The Senate Appropriations Committee easily approved $600 million in funding for Israeli missile defense programs Thursday, moving the legislation to the floor for a full chamber vote.
The grant was attached to the annual defense spending bill, which cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee in a 30-0 bipartisan vote.
The aid will fully fund U.S-Israeli cooperative efforts including the anti-missile systems Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow. Congress in fiscal 2016 allocated $487 million in funding for the program and in 2015 gave $620 million.
Sen. Mark Kirk (R, Ill.) called the grant "critical" to protecting Israel. He and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D, N.Y.) have led Senate efforts to secure funding for Israel’s missile defense programs.
A joint statement released by the senators on Thursday noted that providing full funding to Israel allows the nation to protect itself from short-range border threats along with mid-range and long-range threats.
"In addition to the extra defensive capabilities for Israel, this program also provides better data and technology for the U.S. to use in its own national security programs," the statement read.
The spending bill also allocated $515.9 billion to the Pentagon’s base funding and $58.6 billion in the war budget, Defense News reported.
"U.S. national security interests receive necessary support within this bill, which has broad bipartisan support," said Sen. Thad Cochran (R, Miss.), the chairman of the appropriations committee.