WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are pushing forward with a $17.6 billion plan to provide military aid to Israel and replace U.S. weapon supplies, while leaving out additional aid for Ukraine. This highlights the obstacles facing advocates of a comprehensive national security package that would also allocate billions of dollars for immigration enforcement. The decision allows Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans to demonstrate their backing for Israel, even though the Senate is unlikely to support the proposal. At the same time, a broader Senate compromise is anticipated to be unveiled this weekend, with a key test vote scheduled for the following week. Johnson expressed that the Senate leadership’s exclusion of the House from their negotiations has hindered swift consideration of any legislation. “The House will have to work its will on these issues,” Johnson explained in a letter to colleagues, “and our priorities will need to be addressed.” The House had previously endorsed a nearly $14.5 billion military aid package for Israel in November, a proposal that the Senate did not take up. Republicans had insisted that it should be funded through reductions elsewhere. The bill aimed to cut the Internal Revenue Service’s budget, a move that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office cautioned would ultimately cost the federal government a net $12.5 billion in lost tax revenues. This strategy turned the vote into a more partisan affair, with a 226-196 split. Johnson stated in his letter to colleagues that removing the offsets should facilitate the swift approval of the aid to Israel, suggesting that the Senate would no longer have any legitimate grounds for stalling the passage of this crucial support for an ally. Representative Ken Calvert, R-Calif., has released the text of the military assistance bill for Israel, which includes $4 billion for replenishing missile defense systems and $1.2 billion for countering short-range rockets and mortar threats. Additionally, it includes funds for the procurement of advanced weapon systems and for enhancing the production of artillery and other munitions, all to ensure that the assistance for Israel does not compromise U.S. readiness. The bill also allocates $4.4 billion to replenish U.S. weapon supplies provided to Israel, as well as $3.3 billion for ongoing U.S. military operations in the region.
