Speaker Johnson Unveils $17.6 Billion Aid Package for Israel, Claims Senate Will ‘No Longer Have Excuses’
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) plans to introduce a bill on the House floor next week to allocate $17.6 billion in emergency funding to Israel. This move comes at a critical time, coinciding with the anticipated release of legislative details by Senate and White House negotiators this weekend. The discussions aim to reach a border security agreement alongside President Biden’s request for $106 billion in supplemental funding.
On Saturday, Speaker Johnson addressed Republican lawmakers in a letter, criticizing the exclusion of the House GOP majority from pertinent discussions on the border and President Biden’s request for supplemental funding for the war in Ukraine. He contended that the pace of these talks was insufficient to offer the necessary assistance to Israel in its conflict with Hamas, a group officially designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, in Gaza.
“While the Senate appears poised to finally release text of their supplemental package after months of behind closed doors negotiations, their leadership is aware that by failing to include the House in their negotiations, they have eliminated the ability for swift consideration of any legislation,” Johnson stated.
“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. Next week, we will take up and pass a clean, standalone Israel supplemental package,” Johnson said.
Shortly after becoming speaker, one of Johnson’s initial acts was to hold a House vote on a separate funding bill for Israel, proposing approximately $14 billion. This figure matched the amount President Biden had included for Israel in his supplemental aid request.
Yet, the proposed bill sought to finance this aid by reallocating funds previously designated for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a strategy that received praise from hardline Republicans.
However, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., chose not to bring the bill to the floor, accusing Johnson of embedding “a poison pill” within the Israel aid package. As a result, the Senate did not proceed to vote on the standalone bill for supplemental funding for Israel.
Now, Johnson will proceed with a standalone bill for Israel so that the Senate leadership will have no excuse in passing the $17.6 billion emergency aid package for Israel.
“Next week, we will take up and pass a clean, standalone Israel supplemental package. During debate in the House and in numerous subsequent statements, Democrats made clear that their primary objection to the original House bill was with its offsets,” Johnson stated on Saturday. “The Senate will no longer have excuses, however misguided, against swift passage of this critical support for our ally.”
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