Key takeaways:
- House Republicans are pushing forward with a standalone bill that would provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel as it wages war against Hamas.
- Democrats are largely in favor of providing aid to Israel, but they plan to vote against the bill because of the IRS cuts, which they call a “poison pill.”
- President Biden has vowed to veto the measure, and Democrats say it’s dead on arrival in the Senate.
House Republicans are pushing forward with a standalone bill that would provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel as it wages war against Hamas, but Democrats are firmly opposed to the measure.
The bill, championed by newly minted Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., would pair the aid for Israel with $14.3 billion in cuts to IRS funding that was approved through President Joe Biden’s sweeping climate, health and tax law.
Democrats are largely in favor of providing aid to Israel, but they plan to vote against the bill because of the IRS cuts, which they call a “poison pill.” The IRS funding was designed to amp up enforcement and catch tax cheats, bringing in more revenue. However, the Congressional Budget Office says this would in fact increase the deficit because that IRS funding was designated for enforcement actions against tax cheats.
President Biden has vowed to veto the measure, and Democrats say it’s dead on arrival in the Senate. The House is expected to take up the bill Thursday afternoon, but it remains to be seen whether the slim GOP majority will be able to pass it.
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