Democrats demanded the addition of humanitarian aid to the package and accused Republicans of politicizing the issue.
The US House of Representatives on Thursday approved a more than $14 billion aid package for Israel by a vote of 226-196. Representatives of the Republican Party, which has a majority in the House of Representatives, voted for the package. The support package will next proceed to the Senate for consideration.
The package was from the new Speaker of the House, the Republicans Mike Johnson’s first legislative act. The package requires the US administration to reciprocally find cuts in the federal budget equal to the aid package.
The Republican package includes, among other things, $4 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system and the long-range anti-aircraft system known as David’s Link.
The aid package will not succeed in the Senate
According to Democrats, the package will not succeed in the Senate. Majority leader of the Democratic victorious Senate Chuck Schumer said he was not going to bring the package to the vote. According to Schumer, the proposal is “amazingly frivolous”.
In dealing with the issue, the Democrats demanded the addition of humanitarian aid to the package and accused the Republicans of politicizing the issue.
Also the President of the United States Joe Biden said that he would use the right of veto in the processing of the package if necessary. According to the White House, the package does not take into account humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Instead, Biden has pushed for a broader $106 billion emergency package that brings together aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. The same package also includes humanitarian aid and funding to deal with the US migrant crisis at the Mexican border.
According to Schumer, the Senate should consider a package supported by both parties, which consists of broader goals.
Source: Reuters, AP