WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Republicans on Saturday that the House plans to vote on a standalone bill next week that would provide aid to Israel without offsetting spending cuts.
Johnson made the announcement in an afternoon letter to colleagues, criticizing an impending Senate bill that would combine support for Israel with funding for Ukraine and strengthen border security and asylum laws.
“The Senate appears poised to finally release the text of a supplemental package after months of closed-door negotiations, but Senate leadership's exclusion from the House of Representatives leaves them unable to quickly consider any legislation. Johnson said in the letter, adding that the House of Commons “needs to exercise its will on these issues and address our priorities.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused the House of Lords of “failing to bring forward appropriate legislation in a timely manner” and said the House of Commons had failed in the absence of Senate leadership amid the “dangerous situation currently facing Israel”. He insisted that action was needed.
“Next week, we will take up and pass an additional package for a clean, independent Israel,” he wrote. “During debate in the House and in a number of subsequent statements, Democrats made it clear that their primary objection to the original House bill was its offset. There will no longer be any excuses for the swift passage of this critical aid to our allies.”
The bill would include $17.6 billion in military aid to Israel and “significant funding for U.S. forces in the region,” Johnson's office said. A preliminary bill passed by the House of Representatives early in Mr. Johnson's term would provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, coupled with cuts to the Internal Revenue Service that Democrats called a poison pill.
The bill, called the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, will be introduced by California Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, the Speaker's Office announced.
The unexpected move shows that Johnson is fully opposed to an immigration compromise and funding for Ukraine, while House Republicans are willing to pass President Joe Biden's additional national security demands. This suggests that the only area they are prepared to do is support Israel.
It is unclear whether the Senate will consider a standalone Israel aid bill. House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said he wants to begin voting on broader supplemental and immigration legislation next week, with documents expected to be released on Sunday.
The White House has previously expressed opposition to unilateral support for Israel, with John Kirby, the National Security Council's strategic communications coordinator, saying in November: I think we've made that clear. ”
