The House-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has sparked controversy after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's claim that it would "merge parts of our military with the Israel Defense Forces." Critics argue that this distortion misrepresents the legislation's actual purpose.
The dispute centers on Section 219 of the House-passed NDAA, which calls for deeper U.S.-Israel defense integration through expanded cooperation on military technology, supply chains, research, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and joint exercises.
Ahead of the vote, Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X that the NDAA includes a provision to merge parts of the U.S. military with the IDF, stating that this amendment poses an "existential threat to American sovereignty and democracy." Her statement was met with swift criticism from Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin called the claim "FALSE," accusing Ocasio-Cortez of misrepresenting the bill. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., similarly blasted Ocasio-Cortez, urging her to "stop stoking Jew hatred." Lawler argued that the provision simply expands upon the defense cooperation the United States already maintains with close allies.
Some lawmakers who opposed the provision expressed concern about its scope, but framed it differently. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced an amendment to strip Section 219 from the legislation, but House leadership did not allow it to receive a vote. Massie stated that he would oppose the entire defense bill.
Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who partnered with Massie on the amendment, also criticized House leadership for blocking a vote, writing that Congress had prevented consideration of a proposal to stop "the integration of our military with Israel's." He expressed that it is "unconscionable to not even have a vote."
