What’s Happening:
When Republicans elected Mike Johnson as the new House Speaker, critics quickly pounced. Democrats accused the Republican of being an “insurrectionist.” And the media seemed eager to watch him fail.
Speaker Johnson pledged to hit the ground running, after three weeks of congressional gridlock. The first thing on the docket was the war in Israel.
Johnson vowed to provide support for America’s closest ally in the Middle East. He refused to support Biden’s massively bloated spending demand and, with a bi-partisan vote, passed a bill that will help Israel, and take funds from the IRS.
From Fox News:
The House of Representatives approved sending $14.3 billion in federal aid dollars to Israel in a 226 to 196 vote on Thursday, with 12 Democrats joining Republicans to pass it.Under the bill brought by House Republicans, that funding will be reallocated from money that was meant for the IRS in President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act…
“With this piece of legislation, we are helping an ally in need while also cutting funding from Joe Biden’s weaponized IRS. These funds are better used supporting Israel than being used by IRS agents to audit middle class Americans,” [Republican Policy Committee Chairman Gary Palmer] said.
Speaker Johnson successfully passed his aid bill for Israel. The bill includes cuts to the IRS, a continuation of House Republicans’ goal of reducing the billions President Biden wants to give to the tax collecting agency.
In a move that will be celebrated by lawmakers, twelve Democrats joined with Republicans to pass the bill. Johnson can boast that his first major piece of legislation passed as Speaker by bipartisan.
The question remains if the Senate will take up this bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed that it will not pass the upper chamber. However, the Speaker has made it clear that the House will not support Biden’s massive omnibus bill, which could hide billions in funding from Americans.
If the Senate wants to get anything passed, to help Israel or keep the government funded, it will have to play ball with Johnson.
Key Takeaways:
- Speaker Johnson successfully passed his Israel funding bill.
- The bill was passed with the help of 12 Democrats.
- The legislation provides funding for Israel while cutting billions from the IRS.
Source: Fox News
