Joe Biden admin vows president would veto standalone Israel aid bill

President Joe Biden’s administration vows that he would veto a standalone invoice proposed by Republicans that would supply billions of {dollars} in support to Israel.

The White Home mentioned it “strongly opposes” the GOP measure to supply support solely to Israel, referring to the invoice as a “political ploy,” in response to an announcement despatched to Newsweek on Monday by the Workplace of Administration and Finances (OMB). The Israel invoice, H.R. 7217, was launched after conservative lawmakers voiced opposition to a broader bipartisan Senate invoice that addressed border safety in addition to allotted support to different U.S. allies.

“As an alternative of working in good religion to deal with probably the most urgent nationwide safety challenges, this invoice is one other cynical political maneuver,” OMB mentioned.

A number of Republican lawmakers have criticized a $118 billion border deal unveiled Sunday night time following months of negotiations between Biden and congressional leaders as they search to grapple with an uptick in migrant crossings on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The bipartisan measure allotted $20 billion for immigration enforcement in addition to elevated Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention capability from 34,000 to 50,0000 in an effort to deal with key considerations confronted on the southern border. The Senate invoice additionally included $14 billion in support to Israel, $60 billion for Ukraine, $4.83 billion to Indo-Pacific nations and $10 billion in humanitarian funding for Ukraine, Gaza and the West Financial institution.

Whereas congressional negotiators aimed to strike a steadiness between strengthening the border favored by Republicans, who management the Home of Representatives, and immigration coverage reform supported by Democrats, who management the Senate, the invoice was met with swift condemnation from conservatives.

Home Speaker Mike Johnson slammed the measure as “worse than we anticipated” and mentioned it’s “useless on arrival” within the decrease chamber the place Republicans mentioned they deliberate to reject the Senate measure and as an alternative vote on a invoice offering support solely to Israel.

Consultant Ken Calvert, a California Republican and chairman of the Protection Appropriations Subcommittee, launched the textual content of H.R. 7217, known as the Israel Safety Supplemental Appropriations Act. The GOP-backed measure goals to supply “$17.6 billion in army help for Israel, in addition to vital funding for U.S. Forces within the area,” the congressman mentioned in an announcement on Saturday.

The Biden administration blasted Calvert’s measure within the assertion on Monday, accusing Republicans of utilizing support for Israel as a “political sport.”

“The safety of Israel must be sacred, not a political sport,” OMB mentioned. “The Administration strongly opposes this ploy which does nothing to safe the border, does nothing to assist the folks of Ukraine defend themselves towards [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s aggression, fails to assist the safety of American synagogues, mosques, and weak locations of worship, and denies humanitarian help to Palestinian civilians, nearly all of whom are girls and youngsters.”

OMB known as on each chambers of Congress to reject the “political ploy” and assist the Senate border invoice.

“If the President have been offered with H.R. 7217, he would veto it,” OMB wrote.

In an announcement despatched to Newsweek on Monday night time, Johnson slammed the president’s “menace” to veto the help bundle for Israel.

“The President’s veto menace is an act of betrayal,” Johnson mentioned. “Israel is at struggle, preventing for its very proper to exist, whereas our courageous women and men in uniform are in hurt’s manner on his orders to discourage Iran. In threatening to veto support to Israel and to our army forces, President Biden is abandoning our ally in its time of best want. I urge buddies of Israel and opponents of Iran to name the President’s bluff and go this clear support bundle.”