US House speaker to invite Netanyahu to Congress despite backlash from Democrats
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said on Tuesday that he intends to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to Congress, with or without support from Democrats.
Johnson, a Republican who has led the U.S. House of Representatives since October, said he asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to sign a letter inviting Netanyahu to speak at Congress.
“Our staffs have communicated, and it seems as though he wants to sign on,” Johnson stated.
While Schumer has yet to sign the letter, he indicated he was seriously considering it.
“I’m discussing that now with the speaker of the House, and, as I’ve always said, our relationship with Israel is ironclad,” Schumer said. “It transcends any one prime minister or president.”
Though Schumer’s support would allow Netanyahu to speak before the entire Congress, Johnson made clear he plans to invite Netanyahu even if Schumer refuses.
“If not, we’re going to proceed and invite Netanyahu just to the House,” Johnson said.
The Times of Israel reported that while not all Democrats oppose the invitation, a significant amount do.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called for Netanyahu’s resignation in May, opposed the invitation.
Democratic representative Scott Peters (CA) said, “It’s a strange time to invite Netanyahu; it’s a really divisive kind of move.”
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a democratic socialist from the state of Vermont, said he would boycott the speech.
Several other Democratic politicians reportedly said they would also refuse to attend a Netanyahu speech.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
