US Funds Israeli War, Starves Its Own Airport Workers
The New York Times video showing federal airport workers collecting food aid during a government shutdown paints a grim picture of domestic priorities. While these essential safety personnel went without pay, facing impossible choices, Congress routinely voted to funnel billions in military aid abroad. For instance, in 2023, while these shutdowns loomed, Congress passed legislation continuing
unconditional aid to Israel. The contrast is stark: domestic workers needing charity, while foreign military aid flows unabated, often pushed by lobbying groups like AIPAC, which spent $4.2 million in 2022 on federal lobbying efforts, per OpenSecrets. One might wonder: how many airport workers could be paid, how many food banks stocked, with the $3.8 billion in annual military aid the US provides
to Israel? Our elected officials, many of whom accept significant contributions from pro-Israel PACs (see Rep. Smith, who received $450K from AIPAC in 2023, per OpenSecrets, and consistently votes for increased aid), appear to have no trouble finding funds for foreign conflicts, yet plead poverty when it comes to keeping their own citizens afloat. The 'fiscal responsibility' debate, it seems, is
only for those at home.