GOP lawmaker bemoans ‘lack of urgency’ in ISIS fight

Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) is calling on President Obama to supply allies with key military equipment to battle the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), saying she is “seriously concerned by the lack of urgency the administration appears to be placing on this fight.”
 
“As Egypt, Jordan, and the Kurds retaliate and defend themselves against ISIL’s heinous acts, U.S. security assistance it being held or delayed by bureaucratic processes and ill-advised policy decisions by your administration,” Granger wrote in a letter to Obama, using an alternate acronym for the militant group.
 
{mosads}Granger, chairwoman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees foreign operations, said the White House should “immediately release” weapons to Egypt. In particular, she said F-16 jets and M-1 tanks, as well as other military assistance, should be made available to Jordan, the Kurdish regional government and its security forces, the Peshmerga.
 
“I have consistently raised my concerns about these issues and have received many explanations and excuses from administration officials. This must stop now,” Granger wrote.
 
The 10-term lawmaker promised to use her post on the powerful Appropriations panel “to do everything within my power to make sure this occurs,” including placing holds on the administration’s spending plans or drafting legislation to hold the White House “accountable.”

On Friday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said that all the countries named are ones that “have a robust security relationship with the United States,” ones that have been enhanced under Obama.

The administration welcomes Granger’s interest on the topic but noted it “has been focused for quite some time in making sure that we are working to maintain a strong security relationship with our partners,” he said during a press briefing.