Speaker Johnson persists with 'Israel' aid vote amid deficit concerns
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Senators from both the Democratic and Republican parties voiced concerns regarding the proposal as it excludes assistance to Ukraine.
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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks at an annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Las Vegas (AP Photo/David Becker)
US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday reaffirmed his intention to proceed with a vote on an independent "Israel" aid bill, even in light of a Congressional Budget Office assessment indicating that it might raise the federal deficit through reductions in Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding.
The bill contrasts Biden's call for a more comprehensive $106 billion package, which would cover aid for both "Israel" and Ukraine, provisions for increasing provocations against China in the Indo-Pacific region under the pretext of enhancing cooperation and bolstering security along the US-Mexico border.
Speaker Mike Johnson's top contributor is AIPAC. He's currently trying to transfer billions of dollars of weapons to Israel by cutting IRS funding that would pay for free tax filing for Americans. pic.twitter.com/bkFcig6uoJ
— Gloria (@faleyg2) November 1, 2023
While Republicans hold a 221-212 majority in the House of Representatives, Democrats have a 51-49 majority in the Senate. For a bill to become law, it must successfully pass both the House and the Senate and receive Biden's signature.
The leading Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer told reporters that the Republican bill would face insurmountable challenges in the upper chamber and would not advance, even if it were to pass the House.
The Biden administration has also indicated that if a bill of this nature were to make its way to Biden's desk, he would exercise his veto power to prevent it from becoming law because the GOP package provides $14.3 billion in aid for "Israel" but deviates from the White House's strategy of combining aid for Ukraine and "Israel" into the same legislation.
"This bill is bad for Israel, for the Middle East region, and for our own national security," the White House's Office of Management and Budget said.
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