Biden and Senate Democrats set to kill Republican aid package to Israel

House Republicans passed a bill Thursday that would ensure Israel has the means to combat and ultimately defeat the terrorist organization that slaughtered thousands of civilians last month, including at least 33 Americans. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has indicated that he and his fellow Democrats in the Senate will kill the aid package and instead condition support for Israel on other foreign expenditures.

Fresh off announcing a campaign to fight so-called Islamophobia, President Biden has also vowed to veto the aid package.

In 2022, Biden ratified Democratic climate and tax legislation that allocated $80 billion to the IRS over a 10-year period. Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) introduced a bill this week that would take some of the money previously intended to strengthen American taxmen and instead provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel amid its war with Hamas.

The "Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act" passed Thursday largely along party lines in a 226-196 vote — a major success for the new House speaker from Louisiana who championed the legislation.

Republican Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) voted against the bill. While most Democrats voted in concert with anti-Israel progressives like Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), 12 ultimately supported the legislation.

NBC News reported that some Democrats cited the IRS cuts as their reason for not supporting the act.

"Tonight, a bipartisan group of members voted to send immediate aid to Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East. Our supplemental package, which is fully offset, provides Israel with advanced weapons systems, supports the Iron Dome missile defense system, and replenishes American domestic defense stockpiles," said House Speaker Mike Johnson. "This is necessary and critical assistance as Israel fights for its right to exist."

"With anti-Semitism on the rise both domestically and abroad, it's imperative that the U.S. sends a message to the world that threats made against Israel and the Jewish people will be met with strong opposition," added Johnson.

The House speaker called on the Senate and the White House not to dawdle; however, Democrats in both have indicated that additional expenditures must be tacked on for there to be any movement on renewed support for Israel.

After once again attacking Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville over his principled protest of Pentagon abortion policy, Schumer said on the Senate floor, "The Senate will not take up the House GOP's deeply flawed proposal."

"It still mystifies me that a moment when the world is in crisis, at a time when we need to help Israel respond to Hamas, the House GOP thought it was a good idea to tie Israel aid to a hard-right proposal that will raise the deficit," continued the New York Democrat. "Why would they make support for Israel conditioned on this hard-right giveaway to the wealthy?"

Instead, Schumer indicated that Senate Democrats will condition support for Israel on aid to Ukraine, humanitarian aid to Gaza, and "competition with the Chinese government."

Where Ukraine is concerned, Johnson has indicated that more funding may be on the way, although legislation to that end might also entail means to address the unprecedented crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, reported the New York Times.

"It's just a matter of principle that, if we're going to take care of a border in Ukraine, we need to take care of America's border as well," said Johnson.

It may be premature to discuss separate aid packages, as President Joe Biden — like Senate lawmakers, Democratic and Republican alike — appears keen on an all-or-nothing approach.

Biden has vowed to veto the Israel aid package. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stressed Thursday, "The president would veto an Israel-only bill. I think we have made that clear."

The White House wants a $106 billion aid package along the lines Schumer vaguely described, including aid for Palestinians and investments in the Indo-Pacific.

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