US lawmakers could vote this month on a bill that would force the Biden administration to permanently halt deliveries of humanitarian aid to Palestinians via the temporary floating pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip.
The pier, which is currently under repair for damages due to rough seas, has proven to be an unwieldy strategy for augmenting the overland shipment of aid to Gaza where famine is spreading. In the 12 days that the floating system was operational, deliveries did not meet the Biden administration’s estimate of 290 metric tons per day.
Legislation by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) would force Senate Democrats to cast a difficult vote that could deal another blow to the Biden administration’s attempts to deliver desperately needed aid to Gaza.
The War Powers Resolution would order the Biden administration to halt the use of US armed forces for “construction, maintenance, and operation” of the floating pier. When Cruz would force a vote on the measure remains up in the air. But the Texas Republican has said outright that the intent of the bill is “to force a showdown in the Senate on Joe Biden's policy toward Israel.”
