TOPLINE
The House rejected a $17.6 billion aid package for Israel introduced by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in competition with a Senate border security bill, marking the second legislative setback for Johnson on Tuesday.
KEY FACTS
The House voted 250-180 in favor of the aid package, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for approval under the fast-tracked legislative process known as suspension of the rules.
The proposed legislation included $4 billion for replenishing missile defense systems, $1.2 billion to counter short-range rockets and mortar threats, $4.4 billion for U.S. weapons reserved for Israel, and $3.3 billion for U.S. military operations in the region.
Introduced on Saturday, Johnson’s bill faced competition from a Senate bill that included additional border security measures and aid for both Ukraine and Israel, causing divisions within the GOP, as former President Donald Trump urged Republicans to oppose it.
The Democratic-controlled Senate was unlikely to consider Johnson’s bill, and President Joe Biden vowed to veto it, describing it as a “cynical political maneuver” and urging Congress to approve the Senate border bill.
The House also declined earlier in the evening to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas under a resolution accusing him of systemic refusal to comply with the law and breach of public trust for failing to address illegal immigration.
CHIEF CRITICS
House Democratic leadership advised their caucus to vote against the Israel aid bill, claiming Johnson’s package “is not being offered in good faith.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), along with Reps. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), expressed this sentiment in a letter to fellow Democrats.
KEY BACKGROUND
In November, the House approved a separate $14.3 billion aid package for Israel, coupled with cuts to the Internal Revenue Service. However, the legislation never reached the Senate floor for a vote, and Biden threatened to veto it. Biden has sought a $106 billion joint aid package for Ukraine and Israel, but negotiations faced obstacles, with Republicans demanding border security provisions be included. The Senate unveiled the legislation on Sunday, but it quickly unraveled as Trump urged Republicans to reject it, arguing it would benefit Biden in an election year. Instead, he advocated for separating border security from aid to Ukraine and Israel.