The House of Representatives rejected a standalone bill on Tuesday that would have provided $17.6 billion in military aid to Israel – an effort the White House described as a “political ploy” that President Biden would veto if it reached his desk.
The legislation was introduced while a broader measure was negotiated between a bipartisan group of senators and the White House linking aid to the Jewish state with $60 billion in military aid for Ukraine, $10 billion in humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territories and $20 billion in new funding for the languishing US border security. in the upper room.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) brought a clean Israel funding bill to the floor under a procedure that requires a two-thirds vote of lawmakers to pass.
The measure failed in a 250-180 vote, with 14 Republicans joining 166 Democrats to oppose the bill.
House Democratic leaders signaled their opposition to the proposal in a “Dear Colleague” letter before Tuesday’s vote, calling the stand-alone bill “a clear and cynical attempt by MAGA extremists to undermine a possible comprehensive bipartisan funding package.”
The House of Representatives rejected a bill that would have provided $17.6 billion in military aid for Israel on Tuesday. AP
“We stand ready to support any serious and bipartisan effort regarding the special relationship between the United States and Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Representative Katherine Clark (D)-Mass.) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) wrote. “Unfortunately, the stand-alone legislation introduced by House Republicans over the weekend, at the eleventh hour without notice or consultation, was not offered in good faith.”
“Here at home, the time has come for House Republicans to end the political stunts and stand united in support of a comprehensive approach to our national security priorities,” they added.
Their opposition came after the White House Office of Management and Budget issued an administration policy statement on Monday rejecting Johnson’s efforts.
President Biden said he would veto the bill if it found his desk. C-SPAN
“Instead of working in good faith to address the nation’s most pressing security challenges, this bill is yet another cynical political stunt,” the statement said.
“This administration is adamantly opposed to this ploy that has done nothing to secure the border, done nothing to help the Ukrainian people defend themselves against Putin’s aggression, failed to support the security of vulnerable American synagogues, mosques, and places of worship, and denied humanitarian aid . to the Palestinian civilians, the majority of whom are women and children,” he continued.
The conservative House Freedom Caucus also opposes the bill because of its lack of offsetting spending cuts, which were included in legislation the House passed last November that would have given Israel $14.3 billion for its war against Hamas and reduced Internal Revenue Service funding earmarked in Biden’s plan. -called the Inflation Reduction Act. The measure failed to pass the Senate.
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“It is deeply disappointing that the Speaker is now bowing to perceived pressure to move Israel’s larger but now unpaid aid package — reversing course on his position to require new additional spending to offset it,” the House Freedom Caucus said in a statement Sunday.
“Conservatives cannot be forced to choose between borrowing money to support our special friend Israel or honoring our commitment to end the unreimbursed additional spending that is exacerbating our nation’s unsustainable fiscal crisis and further jeopardizing our ability to respond to future crises.” .”
Forty-six Democrats and 204 Republicans voted in favor of the failed bill, which needed more than 280 affirmative votes to pass.
The bill would provide $17.6 billion for Israeli military aid. AFP via Getty Images House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) brought a clean Israel funding bill to the floor. AP
A bipartisan Senate bill dealing with aid to Israel and Ukraine and border security appears likely to meet the same fate as Johnson’s stand-alone measure.
“It looks to me, and to a lot of our members, as if we don’t have a real chance here to legislate,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday.
Former President Donald Trump has derided the bill as a “great gift to Democrats” and the House GOP leadership has also indicated that it is “DEAD on arrival” in the lower house.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
