US House passes Republicans’ Israel-only aid bill, faces dead end in Senate.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday authorized a Republican plan to pay $14.3 billion in aid to Israel and reduce the budget of the Internal Revenue Service, despite Democrats’ conviction it had no future in the Senate and the White House’s vow of a veto.

The resolution passed 226 to 196, primarily along party lines, a change from the customary broadly nonpartisan congressional support for granting money to Israel. Twelve Democrats voted, 214 Republicans supported the measure, and two Republicans joined 194 Democrats in disagreeing.

The bill’s presentation, as lawmakers hurried to respond to the attack on Israel by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists, was the first significant legislative move under new Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.

But since it paired funding for Israel with a reduction to the Internal Revenue Service and left out aid for Ukraine, President Joe Biden pledged a Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader of the Democratic-controlled Senate, indicated he would not put it up for a vote.

Biden has requested that Congress support a $106 billion emergency spending plan that includes funds for Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine, as well as humanitarian help. Schumer indicated the Senate will examine a bipartisan package addressing the broader issues.

The debate between the two houses might mean it will be weeks before Congress adopts any emergency budget measure.

The House plan would fund billions exclusively for Israel’s military, including $4 billion for the acquisition of Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling defensive systems to address short-range missile threats, as well as certain transfers of equipment from U.S. inventories.

Israel already receives $3.8 billion per year in U.S. military support under a 10-year deal that began in 2016.

“This is the first step in the process, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill so we can get funds to Israel as soon as possible,” said Republican Representative Kay Granger, who leads the House Appropriations Committee, during a discussion on the proposal.

Republicans hold a 221-212 advantage in the House, while Biden’s fellow Democrats control the Senate 51-49. The bill must pass the House and Senate and receive Biden’s signature to become law.

POISON PILL?
House Republican leaders paired the expense of the aid to Israel with eliminating some funds for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that Democrats included in Biden’s flagship 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, prompting Democrats to accuse them of manipulating Israel’s crisis to earn political points.

Republicans, who objected to the additional IRS money from the outset, argued decreasing the agency’s budget was vital to balance the expense of military aid to Israel, whose tanks and troops took on Hamas on the edges of Gaza City on Thursday.

Democrats are opposed to slashing money for the IRS, calling it a politically driven “poison pill” that will raise the U.S. budget deficit by cutting back on tax collection. They also stated that it was necessary to continue to help Ukraine fight against a Russian invasion that began in February 2022.

The independent Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday said the IRS cutbacks and Israel aid in the House plan would add about $30 billion to the U.S. budget deficit, presently forecast at $1.7 trillion.

Representative Rosa DeLauro, leading Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, accused Republicans of delaying relief by endorsing a political plan that does not include Ukraine or humanitarian aid for people. “This measure abandons Ukraine. We will not forsake Israel and we will not abandon Ukraine. But their fortunes are tied,” she remarked.

While Democrats and many Republicans continue to warmly support Ukraine, a smaller but vocal minority of Republicans dispute giving additional money to the government in Kyiv at a time of significant budget deficits.

Johnson, who voted against Ukraine’s help frequently before he became speaker last month, wants to submit a package combining assistance for Ukraine with money to bolster security at the U.S. border with Mexico.

After the vote, Johnson pushed the Senate and White House to accept the law promptly. “The Senate and White House cannot let this moment pass, and I urge them to act swiftly and pass this bill as the House did today,” he tweeted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Congress has allocated $113 billion for Ukraine since the invasion began.