Pelosi wants more aid for Jordan

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday pressed President Obama to move quickly to boost military aid to Jordan in its fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 

Pelosi said the horrific death of a Jordanian pilot at the hands of the militants highlights the need for the United States to bolster Jordan’s anti-terror efforts.

“Yes,” Pelosi told reporters without hesitation, “I believe the administration should move quickly to give more capacity to the Jordanians.”

{mosads}A video released by ISIS this week shows militants burning 1st Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh alive in a cage. The Jordanian pilot had been captured by the group after his F-16 went down while fighting the militants on Christmas Eve. 

The killing marked a new level of brutality for a terrorist group already known for its barbaric methods, including the beheadings of a number of Western civilians, and it’s spurred a number of Capitol Hill lawmakers to call for a heightened response from the White House.

On Wednesday, every member of the Senate Armed Services Committee wrote to Obama urging more U.S. help for the Jordanian military — a notion Pelosi was quick to endorse.

“I know some senators have signed a letter to that effect [and] I certainly support that,” she said.

Asked about Pelosi’s comments on Thursday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the U.S. was “always looking for ways that we can deepen our relationship with Jordan.”

“I know that there had been some interest expressed by the Jordanians and others to try to expedite assistance that was already in the pipeline,” Earnest said. “This is not an uncommon request from other countries with whom we have security relationships. And so that’s something that we’re always working on.”

Justin Sink contributed.

Updated at 3:14 p.m.