Senate Snag for New Speaker’s Israel Funding Plan

New House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to separate Israel funding from Ukraine aid is being met with opposition from some senators, according to The Hill.

House Republicans on Monday introduced a plan to provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel by cutting funding for the Internal Revenue Service, setting up a showdown with Democrats who control the Senate.

In one of the first major policy actions under Johnson, Republicans unveiled a standalone supplemental spending bill only for Israel, despite President Joe Biden’s request for a $106 billion package that would include aid for Israel, Ukraine, and border security, Reuters reported.

But senators say the plan by Johnson, R-La., to offset the aid to Israel by IRS cuts will fizzle in the Democrat-controlled upper chamber, The Hill reported.

“It’s a non-starter. It’s a poison pill,” said Foreign Relations Committee Chair Ben Cardin, D-Md.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen Roger Wicker, R-Miss., also don’t want the emergency funding split.

McConnell has urged Senate Republicans to keep the funding package for Israel and Ukraine together.

Said Wicker: “I’m open to suggestions but I think it’s important that we do border, Ukraine, Israel, and give Taiwan what they need, also.”

Said Graham: “We got national security issues that are all connected up — I’d like to do it all at once.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, noted: “We all know how hard it is to find offsets of substance. This is real money we’re talking about. If you’re looking at trying to offset the entire package, I think that’s going to be a real challenge for that.

“We’re operating with a pretty tight time frame, in order to move something.”

The Hill also reported there is uncertainty Johnson can even get the proposal through the House.