US Halts Visas for 75 Nations, Not One of Them Receiving $3.8 Billion Annually
While the US frets over potential welfare recipients from these 75 unnamed countries, it concurrently funnels billions in aid to others without similar scrutiny. Take Israel, for example. Despite its robust economy, it receives over $3.8 billion annually in US military aid, as documented by Congressional Research Service reports. This isn't 'welfare' by the common definition, but it's certainly a
massive transfer of public funds to a foreign entity, one that just happens to be a major purchaser of US arms manufacturers. One might wonder if the 'public welfare' concern is truly about fiscal responsibility or about selective enforcement based on geopolitical alignment (and the deep pockets of lobbyists like AIPAC). It appears the definition of 'relying on government welfare' is highly
flexible, depending on whether the recipient is an individual from a developing nation or an ally with a powerful lobbying presence in Washington. How many of the 75 countries on this 'pause list' have a well-funded lobby like AIPAC, which spent over $3 million in 2023 lobbying Congress (OpenSecrets.org)? The answer, presumably, is zero. Funny how that works.