In a surprising turn of events, Speaker Mike Johnson has informed Republicans that the House of Representatives will have a vote next week on a standalone bill to provide aid to Israel. The bill will not include any offsetting spending cuts, unlike the Senate legislation that pairs Israel aid with funding for Ukraine, as well as tougher border security and asylum laws.
Johnson, in a letter to his colleagues, criticized the Senate’s failure to include the House in their negotiations regarding the supplemental package. He emphasized that the House must address its priorities and take action given the perilous circumstances currently facing Israel. Johnson expressed his disappointment with the Senate’s delayed progress in moving appropriate legislation and highlighted the House’s commitment to swift passage of critical support for their ally.
The standalone Israel supplemental package will include $17.6 billion in military aid to Israel, along with funding for U.S. Forces in the region. The original House bill, passed at the beginning of Johnson’s speakership, had proposed $14.3 billion in aid to Israel but was attached to IRS cuts that Democrats deemed unacceptable.
Representative Ken Calvert, from California, will introduce the legislation, known as the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act.
Speaker Johnson’s decision to prioritize the standalone Israel aid bill indicates his resistance to an immigration compromise and Ukraine funding. It also suggests that House Republicans are primarily in favor of passing Israel aid from President Joe Biden’s national security supplemental request.
It remains unclear whether the Senate will consider a standalone Israel aid bill. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has indicated that he intends to commence voting next week on the broader supplemental and immigration bill, with the text expected to be released on Sunday.
Notably, the White House has previously expressed opposition to an only-Israel bill, with the National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications, John Kirby, stating that President Biden would veto such a bill.
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