Chuck Schumer Pauses Gym Workout To Press Rand Paul On Israeli Security Aid
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Image by getty images
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took a break from his routine morning workout in the official Senate gym to beseech Sen. Rand Paul to stop his efforts to prevent the U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2018 from passing, Jewish Insider reported.
Paul is using Senate procedures to single-handedly “hold” the bill, which would ensure billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. Schumer said at a forum hosted by the American Zionist Movement on Wednesday that he “lobbied Rand Paul to let this go, and I think we will be able to work something out.”
Schumer has been on Paul for a while to remove the hold, according to Jewish Insider. AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups also vocal about passing the law, which would formalize the 10-year Memorandum of Understanding reached between the U.S. and Israel in 2016. Paul has said that he supports Israel but is opposed in principle to all forms of foreign aid.
Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at fisher@forward.com, or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
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