{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.sheehy.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-senator-tim-sheehy-crazy-conspiracy-theories-are-undermining-americas-defens/", "ICYMI: SENATOR TIM SHEEHY: Crazy conspiracy theories are undermining America\u2019s defens", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MT", "Tim Sheehy", "S001232", "www.sheehy.senate.gov", "sheehy", "https://www.sheehy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "Senator Tim Sheehy penned an opinion piece for FOX News highlighting Section 1217 of the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which establishes the United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative. The op-ed details how Section 1217 became the target of a misinformation campaign fueled by rising antisemitism and growing domestic hostility toward American power and influence on the world stage.\n\nIn case you missed it\u2026\n\nSENATOR TIM SHEEHY: Crazy conspiracy theories are undermining America\u2019s defense\n\nSenator Tim Sheehy\n\nJuly 22, 2026\n\nFOX News\n\nThe National Defense Authorization Act has long been one of the few pieces of legislation that rise above politics, typically culminating in a bipartisan show of support for our military and national defense. Each year, Congress comes together to fund our military, equip our warfighters and make clear to our adversaries that the United States remains committed to peace through strength.\n\nThis year, however, that tradition came to an end.\n\nInstead of debating how best to strengthen America\u2019s military, Democratic Socialists and online conspiracy theorists are choosing political theater over national security. One provision of the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in particular \u2013 Section 1217, which establishes the United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative \u2013 became the target of a misinformation campaign fueled by rising antisemitism and growing domestic hostility toward American power and influence on the world stage.\n\nAccording to the groypers and far-left socialists behind this delusional campaign, Section 1217 somehow \u201cmerges\u201d the U.S. military with Israel\u2019s, places American troops under foreign command and subordinates America\u2019s national security to another country\u2019s interests.\n\nWhile this sounds like a great plot for a novel, none of it is even remotely true.\n\nFact\n\nSection 1217 builds upon decades of intelligence sharing, defense research and technology cooperation between the United States and Israel to accelerate the development of capabilities that strengthen America\u2019s military.\n\nFiction\n\n\u201cSection 1217 merges our militaries.\u201d No, it does not. Section 1217 does not alter America\u2019s constitutional chain of command. It does not place a single American service member under Israeli authority.\n\nThis claim isn\u2019t simply inaccurate \u2013 it\u2019s absurd. And frankly, it doesn\u2019t make one iota of strategic sense.\n\nIsrael\u2019s security challenges are largely regional, as it fights to defend itself from hostile neighbors who seek every day to wipe the Jewish people off the map. America\u2019s military responsibilities span every continent and ocean, maintaining a global force capable of deterring China in the Indo-Pacific, defending NATO allies in Europe, protecting freedom of navigation and responding to terrorist threats wherever they may be.\n\nNeither nation has any interest in \u201cmerging\u201d military commands because it would make both countries less effective, not more.\n\nSection 1217 isn\u2019t some secret, nefarious scheme buried in the NDAA as the anti-Israel lobby would have you believe. It\u2019s a continuation of a defense partnership that has benefited our warfighters for decades.\n\nFor years, Israel has fought radical Islamic terrorists and hostile regimes while pioneering advances in missile defense, counter-drone technology, cyber defense, battlefield intelligence and autonomous systems. America benefits from this knowledge, just as Israel benefits from American industrial capacity, research and military leadership.\n\nAs a combat veteran, I\u2019m familiar with a concept every warfighter understands: on the battlefield, you use every advantage available to protect your troops and accomplish the mission. Pride and bad-faith political symbolism don\u2019t win wars. Superior technology, trusted allies and military dominance do.\n\nThat is exactly why Congress included Section 1217 in this year\u2019s NDAA.\n\nArtificial intelligence, cyber warfare, autonomous systems and electronic warfare are no longer tomorrow\u2019s technology; they are deciding battles today. In Ukraine, inexpensive drones have destroyed tanks worth millions of dollars. In the Middle East, missile defense systems have intercepted massive barrages that would otherwise devastate civilian populations.\n\nOur adversaries aren\u2019t working alone. China invests heavily in artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, quantum computing and next-generation military technology with one goal: overtaking the United States. Russia continues adapting through battlefield experience.\n\nIn this age of modern warfare, America cannot afford to handicap itself by refusing to work with trusted allies while our enemies freely share tactics, technology and capabilities.\n\nThe anti-Israel crowd tries to suggest Section 1217 somehow places Israel\u2019s interests above America\u2019s. That could not be more backwards. The provision puts our interests first with every technological breakthrough, every missile defense improvement and every advance in counter-drone capabilities that saves American lives. That\u2019s not charity \u2013 it\u2019s security.\n\nAs Montanans, we understand the importance of preparedness. Our state has long played a vital role in America\u2019s national defense, from Malmstrom Air Force Base to the generations of veterans who have worn our nation\u2019s uniform. We know deterrence isn\u2019t built with speeches, but with capability, credibility and a military so advanced that our enemies decide not to test it.\n\nAmericans should absolutely debate foreign policy. We should debate defense spending, military priorities and America\u2019s role on the world stage. But these days, legitimate policy disagreements have been replaced with tired antisemitic tropes dressed up as national security concerns.\n\nLet\u2019s be clear: conspiracies about Jewish control of America\u2019s military have no place in a serious debate about our nation\u2019s defense.\n\nOur enemies don\u2019t care whether the technology that defeats them was developed in Washington, Tel Aviv, or on the far side of the moon. They care that it works. We have a responsibility to ensure American warfighters have every possible advantage when they go into harm\u2019s way \u2013 not to try and score political points by spreading disgusting conspiracy theories.\n\nSection 1217 does just that by making America stronger, our military more capable, and our adversaries less likely to challenge us. That\u2019s peace through strength.\n\nRepublican Tim Sheehy represents Montana in the United States Senate. He is a father, husband, former Navy SEAL team leader, aerial firefighter and entrepreneur. Sheehy completed several deployments and hundreds of missions as a Navy SEAL officer and team leader, earning the Bronze Star with Valor for Heroism in Combat and the Purple Heart.", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.sheehy.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-senator-tim-sheehy-crazy-conspiracy-theories-are-undermining-americas-defens/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9469343349337578, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}