Prior to the passage of the latest National Defense Authorization Act this week in the House, one prominent leftist lawmaker attempted to stoke opposition to the bill by highlighting one section that calls for a limited expansion in military cooperation between the U.S. and Israel.
But Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) claimed the measure would “merge part of our military with the Israeli Defense Forces,” which the White House and congressional Republicans quickly shot down as a complete misrepresentation of the truth.
As Fox News reported:
Ocasio-Cortez’s post quickly drew criticism from Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials, who argued the measure strengthens defense cooperation with Israel but does not merge the two militaries.
ADVERTISEMENTEnvironmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin called the claim “FALSE,” accusing the congresswoman of misrepresenting the bill.
“Instead of merging the part of your brain that hates Jews with the part of your brain concocting your daily lies, you should try merging the part of your brain responsible for reading bill text with the part of your brain responsible for critical thinking,” Zeldin wrote on X.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., similarly blasted Ocasio-Cortez, calling on her to “stop stoking Jew hatred.”
“Good grief, you are either obtuse or intentionally lying. We are not merging our military with the IDF,” Lawler wrote.
Here’s a sampling of the broader reaction her post received:
There’s no merging in the NDAA, you can’t read a simple bill when it’s literally a fundamental part of your job 🤦🏼♀️
— Sarah Adams (@sarahadams) July 22, 2026
You say existential on every single thing you post. How have we not been destroyed yet if all these existential things are always happening 😂
— ThePepShow (@iamthepepshow) July 23, 2026
Just keep stoking that antisemitism.
— Amy Siskind (@Amy_Siskind) July 22, 2026
Here’s more on the passage of the NDAA, per The Hill:
The six House Democrats who voted for the NDAA are Reps. Henry Cuellar (Texas), Don Davis (N.C.), Jared Golden (Maine), Vicente Gonzalez (Texas), Adam Gray (Calif.) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.).
“I voted for the National Defense Authorization Act to strengthen our national defense while improving the pay, housing, and childcare for our service members and their families,” Cuellar said in a statement to The Hill on Wednesday. “This vote is one step in the legislative process and I will continue working toward a final bipartisan agreement that strengthens our national security while providing more resources to the men and women who serve our country.”
Independent Rep. Kevin Kiley (Calif.), who changed his affiliation from Republican earlier this year, also supported the legislation, and seven GOP lawmakers opposed its passage. The chamber advanced the mammoth billin a 216-212 vote.
And here’s what House Speaker Mike Johnson had to say after its passage:
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