Congressman Drafting Bill To Put US Troops In Israel

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) is pushing for authorization that would allow the use of U.S. military force in the war in the Middle East. This is not news the American public is taking lightly.

McCaul says his committee is starting the process to authorize military force in the Middle East should things continue to play out in a way that necessitates U.S. involvement. He also said the use of such military force is going to require broad support from the public. But America is asking for checks and balances, and wondering who gets to make that decision.

McCaul has said, “I’m currently preparing a draft of that in the event it is called upon and is necessary, but most importantly is supported by the American people.”

McCaul was also clear that he’s preparing for the worst but hoping for the best, noting he hopes he will “Never have to mark this bill up, But we have a situation in the Middle East that’s growing day by day with intensity and if Hezbollah gets involved, Iran has already threatened if Gaza is, you know, if Israel does, you know, if IDF (Israel Defense Forces) goes into Gaza that they’re gonna come out.”

McCaul believes the U.S. needs to be poised to act the moment it is deemed necessary, noting he had already been in touch with the White House about the bill draft. McCaul relayed, “They do not have the authorities to hit Hezbollah or Hamas or any of Iran’s proxies, even the Iran-backed militias in Iraq, for instance. So, this is something we are looking at,” according to The Hill.

Thus far, McCaul has not revealed the names of specific territories that could become targets. He said, “I’d prefer not to put Iran as a nation-state in there. It would be more Iran proxies, you know, like Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran-backed Shia militias, but if Iran gets directly involved, then we would have to put them on the list.”

“The U.S. military has placed roughly 2,000 personnel and a range of units on a heightened state of readiness, ‘which increases DoD’s ability to respond quickly to the evolving security environment in the Middle East,’ said the Department of Defense on Tuesday, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Currently, U.S. troops would be on hand to assist with supply chains for food, fuel, and other materials needed to aid Israel — not for combat. But the American public’s concern is growing that non-combat measures could take a turn that might lead to U.S. involvement in combat.

The U.S. first deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Next, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group was sent to join the Ford. The USS Mesa Verde is also in the Mediterranean Sea.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon said the USS Bataan amphibious ready group would be heading to the Red Sea along with the USS Carter Hall.

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