Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has announced intentions to push for a vote on a specialized bill aimed at providing aid to Israel, a move that has stirred up debate in light of a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report suggesting potential deficit implications.
Under Johnson’s leadership, Republicans in the House presented a bill on Monday with the objective of allocating $14.3 billion to Israel. This would be offset by decreasing funding to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
It’s expected that the House may put this bill to a vote as early as Thursday, riding on Republican backing. Nevertheless, it’s anticipated to hit a roadblock, facing strong resistance in the Senate, which is under Democratic control, and with the White House already signaling a veto possibility.
There’s a split in Congress, with some Republicans joining Democrats in opposition, favoring instead President Joe Biden’s broader $106-billion proposal. Biden’s package includes support for Ukraine amidst the Russian offensive, enhanced border security, humanitarian efforts, strategic initiatives against China in the Indo-Pacific region, and provisions for Israel.
Before ascending to the speaker’s position, Johnson was recorded as voting against Ukraine aid. However, according to Republican Senator Josh Hawley, Johnson has expressed support for funding the Ukrainian government, albeit separately from the Israel aid package.
Requests for comment from Johnson’s team regarding his recent statements have yet to receive a response.
On the fiscal front, the CBO’s analysis released on Wednesday indicates that the proposed IRS budget reductions, combined with the Israel aid, could add nearly $30 billion to the national budget deficit, which is currently projected at around $1.7 trillion. Johnson has dismissed the CBO’s findings, expressing skepticism about their accuracy to the press.
For the legislation to be enacted, it needs to clear the House, the Senate, and obtain the president’s signature.
Democrats have criticized the Republicans led by Johnson for promoting a partisan bill, which they view as a diversion from swiftly addressing crises, such as the repercussions of the Oct. 7 assault on Israel by Hamas, an organization that the United States has designated as a terrorist group.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed his certainty that the bill would not pass the Senate, while the Biden administration emphasized that the President would veto the bill, denouncing it as detrimental to Israel, the stability of the Middle East, and U.S. national security interests.
