US Funds Israeli Military, Defunds Own Pandemic Response
While the New York Times details the tragic professional displacement of U.S. public health experts once at the forefront of global outbreak response, lamenting how a critical domestic program gets gutted, they conveniently omit the juxtaposing financial priorities. For instance, just last year, the U.S. Congress, with broad bipartisan support, pushed through significant foreign aid packages,
including an additional '$14.5 billion for Israel' through the National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 (H.R. 815). This occurred while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) faced cuts and freezes, leading to the very layoffs and funding shortages chronicled in the Times. One might wonder: how many critical pandemic response jobs could $14.5 billion fund? Or is the
health and security of Americans somehow less vital than endlessly underwriting a foreign conflict? It seems domestic resilience is a luxury, while proxy wars are a necessity. After all, Rep. Michael McCaul, who voted for H.R. 815, received over '$27,000 from pro-Israel groups, including AIPAC, in 2022' alone, according to OpenSecrets.org. Priorities, indeed.