GOP-led Israel Aid Package Fails In The House

A bill to provide Israel with more military aid went down to defeat in the House, spoiling Speaker Mike Johnson’s attempt to separate Israel from other national security priorities, including helping Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s military invasion and deterring crossings at the US-Mexico border, Kevin Freking reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The vote for more Israel aid was 250-180, well short of the two-thirds threshold necessary for passage.

Johnson resorted to moving the bill through an expedited process that requires a two-thirds majority for passage.

That’s because Republicans were unlikely to even muster the simple majority needed to set the terms for the bill’s debate. Such a procedural vote is generally a routine matter but has become problematic for the current Republican majority, which can generally afford to lose only three Republicans on party-line votes.

The vote for more Israel aid was 250-180, well short of the two-thirds threshold necessary for passage.

Fourteen Republicans ended up voting against the bill, concerned about the lack of spending cuts to offset the $17.6 billion price tag. That compares to 204 Republicans who voted for it.

On the Democratic side, 46 voted for it and 166 against. 

Last year’s measure also included budget cuts to the Internal Revenue Service. This time, there were no attempts to offset the new spending, which ended up alienating some of the Republican members concerned about federal deficits.

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