GOP’s Standalone Israel Aid Bill Faces Veto Threat from Biden

Paresh Jadhav

11 months ago

White House officials sharply criticized a House Republican majority bill to fund Israel separately from national security provisions as another “cynical political maneuver.” The Office of Management and Budget called this move an unacceptable practice.

House Speaker Mike Johnson made the announcement as the Senate seeks to pass a bipartisan funding package that includes aid to US allies and border security measures, but Johnson indicated his intent of moving quickly on an Israel-only bill.

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White House Statement

President Joe Biden has threatened to veto legislation from the House which seeks to provide emergency security funding for Israel. In a statement issued Monday, the White House called this legislation an unnecessary “political ploy” which distracts from Senate negotiations of an aid package which includes aid for Israel alongside security assistance for Ukraine as well as spending and policy provisions to strengthen border security.

White House officials noted this weekend’s unveiling of a bipartisan Senate package as meeting national security needs by providing funds for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan as well as several measures intended to address surges in migrant crossings. OMB dismissed House Republicans’ stand-alone bill as being simply another political maneuver.

The absence of offsets complicates its chances for passage in the House, as members from the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus, who have used procedural tools to undermine multiple bills and resolutions in the past, are unlikely to back it.

Biden’s Threat

White House officials strongly criticized House Republican leaders for isolating aid for Israel from an overall national security bill, calling their action a cynical political maneuver that turns Israel’s security, which should remain sacred, into an arena for political maneuver. Furthermore, this move cuts funding for IRS and excludes other national security priorities including border security investments in Indo-Pacific regions and aid to Ukraine as it battles Russian forces.

White House officials announced on March 11 that, should the House pass an Israel-only bill, President Barack Obama would veto it. Asked by Senate Armed Services Committee Chair John Warner to create an inclusive package, this task may become further complex due to his committee voting on its own version of it which could complicate negotiations with House.

Johnson’s Response

White House officials have criticised a separate bill as cutting into IRS enforcement funds included by Democrats in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act. Emergency funding requests usually do not contain such offsets.

The administration blasted the bill as “a cynical political maneuver that turns Israel’s security, which should be paramount, into a game.” In addition, they noted its failure to include aid for Palestinian civilians and houses of worship as well as providing adequate support to Ukraine against Russian invasion.

House Speaker Mike Johnson took office after an extended and contentious battle over the removal of Republican majority leader, Rep. Kevin McCarthy. One of his initial measures under consideration as House Speaker, however, is a stand-alone bill to address defense hawks skepticism toward or outright opposition to it in both chambers of congress. It seems unlikely to pass; its passage unlikely in either body given their attention is currently focused on bipartisan border security package unveiled Sunday night by Senate lawmakers and unfurling in the House today.

House Vote

On Tuesday, the House will vote on an Israel-only bill, creating a potential clash between that vote and what the Senate is working on: an expansive national security supplemental package encompassing funding for Tel Aviv as well as border policy considerations. According to White House allegations, House Republican lawmakers’ legislation represents “cynical political maneuvering” which may damage chances for passage of bipartisan Senate measure; committed defense hawks within Senate are also speaking out against taking up this larger bill because it would endorse such policies as immigration or border policy issues; many Senate Republicans, as committed defense hawks themselves, are opposed taking up this large bill due concerns that it endorses controversial border policy initiatives.

White House Office of Management and Budget recently issued a statement calling on Congress to reject a political ploy that does not secure borders, supports Ukrainian efforts against Russian aggression or provides humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians. Such tactics may further weaken prospects for an expansive Senate measure and increase pressure on McConnell to separate aid for Ukraine and Israel into separate House measures.