The US Capitol building is seen on August 15, 2023 in Washington, USA. Portal/Kevin Wurm/File Photo Acquire License Rights
WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Portal) – Democrats in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday blocked an attempt by Republicans to get quick approval for an emergency aid bill for Israel that passed the House of Representatives last week but failed to provide aid for the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Republican Senator Roger Marshall said: “Time is of the essence and it is imperative that the Senate does not delay the delivery of this critical aid to Israel for another day,” he said.
Democrats objected, emphasizing the importance of providing aid to Ukraine and Israel in addition to humanitarian aid, border security funds and money to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, as outlined in a $106 billion funding request. Dollars that President Joe Biden sent to Congress last month.
They also accused House Republicans of playing politics with the crisis in Israel and delaying aid to the Jewish state by tying support to cutting funding for the Internal Revenue Service, a favorite target of Republicans, rather than to draft a bipartisan bill.
The House bill would provide $14.3 billion to Israel in response to a deadly attack by Islamist Hamas militants on October 7, but would also deduct the same amount from the IRS. The funds include $4 billion to procure Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling defense systems to counter short-range missile threats, as well as some transfers of equipment from U.S. stocks.
“Our allies in Ukraine cannot afford a delay, nor can our allies in Israel,” said Senator Patty Murray, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The vote in the House of Representatives was largely along party lines. Democrats called the proposed IRS cuts a politically motivated “poison pill” that would increase the U.S. budget deficit through cuts in tax collection. They also said it was important to continue supporting Ukraine.
To become law, legislation must pass the Democratic-controlled Senate and the Republican-majority House of Representatives and be signed by Biden, a Democrat. The White House had said Biden would veto the House bill.
Senate leaders are writing their own supplemental funding bill and hope to introduce it this week.
Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Alistair Bell
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