US House passes $14 billion aid package for Israel

The United States House of Representatives passed a Republican-led bill on Thursday (02 Nov.) which would provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, defying President Joe Biden’s request to also include more money for Ukraine and other pressing issues.

The bill was also passed despite Democrats’ insistence it has no future in the Senate while Biden had already promised to veto it.

The measure passed 226 to 196, largely along party lines, also diverts funding from the US tax collection agency Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

The vote also marks a shift from typical strong bipartisan congressional support for providing aid to Israel as 12 Democrats joined the 214 Republicans to vote in favour of the bill. Two Republicans and 194 Democrats voted against the measure. 

Why will the bill be rejected?

The aid package for Israel is the first major legislative action under new Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was selected after weeks of chaos in the lower chamber of the US Congress.

The bill also came as US lawmakers rushed to respond to the attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, which according to Israeli authorities has claimed the lives of 1,400 people. 

However, while Israel typically has strong bipartisan support in the US Congress, the bill combined aid for Israel with a cut to the IRS as well as left out Ukraine. 

Therefore, Biden had previously promised to veto it and Chuck Schumer, majority leader of the Democratic-controlled Senate said he would not bring it up for a vote. 

In order for a bill to become a law, it has to pass both the House and Senate and be signed by the US president. 

The House bill has sought to provide billions only for the Israeli military, which includes $4 billion for procurement of Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling defence systems to counter short-range rockets fired at Israel by Hamas from Gaza.

Israel also receives $3.8 billion per year in US military assistance as a part of a decade-long plan that began in 2016. The House bill would also add nearly $30 billion to the US budget deficit, currently estimated at $1.7 trillion, said the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday. 

Biden’s $106 billion request from Congress

The US president has sought Congress’ approval of a broader $106 billion emergency spending package which would include funding for US border security and Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine, as well as humanitarian aid. 

Biden has asked for $61 billion in military aid for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel. The Senate majority leader has previously said that the upper chamber of the US Congress would consider a bipartisan bill addressing the broader priorities.

Source - WION

- Agencies