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WASHINGTON (JTA) — A bid to hurry wartime emergency help to Israel failed within the U.S. Home of Representatives, working into opposition from a trio of factions who opposed the invoice for broadly divergent causes.
The invoice for $17.6 billion in emergency help wanted a two-thirds majority underneath a particular Home process. It garnered 250 votes in favor, with 180 opposed, a majority however in need of what it wanted. These in favor included 10 Jewish Democrats, out of the physique’s 24.
Democrats have been championing a bipartisan Senate package deal that pairs help to Israel and Ukraine with measures to clamp down on the U.S.-Mexico border. Many Home Republicans, along with their seemingly presidential nominee, Donald Trump, oppose the invoice as a result of they are saying it doesn’t go far sufficient on halting migrant crossings.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, offered the standalone Israel help invoice as a substitute. Its failure was the second of the night for Johnson, who narrowly failed in a bid earlier within the night to question the Jewish Homeland Safety Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas.
The Israel invoice’s achilles heel was a requirement for the two-thirds vote by Republicans within the get together’s hardline proper Freedom Caucus, which argued {that a} main spending invoice requires a two-thirds majority underneath guidelines governing expedited payments. Johnson acceded to the demand. Freedom Caucus Republicans, who’re hawks on fiscal duty, had been behind a failed effort final yr to connect spending offsets to an earlier help package deal for Israel.
Fourteen Freedom caucus members voted in opposition to the invoice, whereas 46 Democrats voted for it.
One other headwind got here within the type of President Joe Biden, who stated he would veto the invoice, as a result of it doesn’t handle his calls for for safety help for Ukraine in its bid to repel Russia’s invasion, and doesn’t enhance controls on the U.S.-Mexico border — the targets of the Senate invoice.
“The Administration spent months working with a bipartisan group of Senators to achieve a nationwide safety settlement that secures the border and gives assist for the folks of Ukraine and Israel, whereas additionally offering much-needed humanitarian help to civilians affected by conflicts world wide,” learn an announcement from the White Home. “As a substitute of working in good religion to handle essentially the most urgent nationwide safety challenges, this invoice is one other cynical political maneuver.”
Hakeem Jeffries, the New York Democrat who’s minority chief, opposed the invoice for a similar cause. In an announcement, he referred to as it a “a nakedly apparent and cynical try by MAGA extremists to undermine the potential of a complete, bipartisan funding package deal that addresses America’s nationwide safety challenges within the Center East, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific area and all through the world.”
Jeffries additionally cited the invoice’s omission of funds for humanitarian help for Palestinians who’ve been devastated by the struggle between Israel and Hamas.
One other group of progressive Democrats opposed the invoice, saying that help to Israel must be contingent on American calls for, together with permitting via humanitarian help to Palestinians, and making certain accountability over how American weapons are used.
Johnson after the vote made clear that almost all of Democrats’ choice to vote in opposition to the invoice could be held in opposition to them.
“Democrats have been unable to current any substantive coverage objection within the present laws,” he stated in an announcement. “It’s clear they’re now dedicated to utilizing Israel help as leverage to pressure via different priorities that don’t take pleasure in almost the identical diploma of consensus. Leveraging Israel help because it fights for survival is incorrect. The White Home and Congressional Democrats must be ashamed.”
In a earlier invoice that he proposed, Johnson connected help for Israel to funding cuts for the IRS, a longstanding Republican precedence.
Among the many Democrats voting for the help had been outstanding Jewish Congress members, who stated they favored the invoice as a result of it rushed help to Israel at a time of want, even whereas criticizing Republicans for not addressing different points, together with help to Ukraine and help for Palestinians.
“We should all keep in mind that what is occurring in Israel is immediately linked to what’s occurring in Ukraine,” stated Rep. Kathy Manning, a Jewish North Carolina Democrat, explaining her vote in favor. “Iran is funding Hamas terrorists and sharing weaponry with Russian forces as they try and dismantle democratic nations and inflict horrors upon civilians. Ukraine’s means to defeat Vladimir Putin is essential to sustaining the world order, defending democracy, and safeguarding U.S. nationwide safety pursuits.”
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