On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives turned down a Republican-backed bill aimed at providing $17.6 billion in aid to Israel. The vote fell short of the required two-thirds majority for passage, with a tally of 250 to 180.
Democrats expressed a preference for a more comprehensive measure, encompassing aid to Ukraine, international humanitarian funding, and additional resources for border security. Critics viewed the standalone Israel bill as a political maneuver to divert attention from the $118 billion Senate bill, which includes an overhaul of U.S. immigration policy, new funding for border security, and emergency aid for Ukraine, Israel, and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
The proposed Israel-only bill, addressing military aid in response to the October 7 attacks by Hamas, faced opposition from both Democrats and some Republicans. While the majority of lawmakers support aid to Israel, concerns arose regarding the bill's exclusion of budgetary offsets, a key consideration for conservative Republicans in any new spending proposal.
Despite arguments from the bill's supporters emphasizing the urgency of aiding Israel, 167 Democrats voted against it, prompted by President Biden's veto threat. The President deemed the legislation an attempt to undermine the larger bipartisan package, achieved after months of negotiations.
The standalone bill also faced opposition from 13 Republicans, who sought budgetary offsets. The House Freedom Caucus criticized the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, for yielding to pressure for a larger, offset-free package.
The Office of Management and Budget under Biden criticized the bill as a political ploy that could jeopardize efforts to secure the U.S. border, support Ukraine against Russian aggression, and hinder humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by the Israel-Gaza conflict. In response, Johnson argued that vetoing support for Israel during a critical time was "outrageous and shameful."
Democratic leaders labeled the bill as a "nakedly obvious and cynical attempt" to undermine the comprehensive package, currently deadlocked in Congress, tying Israel aid to Ukraine funding and border security resources.