Austin News

On May 14, 2024, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) criticized President Biden on the Senate floor for allegedly withholding military aid and intelligence from Israel to cater to his radical base ahead of the presidential election in six months.

Senator Cornyn expressed his concern over the President's actions, stating, “As the war goes on, the President has slowly backed away from Israel. First with words, and now through action. Last week, he threatened to withhold military aid that had been voted for on a broad bipartisan basis in the Congress and which he actually asked for.”

He continued by addressing the perceived change in relationship between the United States and Israel under the Biden administration. He said, “Israel is a valued ally, but the Biden administration continues to treat it as an untrustworthy antagonist. Administration officials have developed a habit of manipulating, denigrating, and withholding vital information. And I’m extremely worried about the impact of this growing rift and what it will mean between the strong relationship between our two countries.”

The Senator also drew attention to escalating protests on college campuses. He noted that due to increased volatility and danger, two major universities had cancelled their graduation ceremonies.

He added that many students were being denied public graduation ceremonies for a second time due to these cancellations; previously they missed out because of pandemic restrictions.

Cornyn concluded his remarks by criticizing President Biden's response to recent violence and antisemitic rhetoric. He stated, “Despite the escalation of violence and antisemitic rhetoric in recent weeks, President Biden has failed to demonstrate much-needed leadership. Every statement he’s made on this topic was paired with some sort of equivocation, some sort of expression of moral equivalency to what Israel is doing and what Hamas is doing.”

Finally, he warned against alienating close allies for political gain: “We know President Biden is in a campaign mode six months now before the election, but he cannot turn on one of his closest allies in the attempt to appeal to the most radical elements in his political party.”