Twelve Democrats joined nearly all Republicans to advance the Israel aid package, which passed the House in a 226-196 vote.
The package includes billions in military aid for Israel as it battles Hamas following the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
The bill’s passage marks a victory for newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who rallied the GOP conference around the bill.
Johnson on Thursday said the U.S. must support Israel in its war against Hamas, with Israel conducting military operations inside Gaza.
“It’s imperative that the U.S. sends a message to the world that threats made against Israel and the Jewish people will be met with strong opposition,” Johnson wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, after the vote.
The legislation is dead on arrival at the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has vowed to combine assistance to Israel and Ukraine in one package.
“What a joke,” Schumer said of the House bill on the Senate floor. “The Senate will not be considering this deeply flawed proposal.”
As part of an effort to offset spending, the House bill makes cuts to the IRS that were included in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act — cuts that if enacted are widely expected to increase the U.S. deficit.
The House bill also did not include any funding for humanitarian aid in Gaza.
President Biden has promised to veto the House bill should it reach his desk, saying in a statement it is “bad for Israel, for the Middle East region, and for our own national security.”
Biden last month also asked for a $106 billion emergency aid package to fund Israel, Ukraine, border security and allies in the Indo-Pacific and would like to see those combined in one legislative bill.
Johnson has tied Ukraine aid to border security and said they would be included in a separate piece of legislation.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
