Republican senators are urging Democrats to reconsider their opposition to a bill to give aid to Israel in their war against Hamas.
The bill was approved by House lawmakers this week on a partisan basis. Republicans are looking to take several billion dollars in IRS funding to hire more IRS agents, and instead use that money to fund Israel’s effort to quell Hamas.
“For the first time in a long time from the House of Representatives we’ve gotten a clean bill that has a pay-for,” said Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN). “It’s come over from the House for that particular purpose. It’s not blended with a lot of other stuff.”
The fact that it is not blended with funding for Ukraine is a non-starter for Senate Democrats led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Democrats also want appropriations for the protection of Taiwan as well.
The House bill only appropriates $14.3 billion, which as mentioned, would be taken out of money already approved for the IRS. President Biden has requested far more than that for Israel, Ukraine, and efforts to counter China in the Info-Pacific region.
Republicans say Israel alone deserves to be the U.S.’s top priority when it comes to giving out financial and military aid.
For now, the bill passed by the House this week sits and will likely go nowhere in the Senate.
