restore the carve-out for the Israeli defense industry.