Staff Reports
The House of Representatives made a big move when they passed a bill that would cut the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and give Israel military help as it fights Hamas. The Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 would give money to the Department of Defense to replace military equipment that the U.S. gives to Israel, pay for Israel's research on new air defense systems like the Iron Beam aerial laser program, help U.S. citizens leave the region, and keep U.S. diplomatic missions safe from growing threats. Even though the bill had backing from most lawmakers, Democrats mostly voted against it.
The House Majority Steve Scalise, a strong supporter of the bill, wrote in an email to the Daily Caller News Foundation, "Israel has every right to defend itself against such heinous actions, and we must stand with them in their fight against our shared enemies for self-determination, democracy, and freedom." He was very passionate about the need to help Israel. The bill was proposed by Texas Republican Rep. Kay Granger, and it has 100 other Republican co-sponsors. Some Senate Democrats, like Patty Murray, who is President Pro Tempore of the Senate, made it clear that they would not back the bill. Even President Joe Biden said he would veto it because it goes against his planned supplemental appropriations bill, which is worth more than $100 billion and includes money for border security, aid to Israel, and Ukraine.
House Passes Israel Aid Bill Funded By IRS Cutshttps://t.co/d6hcMV1WxS
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 3, 2023
Some people who are against the plan are worried about how it will affect the budget. The bill was looked at by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which found that it would add almost $12 billion to the debt over the next ten years. In particular, if the IRS lost money that was meant to be used to take action against taxpayers who are behind on their payments, fewer steps would be taken to collect the money that is owed. Still, Republicans in the House say that these spending cuts are necessary because the country's finances are in such bad shape.
Even though there was opposition, House Republicans stayed firm and stressed the need for offsets and spending cuts to pay for military help. "We should require offsets, cuts to… the IRS expansion in order to fund [the bill]," said Republican Rep. Bob Good of Virginia. We shouldn't borrow money from China or from the futures of our children and grandchildren to pay for Israeli aid. Other Republicans agreed with him and stressed the need for responsible economic policies and not putting more stress on future generations.
The bill was criticized by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer as "totally unserious and woefully inadequate," and the Israeli Mission to the United States did not say anything about it. However, the fact that it was passed shows that House Republicans are still committed to supporting Israel while also dealing with the country's current fiscal problems.
