Washington (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives plans a vote on Thursday on a Republican plan to provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel as it fights Hamas, setting up a clash with the Democratic-controlled Senate and White House.
The bill is the first major legislative action under new Republican Speaker Mike Johnson. President Joe Biden has threatened to veto the bill if the House passes it. He is seeking a broader $106 billion package including funding for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine, as well as humanitarian aid.
The Israel bill passed its first test of support in a Thursday morning procedural vote, as the House approved by 213-200 a measure that cleared the way for a vote on passage later in the day.
The measure would cut Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding so as to give military aid to Israel, whose tanks and troops took on Hamas on the outskirts of Gaza City on Thursday.
The funds would include $4 billion for procurement of Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling defense systems to counter short-range rocket threats as well as some transfers of equipment from U.S. stocks.
Republicans have a 221-212 majority in the House, but Biden’s fellow Democrats control the Senate 51-49. To become law, the bill would have to pass both the House and Senate and be signed by Biden.
The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, said the Republican bill would be dead on arrival in the upper chamber, even if it passed the House. The White House has threatened a veto.
The Senate’s leaders plan their own bipartisan bill.
Democrats objected to cutting money for the IRS, saying it will increase the country’s budget deficit by cutting back on tax collection.
They also said it was essential to continue to support Ukraine as it fights against a Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
While Democrats and many Republicans still strongly support Ukraine, a smaller but vocal group of Republicans question sending more money to the government in Kyiv at a time of steep budget deficits.
Johnson, who voted against Ukraine aid repeatedly before he became speaker last month, plans to introduce a bill combining assistance for Ukraine with money to increase security at the U.S. border with Mexico.
“Ukraine will come in short order. It will come next,” Johnson told a news conference on Thursday. “We want to pair border security with Ukraine, because I think we can get bipartisan agreement on both of those matters.”
Congress has approved $113 billion for Ukraine since the invasion began.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday said the IRS cuts and the Israel aid in the standalone bill would add nearly $30 billion to the U.S. budget deficit, currently estimated at $1.7 trillion.
