House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, on Monday unveiled a $14.3 billion Israel aid plan that breaks with the Biden administration on how to handle assistance for the conflict, complicating prospects for passage.
The package separates the Israel aid from a broader Biden emergency funding request that includes assistance for Ukraine and Taiwan. It also leaves out humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza and Israel that the White House requested.
Johnson’s plan pays for Israel aid by cutting President Joe Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act, calling for a $14.3 billion reduction in funding for the IRS. Conservatives have been critical of additional funding for the tax enforcement agency, while advocates say more resources for the IRS will cut the federal deficit by capturing revenue lost to tax cheats.
The offsetting cuts are a break with precedent since Congress typically doesn’t cut other programs to pay for emergency spending.
The package is among the new speaker’s first major legislative efforts and he told reporters he expects a House vote on the measure Thursday. Johnson discussed the package with Biden last week.
Separating Ukraine funds from more popular aid to Israel creates a risk that Congress will fail to continue help for the country’s counter-offensive against Russia, especially if House Republicans repeat a September attempt to require changes to US immigration laws in return for Ukraine funding.
Johnson’s approach will bolster support for the Israel package among House conservatives but provoke opposition from Democrats. The Israeli measure isn’t likely to pass the Senate without changes, potentially bogging down the funding.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said the cuts to IRS enforcement and operations make the aid “much harder to pass” and he criticized Republican leaders for leaving out assistance to Ukraine and Taiwan, suggesting they were giving in to “the false allures of isolationism.”
The demand for spending cuts to pay for aid to Israel is already drawing condemnation from Democrats who worry it sets a dangerous new precedent for funding emergencies.
“When your neighbor’s house is on fire, you don’t haggle over the price of the garden hose. Speaker Johnson’s political games are offensive to all pro-Israel Americans, and I hope he reverses course immediately,” Florida Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a statement.