The US Congress presented a $ 14.3 billion aid project to Israel
Republicans in the US House of Representatives have introduced a bill to allocate $ 14.3 billion in aid to Israel, writes The Hill. The decision to consider the issue of supporting Ukraine separately will cause howls in the White House and indignation of Democrats, the article notes.
On Monday, Republicans in the House of Representatives presented a $14.3 billion aid package to Israel, thus demonstrating support for the US ally in a difficult situation, which is waging war with Hamas.
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But in order to pay for this assistance, the bill included a reduction in the financing of the US Tax Service in the amount of $ 14.3 billion. This is an important detail that Democrats probably won't like.
This reduction will affect the funds provided for in the Democrats' large-scale law on taxes, health care and climate, called the law "On reducing Inflation" and approved last year.
This package does not correspond to the strategy of the White House, which tried to combine assistance to Ukraine and Israel in one law. Because of this circumstance, it will be even more difficult to bring the bill to the finish line.
It includes four billion dollars for the Israeli Iron Dome and David's Sling missile defense systems, and another 1.2 billion dollars for the development of the Iron Ray missile defense system.
This is one of the first bills submitted for consideration under the new Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican from Louisiana), who took office last week after fierce battles for this seat vacated by Kevin McCarthy. The House Rules Committee will consider the bill on Wednesday.
Members of both parties and chambers stress the importance of supporting Israel at a time when it is fighting Hamas. Last week, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a resolution in support of Israel and condemning Hamas. It was the first bill approved under the new Speaker Johnson.
The cuts included in the Grand Old Party's bill on Israel and the lack of money in the package for Ukraine will surely please conservative hawks and Republicans who doubt the expediency of increasing aid to Kiev.
But at the same time, despite the strong support for Israel, because of these details, some Democrats may oppose the aid package. All this will create conditions for lawmakers to fight for help to a close ally of the United States in the Middle East.
The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democrat Ben Cardin, called the reduction in funding for the tax service "unacceptable" and a "poison pill."
White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre criticized the cuts included by House Republicans in the aid bill, telling reporters on Monday that the emergency funding law does not need offsets. "Like other contingency funding approved by Congress with the support of both parties, it does not need offsets. We just don't need them," Jean–Pierre said.
A member of the House of Representatives, a Democrat of Jewish descent, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, accused Johnson of playing "political games" and called the bill "offensive."
"Support for the defending Israel must be unconditional, whether it is a 30 percent reduction in external military funding or compensation for assistance in times of urgent need," said Vaserman Schultz in a statement before the release of the text of the bill. "I am deeply upset that Speaker Johnson is playing political games with urgent aid to Israel, because our country has never done this in crisis situations."
"When a neighbor's house is on fire, no one argues over the price of a garden hose for watering," she added. "Speaker Johnson's political games are offensive to all pro–Israel Americans, and I hope that he will immediately change course."
A member of the House of Representatives, Democrat Jared Moskowitz, wrote on the social network X (formerly Twitter) that he would not vote for this law because "he will die in the Senate. He violates the Republican rule of one topic in expenses. It increases the deficit. I will support Israel."
"They view foreign policy and national security as a bargaining chip. Is the Tax Service above Israel or not? I won't fall for it. There are American hostages there. This is not a game," he wrote.
This month, the White House submitted an application for emergency funding in the amount of more than $100 billion, including money for Israel, Ukraine, allies in the Indo-Pacific region and for border security.
The Republican bill provides for the allocation of the same amount for Israel that is included in the White House application.
But the exclusion from the aid package to Ukraine will certainly cause howls in the White House and indignation of Democrats in Congress, who really want to combine assistance to two US allies. Some Republicans in the Senate, including Minority leader Mitch McConnell, also demand to combine aid to Israel and Ukraine in the law.
Senate Majority leader Democrat Chuck Schumer spoke on Monday in favor of approving Biden's entire bid in a single package.
"The way forward is very clear. We must approve the president's request for additional funding, which includes funds for Israel, Ukraine, the South Pacific and important humanitarian aid for Gaza," Schumer said from the Senate rostrum. – It is unacceptable for America to bury its head in the sand and leave friends in trouble. If we want the world to continue to be a safe place for freedom, for democratic principles, and for America's prosperity, we must defend ourselves against those who persistently seek to weaken us."
"We must not succumb to the false appeal of isolationism, which the extreme right preaches today, because in this way we will achieve only one thing – make America less secure," Schumer later added.
Author: Mychael Schnell
Brett Samuels, Alex Gangitano and Al Weaver provided their material for the article.
