Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials after asserting that a House-passed defense measure would “merge parts of our military with the Israel Defense Forces.” The New York Democrat’s characterization of the legislation prompted immediate pushback from GOP members who disputed her interpretation of the bill’s actual scope and intent.
The controversy centers on Section 219 of the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2027, which advanced on a 219-206 vote Wednesday. The provision calls for expanded U.S.-Israel defense collaboration through cooperation on military technology, supply chains, research, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and joint military exercises.
Ocasio-Cortez posted on X before the vote that the provision constituted “an existential threat to American sovereignty and democracy,” urging all members of Congress to vote against the measure. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin responded by labeling her claim “FALSE” and suggesting she had misread the legislation.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., similarly condemned Ocasio-Cortez’s statement, telling her to “stop stoking Jew hatred” and asserting that the bill merely expands existing defense cooperation frameworks with Israel comparable to arrangements with other U.S. allies.
Not all opposition to Section 219 aligned with Ocasio-Cortez’s framing. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced an amendment to remove the provision but House leadership blocked a floor vote. Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California joined Massie in criticizing the leadership decision, stating Congress should have voted on stopping the military integration measure.
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