The US House of Representatives rejected a Republican-led bill to provide $17.6 billion in assistance to Israel, ahead of a broader bipartisan bill that would also help Ukraine and secure more money for border security as well. seemed to be in trouble.
Tuesday's vote on the Israel bill, which needed a two-thirds majority to advance, was largely along party lines.
Aid to Israel – one of the largest recipients of American foreign aid – has traditionally received strong bipartisan support. However, opponents of the bill said it was a Republican ploy to distract from their opposition to the $118 billion Senate bill that combines an overhaul of U.S. immigration policy and new funding for border security. (measures that Republicans had demanded) with billions of dollars in emergency aid for Ukraine. , Israel and partners in Asia Pacific.
House Democratic leaders called the Israel bill a “blatantly obvious and cynical attempt” to undermine the broader package, crafted over the weekend after months of negotiations by a bipartisan group of senators.
Support for that bill has waned among Republicans, and former President Donald Trump, who is likely to be the Republican nominee in November's presidential election, has pressured them to avoid giving President Joe Biden, his likely Democratic rival, a victory. legislative before the elections.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said the Senate bill was “dead on arrival” in the chamber before it was even introduced. Senate Republican leaders said Tuesday they did not believe the measure would receive enough votes to pass.
“It seems to me and most of our members that we have no real chance of passing a bill here,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters.
Biden, who supports the Senate bill, had promised to veto the Israel-only House measure if it passed.
On Tuesday, he urged lawmakers to back the broader bill, saying the clock was “ticking” for Ukraine two years after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of his country's neighbor.
He asked them to “show some courage” and stand up to Trump.
Without funds, the Pentagon will not send more weapons shipments to kyiv, even as Ukraine struggles with ammunition and personnel shortages while Russia mounts relentless attacks.
“Every week, every month that passes without new aid to Ukraine means fewer artillery shells, fewer air defense systems, fewer tools for Ukraine to defend itself against this Russian attack,” Biden said.
“We can't leave now. “That’s what Putin is betting on,” Biden said. “Supporting this bill is taking on Putin. Opposing this bill plays into his hands.”
The immigration portion of the legislation, Biden added, included the “strongest set of reforms ever made to secure the border.”
'Necessary resources'
Supporters of Israel's bill insisted it was not a political stunt and said it was important to act quickly to support the country, which launched an offensive against Gaza after members of the armed group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people. and taking dozens captive.
At least 27,585 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli attack and thousands more have been injured.
“This bill simply provides necessary resources to our closest ally in the region and to our own military,” said Republican Ken Calvert, who introduced the measure.
Some Democrats also condemned the House bill for failing to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians.
Members of Congress have been struggling for months to reach an agreement on sending security assistance abroad, particularly to Ukraine.
Biden has twice sent requests to Congress for emergency spending bills, most recently in October.
The Republican-led House of Representatives passed an Israel-only bill in November, but it was never adopted in the Democratic-led Senate. Negotiators had worked on Biden's request for a broader emergency security package and Republican demands that any security assistance be combined with changes to immigration policy and border security with Mexico.
Israel's failed House vote was the second in quick succession for Johnson's Republican majority on Tuesday.
It came immediately after the House voted against impeaching Biden's top border official, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
