Increased aid to Israel, reduced national security funding: the first bill under the new Speaker of the US House of Representatives faces numerous challenges.

The U.S. House of Representatives finally has a new Speaker, but the congressional deadlock over foreign aid remains completely unchanged.

Chủ tịch Hạ viện Mỹ Mike Johnson, ngày 25/10. (Nguồn: Getty Images)

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, October 25. (Source: Getty Images)

On October 30, Mike Johnson, the new Speaker of the House, introduced a controversial GOP bill that separates funding for Israel and Ukraine and removes $14.3 billion in aid to Israel from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) budget.

In response, Democratic senators are expected to reject Johnson's austerity plan.

On October 31, the White House announced that President Biden would veto the package proposed by House Republicans because it provides aid to Israel but cuts funding for the IRS and does not allocate funds to other national security priorities.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rejected the Republican proposal in the House of Representatives in a lengthy administrative policy statement, arguing that it “brings partisanship into support for Israel” and fails to meet the timing by excluding humanitarian aid for Gaza residents, aid to Ukraine, and allies in the Indo- Pacific .

The OMB stated: "This bill is not good for Israel, for the Middle East region, and for our national security."

The White House further asserted that the Republican proposal marked a break from bipartisan precedent by seeking to cut funding for a portion of the emergency national security package.

The OMB stated: “Congress has consistently worked bipartisanly to provide security assistance to Israel, and this bill risks unnecessarily undermining that long-standing approach. Separating Israel’s security assistance from other priorities in the national security amendment has global consequences.”

A statement from the OMB on October 31 said the administration continues to work with lawmakers in Congress to ensure an agreement is reached on the additional request the White House made earlier in October.

Regarding the proposed new aid package, it would cut funding for the IRS under the Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping bill on taxes, healthcare , and climate signed into law last year as one of President Biden's signature policy achievements.

This package also deviates from the White House's strategy of linking aid to Ukraine and Israel in the same legislation, which could make getting the bill to market even more difficult.

Last week, the White House outlined a request for approximately $106 billion in additional national security funding, including money for Israel and Ukraine, which are fighting off Russian aggression, as well as investment in the Indo-Pacific, humanitarian aid, and border security measures.

The package is one of the first pieces of legislation introduced under House Speaker Mike Johnson, who took office last week.

The House Rules Committee will consider the bill on November 1st. It is expected to face significant challenges, primarily passing the Democratic-controlled Senate, where lawmakers want a linked aid package for both Ukraine and Israel.

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