The House failed to pass a stand-alone bill to provide billions in military assistance to Israel and U.S. forces in the region, with lawmakers on both sides voting against the measure.
The bill came up short, with 250 lawmakers voting for the measure and 180 voting against it. The bill was brought to the floor under suspension of the House rules, which required a two-thirds vote to pass and 287 votes. Fourteen Republicans and 166 Democrats voted no.
The defeat marked the second failure of the day for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), whose effort to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas tanked just minutes earlier.
In a letter to colleagues over the weekend, Johnson said the Israel legislation would send $17.6 billion to Israel. The announcement came as Senate negotiators unveiled a deal on a comprehensive bill to fund Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, and border security that has now stalled in the upper chamber and was already declared “dead on arrival” in the House.
“We must act to shore up our ally Israel, provide the military and resources that they need, both to protect our own troops and those who are in the region,” bill sponsor Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) said.
The bill faced opposition from both sides of the aisle, and President Joe Biden threatened to veto it. The House Freedom Caucus said that it would oppose the bill over the weekend, calling on Johnson to provide the $17.6 billion to Israel if it included spending cuts elsewhere.
“Congress can pay for Israel aid by cutting funding for the United Nations, repealing the IRS expansion, rescinding the Department of Commerce ‘slush fund’ or ending leftist climate change tax credits,” the group wrote in a statement over the weekend.
House Democratic leadership came out against the legislation in a “Dear Colleague” letter Tuesday, although they didn’t whip against the legislation, according to lawmakers familiar.
“Unfortunately, the standalone legislation introduced by House Republicans over the weekend, at the eleventh hour without notice or consultation, is not being offered in good faith,” Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wrote.
In a closed-door meeting with House Democrats, Jeffries accused Johnson of playing politics and refusing to work with Biden, according to those familiar with discussions. In addition, Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, argued that Israel currently has the resources needed to fight Hamas for a couple of months if necessary. But, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), a leader among a group of Jewish members, spoke out in favor of the new bill in the caucus meeting on Tuesday.
Members of the House Democratic “Squad” took to the floor to voice their disapproval of the bill.
In floor remarks against the Israel aid bill, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the only Palestinian American in Congress, called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a genocidal maniac.”
“If you actually believe in upholding human rights and international law, vote no on Netanyahu’s genocide,” she said.
Johnson told reporters on Tuesday that if the bill fails, his alternative option is to bring it up next week under a process that only requires a simple majority.
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The House passed a stand-alone bill late last year that would have provided $14.3 billion in aid to Israel while also slashing IRS funding. Biden threatened to veto it, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said it was dead on arrival in the upper chamber, so it never went anywhere.
Biden had sought that amount for Israel as part of a larger request he made in October for supplemental funds. However, the administration threatened to veto the most recent stand-alone bill on Monday, calling it a “cynical political maneuver” designed to tank the passage of broader legislation.
