While support for Israel in their fight against Hamas has been bipartisan for the most part, so has the effort to protect Americans from evading danger inside Israel. Democrat and Republican members of Congress from Florida are working together to waive the costs of evacuating the region for American citizens.
Congressmen Neal Dunn (R-FL), Cory Mills (R-FL), and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) all co-sponsored a bill that would authorize the State Department to waive costs of activities related to rounding up American citizens in the middle of what most have called a war in the Middle East.
Under the State Department policy, Americans are typically required to pay for these travel costs through a loan program, which often imposes high-interest rates, as well as mandatory signatures to be aided. Otherwise, help is not provided by the state.
Rep. Cory Mills, who has conducted rescue missions, including saving Americans who were left in the Afghanistan withdrawal of 2021, is no stranger to these sorts of arrangements.
"It is unfathomable that under current statute, American citizens are burdened to pay out of their own pocket when attempting to evacuate violent conflict zones overseas,” said Mills.
Mills added, “The bottom line is the United States Government has a responsibility to protect its citizens both at home and abroad. As the only Member of Congress to have run evacuation missions to get American citizens out of both Afghanistan and Israel, I know firsthand the Biden Administration’s disregard for Americans overseas. While this administration is quick to use taxpayer dollars to provide free housing to illegal immigrants entering the U.S. or foreign wars, they have no problem putting further financial burdens on Americans who have extremely limited options to escape war zones. I’m proud to join Rep. Dunn in this effort to ensure the American people are not forced to choose between personal safety and their finances.”
Democrat, Jared Moskowitz concurred with Mills and chimed in at how egregious the State Department's policy on rescuing American citizens is. "The current rules at the State Department requiring people pay for their evacuation make absolutely no sense. Imagine fleeing a country after a horrific terrorist attack and once you land, you’re footed with the bill? In the midst of war, people are forced to make quick decisions to ensure their safety and the safety of their family."
Moskowitz concluded with claiming that personal finances should have nothing to do with a human's ability to seek refuge out of a war zone.
