House Speaker Mike Johnson will introduce a bill to send $17.6 billion to Israel in emergency aid without corresponding spending cuts amid a fight over border security.
The first standalone aid package for Israel voted on included cuts to the IRS, which of course received backlash from Democrats and was rejected by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The new Israeli finance bill will exclude IRS cuts.
Breaking news – in reverse, @SpeakerJohnson He is scheduled to introduce a bill to send $17.6 billion to Israel without any corresponding spending cuts, a pushback aimed at pre-empting the additional budget approved by the Senate on borders and national security.
Here is a letter from Johnson to the House Republican Party:…
– Jake Sherman (JakeSherman) February 3, 2024
“While the Senate appears poised to finally release the text of the supplemental package after months of negotiations behind closed doors, their leadership recognizes that by failing to engage the House in their negotiations, they have eliminated the ability to quickly consider any legislation.” Speaker Johnson wrote in a letter to colleagues.
“Given the Senate’s failure to pass appropriate legislation in a timely manner, and the parlous circumstances Israel currently faces, the House will continue to lead. Next week, we will take up and approve a clean, independent supplemental package for Israel.”
Quoted from Fox News:
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Los Angeles, will introduce legislation in the House next week to give Israel $17.6 billion in emergency funding.
The timing is notable given that Senate and White House negotiators are expected to release legislative text this weekend to settle border security as well as President Biden's $106 billion additional funding request for Ukraine, Israel, humanitarian and other issues.
In a letter sent to fellow Republicans on Saturday, Johnson criticized the exclusion of the Republican Party majority in the House of Representatives from those talks, and said they were not moving fast enough to help Israel in its war against Hamas.
One of Johnson's first votes in the House as president was for a standalone Israel funding bill worth nearly $14 billion, the amount Biden requested in his supplemental aid package. However, this bill would have offset the money by taking it from funds allocated to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) — a move praised by GOP hardliners.
But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, from New York, refused to accept the bill and accused Johnson of mixing a “poison pill” with Israeli aid.
