Despite Biden’s push for a joint package, House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to separate aid to Israel and Ukraine.
House Republicans announced Monday a plan to cut funding to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and direct it to $14.3 billion in aid to Israel. This led to a conflict with Democrats, who control the Senate.
The proposal is one of the first major policy moves by new House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was elected last week.
Prime Minister Johnson opposed aid to Ukraine before his inauguration, and despite Joe Biden’s call for a $106 billion aid package that covers both countries as well as border security, Israel and Ukraine He said he wanted to separate the issue of support for the United States.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted to tighten control over financial transfers to Ukraine, which faces Russian aggression. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Monday that he was optimistic that the House of Representatives would support additional funding for Ukraine’s military.
“There is good reason to believe that the US House of Representatives has passed a bill providing additional aid to Ukraine,” Kuleba told Ukrainian state television.
He also acknowledged that there was “significant political opposition” to the bill and said it would be a “crime” for U.S. lawmakers not to pursue their own interests.
“Israel is a different issue,” Johnson said on Fox News last week, explaining his intention to “split” funding to Israel and Ukraine.
Prime Minister Johnson said increasing support for Israel is a top U.S. national security priority following the October 7 Hamas attack that killed more than 1,400 people and took more than 200 hostages. said it should. Democrats voiced their disapproval, saying Republicans had interfered with Congress’ ability to support Israel by proposing partisan legislation. In response, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a statement accusing Republicans of “politicizing national security” and calling the bill an unworkable option. The bill must be approved by both chambers of Congress and signed by President Joe Biden to become law.
“House Republicans are setting a dangerous precedent by suggesting that responding to national security and natural disasters depends on cutting other programs,” Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. “There is,” he said.
The House Rules Committee is scheduled to consider the Republican-backed Israel bill on Wednesday.
