The invoice would circumvent President Biden’s bid to drive the GOP into sending one other $61 billion to Kiev
A gaggle of Republican senators have launched a standalone invoice to ship greater than $14 billion in navy help to Israel with out additionally handing Ukraine one other $61 billion. Tying help for the 2 nations collectively is an try by President Joe Biden to leverage the GOP’s assist for West Jerusalem towards its skepticism in the direction of Kiev, the senators mentioned.
Launched on Thursday by Kansas Senator Roger Marshall, Ohio’s J.D. Vance, Utah’s Mike Lee, and Ted Cruz of Texas, the ‘Israel Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023’ would offer $10.6 billion in direct navy help to Israel, together with $3.5 billion in grants for overseas navy gross sales and $200 million to beef up safety at US embassies and places of work within the nation.
President Joe Biden has already requested Congress to move a $14 billion navy help bundle for Ukraine, however has insisted that or not it’s handed as a part of a $106 billion nationwide safety funding invoice. This mammoth invoice would additionally embrace $61.4 billion for Ukraine and $13.6 billion in funding for border safety within the US.
Nonetheless, the invoice has been roundly rejected by Republicans, who oppose what they see as an try to leverage their long-standing assist for Israel to be able to overcome their rising opposition to Biden’s coverage of limitless navy help to Ukraine.
“My colleagues and I firmly consider that any help to Israel shouldn’t be used as leverage to ship tens of billions of {dollars} to Ukraine,” Senator Marshall mentioned on Thursday. “It’s unreasonable for the administration to take advantage of an help bundle for Israel to siphon off billions of taxpayer {dollars} in one more clean verify for Ukraine,” Lee added.
Marshall, Vance, and Lee all voted towards Congress’ final bundle of Ukraine help, whereas Cruz voted in favor.
Democrats maintain a one-seat majority within the Senate, however have to win over 9 Republicans to be able to move Biden’s invoice. Whereas Minority Chief Mitch McConnell lent his assist to the invoice earlier this week, South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds instructed Politico that the bundle was primarily “useless,” and unlikely to move.
The invoice’s likelihood is much more slim within the Home of Representatives, the place the slim Republican majority succeeded in eradicating $6 billion in funding for Kiev from a authorities spending invoice earlier this month. Following the invoice’s passage, a gaggle of hardline conservative Republicans voted to oust Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy over his reluctance to insist on single-issue payments and his alleged negotiation of “a secret side-deal” with Biden to funnel cash to Ukraine, within the phrases of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.
McCarthy’s alternative, Mike Johnson, was elected speaker on Wednesday. An ally of former President Donald Trump, Johnson has voted towards two packages of help for Ukraine since final yr, and questioned whether or not Kiev was being “fully forthcoming and clear about using this large sum of taxpayer assets.”
On Israel, nevertheless, Johnson has pledged to do no matter he can to “present the assist and assets essential to rid the Center East and the world of Hamas’ terrorist regime.” In his first motion as speaker, Johnson launched a decision condemning the Palestinian militant group and declaring that the Home “stands with Israel.” The decision handed by 412 votes to 10.
