Defense Bill Debate Unravels Over Palestinian Refugee Amendment

A Republican on the House Armed Services Committee offered an amendment to the annual Pentagon policy bill that would have prohibited the Defense Department from transporting any Palestinian refugees. A single Republican stopped the proposal dead in its tracks.

Nick LaLota
Rep. Nick LaLota stopped a GOP amendment dead in its tracks Wednesday night. Patrick Semansky/AP

As the debate over the annual National Defense Authorization Act lumbered to the finish line Wednesday night, some less-than-precise words about Palestinian refugees started a partisan argument in the House Armed Services Committee room that ended with Democrats unexpectedly winning a vote.

Specifically, Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas offered an amendment to the defense policy bill Wednesday that would have prohibited the Pentagon from transporting any Palestinian refugees now or in the future.

Unfortunately for Jackson, his amendment wasn’t adopted, and there are two big reasons he lost. The first reason was a fellow Republican: Rep. Nick LaLota of New York.