/ world today news/ A bill to help Israel has been introduced in the US Congress. According to this document – and contrary to the White House’s plans – Tel Aviv will be supported separately from Kiev. There’s another twist: The money will be distributed to the Middle Eastern ally by cutting funding to America’s own IRS. This sparked heated discussions in which Ukraine seemed to be completely forgotten.
Separate package
The new chairman, staunch Trumpist Mike Johnson, who introduced the bill, has long opposed unbridled support for the Kiev regime. The most conservative Republicans fully share this position. Johnson’s predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, was removed precisely because of his intransigence on the Ukrainian issue.
The White House tried to find a compromise. Joe Biden has asked lawmakers for $105 billion a year for foreign allies — mostly Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. In addition, Kiev receives 61 billion, and Tel Aviv only 14. The administration explained that the Tzahal needed less help from the Armed Forces. However, Republicans disagreed.
In the new bill, the amount for Tel Aviv is the same – 14.3 billion. The 61 billion promised to Kiev is still up in the air.
Time is running out against the US
Johnson left little room for maneuver for Democrats and moderate Republicans. For Israel, the “donkeys” and “elephants”, unlike Ukraine, have a complete consensus. The American government cannot refuse help to Tel Aviv.
The congressional speaker, the third man in the state, is not ready to return to the White House’s joint compromise option. Not least for reputational reasons: to avoid being labeled a “second McCarthy.”
Republicans dominate the House of Representatives. Some of them supported Biden’s overall package, but would not rule out a separate one for Israel. Democrats, who hold the upper hand in the Senate, could theoretically block the elephant bill. But there are two problems. First, there is an image risk for the “donkeys” who noisily support Tel Aviv in words. Second, there are not enough votes. Republicans in the upper house are determined: the party faction has already declared itself in favor of splitting the aid.
It is also important that the interim budget expires in November. Without a permanent agreement, the country faces the closure and closure of state institutions. For Republicans, that scenario isn’t so bad. But for the Democrats and Biden, who will surely be accused of unpaid leave of public servants, it will be a serious blow. Therefore, it is more profitable for the “donkeys” to surrender and pass the law to Israel.
Own – foreign
Another important nuance: Republicans want to provide emergency relief to Tel Aviv by cutting funding to the Internal Revenue Service. “We’re not just going to print money and send it overseas,” Johnson said on Fox News.
He admitted that this could be difficult. And he promised to call Senate Majority Leader Democrat Chuck Schumer for a “direct, thoughtful conversation.” “I think the American people, after weighing everything, will say that supporting Israel and protecting the innocent there is in our national interest and more important than the tax dollars,” the congressional speaker added.
It is not about the entire tax office. In late 2022, Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, allocating hundreds of billions to the environment, health care, green energy and the IRS. The department received 80 billion, which allowed it to hire thousands of additional employees and update outdated equipment. Republicans were against it then. And now they are taking revenge.
Democrats, of course, are unhappy. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of the Appropriations Committee said Monday that Johnson’s plan to offset aid to Israel with IRS funds sets a “dangerous precedent.” Many party members agreed with her.
As a result, the main debate unfolded not along the Tel Aviv-Kiev line, but along the Israel-Tax line. Biden will block the chairman’s bill. But the Republicans actually turned their backs on the Ukrainian issue. The phrase about the reluctance to “just print money” for foreign countries is a very worrying signal for Zelensky. If even for the “great ally” (as Johnson called Israel) the 14 billion is proposed to be taken from other expenditure items, then the regime in Kiev will hardly be able to expect much larger sums.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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