Senate Democrats Press Debate on U.S.-Israel Defense Plan

A Van Hollen-led group of Senate Democrats urged colleagues late Thursday to oppose advancing the National Defense Authorization Act until senators debate provisions that would deepen U.S.-Israel military and intelligence cooperation. The letter is signed by Sens. Jeff Merkley, Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, and it comes as Congress drafts an NDAA tied to President Donald Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget. Rep. Ro Khanna says he is trying to strip the House provision, while AIPAC says the initiative would coordinate defense technology work without joint command structures, new aid or U.S. decision-making transfers. AIPAC says the cooperation targets shared threats in counter-drone, missile defense, air defense, AI and cyberwarfare.