The House of Representatives took a significant step on Thursday when it approved a bill authorizing the transfer of $14.3 billion in American aid to Israel by a vote of 226 to 196. Remarkably, this bill was supported by twelve Democrats in addition to their Republican colleagues.
House Republicans’ proposed President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act will see the authorized funding diverted from the funds originally intended for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The bill was voted down by only two Republican congressmen, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, in an unusual display of bipartisanship.
A number of Democratic lawmakers also supported this cash reallocation, including Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.), Jared Golden (D-Maine), and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.).
In their celebration of the bill’s passing, Republicans emphasized defunding the IRS under the Biden administration as well as their backing for a crucial friend. President of the Republican Policy Committee Gary Palmer of Alabama applauded the action, saying that “Israel has every right to defend itself against the brutal attacks we have been witnessing over the past month.” Also, he emphasized the choice to divert these IRS money, arguing that doing so would be preferable to using them to help Israel as opposed to middle-class Americans’ IRS audits.
There have been many casualties in the confrontation between Israel and Hamas, including over two dozen American citizens and over a thousand Israelis, since the terrorists’ surprise strike in the southern region of Israel last month. The viciousness of these attacks was emphasized, and Representative Randy Feenstra of Iowa emphasized the significance of aiding Israel in its fight against and deconstruction of Hamas.
Retired military member Representative John James of Michigan emphasized that Israel needs this support in order to rebuild peace and continue to be a democratic safe haven for its people.
The bill’s future is still unclear, though, as it moves on to the Senate, where New York Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, has voiced doubt, calling it a “joke” and criticizing both its partisanship and possible impact on the deficit.
Leaders in the Senate have been pushing for aid that includes money for Ukraine in addition to Israel. Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana had previously hinted that future border security measures from the United States would be included in such a package. Initially, President Biden had asked for an extra $106 billion in funds to address a number of pressing concerns, such as the border between the United States and Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel, and humanitarian purposes.
The White House has made it apparent that President Biden would veto any independent legislation supporting Israel if it came to his desk. The law, as it stands, is harmful to Israel, the Middle East, and national security, according to a statement from the Office of Management and Budget.