If it was a Democrat sponsored bill, the media would be highlighting the bipartisan nature of the vote. However, because it is a Republican sponsored bill, the media immediately say the stand alone measure to support Israel is dead upon arrival in the Senate.
Joe Biden has said he will veto the House version of the bill, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said he will not entertain the bill due to the pay-go funding mechanism (removal of $14.3 billion in IRS funding) and the fact it is not a package bill that includes support for Ukraine. Biden wants his $106 billion bill with funds for Israel, Ukraine, Hamas (via USAID), Taiwan and support for arriving migrants. Chuck Schumer is working with Mitch McConnell to put the combined package together.
Twelve Democrats supported the $14.3 billion House bill, and two Republicans voted against it (MTGreene and Massie). The vote was 226-196 for passage.
WASHINGTON – […] While aid to Israel is something both parties strongly agree with, Democratic support for the legislation broke down after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) added a provision in the bill that would cut $14.3 billion in funding from the Internal Revenue Service to offset the cost of the aid to Israel — prompting Democratic leaders to encourage party members to vote against it.
“It’s a bad precedent to set. It costs resources. But we have never conditioned emergency aid like we have under Speaker Johnson this week. This is wrong. This is wrong for Israelis, this is wrong for the region,” House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA) said on Thursday. “This is Republicans playing politics with aid to Israel.”
However, Johnson and Republicans have defended the decision to add a pay-for in the bill because of the growing national debt.
“We are in dire straits as a nation,” Johnson said at a press conference. “We have obligations, and we have commitments, and we want to protect and help and assist our friend Israel, but we have to keep our own house in order as well. And I think people at home — I think the American people understand that.” (read more)
As noted by Politico, “I am glad that the president issued a veto threat over this stunningly unserious proposal,” Schumer said Thursday. “The Senate will not be considering this deeply flawed proposal from the House GOP.”
Speaker Mike Johnson remarks. Prompted:
