Amid the buffeting of rough seas and international logistical headaches, the U.S. military's humanitarian aid dock in Gaza faces another obstacle: Congress.
A pair of bills introduced last week in the House seek to end the mission that was billed as the Biden administration's signature effort to help Palestinian civilians on the brink of famine after months of Israeli bombing of the Strip. of Gaza in its war against Hamas.
While possibly more symbolic than practical (the bills in question are not likely to become law for months, when the dock work is complete), the measures are the strongest sign yet of government frustration. Congress with a mission that has been plagued with problems. almost from the beginning.
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"From a purely cost-based analysis, investing in a dock off the coast of Gaza is an inefficient use of our defense budget," Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said in a statement last week. "The pier project has proven to be a logistical nightmare, with significant challenges and costs that far outweigh any potential benefits. Our taxpayer dollars should be dedicated to projects that directly improve our national security."
The annual defense policy bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, that the full House passed on Friday included two separate amendments from Mace and Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, that would prohibit Pentagon funds are allocated to construction or maintenance. a dock in Gaza. Both were approved by voice vote as part of a bipartisan package of amendments.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 spending bill that was introduced by the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday included a similar amendment from Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., that prohibited funding for the ArmyJoint Logistics Over-the-Shore capabilities, or JLOTS, or any other dock-like structure in or around Gaza. JLOTS is the system now used at the dock.
The amendments come after the pier has faced one logistical hurdle after another since shortly after President Joe Biden announced the mission during his State of the Union address in March.
Ships deployed to help build the dock ran into problems on their route to the Mediterranean Sea, including a Navy ship that I had to turn around and return to port. after suffering a fire in its engine room.
Once the pier was finally operational, efforts to distribute aid were complicated by the desperate Palestinians who invaded aid convoys shortly after they left the secured zone around the port.
Later in May, three American soldiers involved in the pier mission were injured, including one in critical condition, in a non-combat incident. Then, on May 28, the pier broke and was damaged by rough seas. Three army ships were also stranded due to sea conditions.
The dock was repaired and returned to operation last week. But poor weather forecasts forced the US military to dismantle it again this weekend and move it to the Israeli port of Ashdod to prevent structural damage, US Central Command said in a statement on Friday.
The director of the United Nations World Food Program, Cindy McCain, also announced last week that the organization had stopped the distribution of aid from the dock. The group is analyzing whether it can continue safely after Israeli forces used the beach next to the pier to evacuate Israeli commandos and rescue hostages after an operation that also killed more than 270 Palestinians. Pentagon officials have stressed that the pier itself was not used in the Israeli military operation.
Since May 17, about 3,500 metric tons of aid have been delivered through the dock, the equivalent of less than 200 trucks, Central Command said in its Friday statement. Even under the best conditions, the dock was expected to handle up to 150 trucks of aid per day, far below the 500 trucks Gaza received daily before the war.
The Pentagon said last week that the pier is expected to cost $230 million, down from its estimated price tag of $320 million in April.
Defense officials have also emphasized that the pier is intended to be only a temporary measure. Sea conditions are expected to worsen as fall approaches, and the cost estimate projected only 90 days of operations.
During the House Appropriations Committee debate on her amendment last week, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., also noted that the mission will end in August and there are no plans for the operation to continue into fiscal year 2025. .
"Has it been as successful as we hoped? Absolutely not," McCollum, ranking member of the committee's defense subpanel, said as he spoke against the amendment. "But do you ever stop trying to provide food for children? I don't think we do that in this country."
But supporters of the amendment argued that the pier is not worth the risk for U.S. troops.
"The continued operation of this pier risks increasing tensions in the region by putting American service members in danger and in the crosshairs of America's enemies," said amendment sponsor Clyde, in a statement read at the committee meeting by Rep. Michael Cloud. , Republican of Texas.
Both the NDAA and the appropriations bill still have several steps to go before becoming law and will need to be negotiated with the Democratic-controlled Senate. The final NDAA is expected to be approved in December. Lawmakers also anticipate the appropriations process will again extend beyond the end of the fiscal year in September.
One of the pier's staunchest opponents has been Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. More recently, after the dock was repositioned earlier this month, Wicker issued a statement saying the operation "must end immediately."
But the Senate version of the NDAA doesn't appear to go as far as the House. The text of the bill has not yet been released, but a summary released Friday notes only that the bill "directs the inspector general of the Department of Defense to conduct a report on the Gaza dock."
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