House Republicans put forward a $17.6 billion standalone Israel aid package on Saturday as a compromise Senate proposal faces increasingly long odds.
The Senate bill includes funding for border security and Ukraine rather than just Israel aid and negotiations were dragging on as well as facing Republican opposition. House Republicans are proposing this new bill to move faster and not combine aid for various issues in one bill, House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote in a letter to fellow lawmakers. (RELATED: House GOP Unveils Israel Aid Bill That Would Take Back Funds From Biden’s Massive IRS Funding Surge To Pay For It)
🚨🇺🇸BREAKING: $17-BILLION FOR ISRAEL BILL
House votes next week on a $17 billion standalone bill for Israel funding.
GOP Statement: “Given the Senate’s failure to move appropriate legislation in a timely fashion, and the perilous circumstances currently facing Israel, the House… pic.twitter.com/0igF9WEB9L
— Kacee Allen (@kaceerallen) February 3, 2024
“Given the Senate’s failure to move appropriate legislation in a timely fashion, and the perilous circumstances currently facing Israel, the House will continue to lead,” Johnson wrote. “Next week, we will take up and pass a clean, standalone Israel supplemental package.”
The bill does not include IRS funding cuts that were in a previous draft of the bill. The funding goes toward Israel’s defense, including $5.2 billion for its Iron Dome and Iron Beam, according to its text.
It also includes $3.5 billion for advanced weaponry. Moreover, it includes $50 million to help Americans evacuate the region in case of emergencies.
“Israel has a lower debt to GDP ratio than the United States. This spending package has no offsets, so it will increase our debt … I’m a No,” Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie posted in response to the bill Saturday.
Terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and they have been engaged in a conflict ever since.
The Senate plans to vote on their bill by Wednesday but Senate Republicans do not believe the border security aspects are sufficiently strong and it likely would not pass in the House, according to The New York Times.
Johnson did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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