Staff Reports
House Speaker Mike Johnson is quick to pick conflicts with both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate. He just stopped providing war help to Ukraine and proposed expenditure cuts to balance out aid to Israel. This fight demonstrates Johnson's ability to handle Republican disputes while simultaneously being strong on Democrats.
Republicans in the House are pushing through a $14.3 billion aid bill for Israel to combat Hamas terrorists while excluding any additional funding for Ukraine. Senator Mitch McConnell and Vice President Biden, on the other hand, believe that assistance should be provided to both Ukraine and Israel at the same time. "Some say our support for Ukraine comes at the expense of other, more important goals," McConnell said. But, as I've mentioned numerous times, this is a bad decision."
While Senate Democrats, President Biden, and McConnell all agree on the importance of assisting Ukraine and Israel, Johnson's proposal to pay for aid to Israel using money recovered from the IRS was promptly rejected by both the White House and Senate Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer stated that the United States cannot bury its head in the sand or let its allies to fend for themselves. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, the Senate's third-ranking Democrat, called the measure dumb and a threat to national security.
Speaker Johnson sets collision course with McConnell, Democrats over emergency war aid https://t.co/0210kfya4Y
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) October 31, 2023
According to the Treasury Department and the nonpartisan budget watchdog group, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, cutting money to the IRS to obtain money back from people who cheat on their taxes will increase the debt in the long term. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre threatened to jeopardize American national security unless House Republicans let the rich and big businesses cheat on their taxes, which would increase the debt.
Some Senate Republicans agree with McConnell on war aid, but others believe that money for separate conflicts should not be linked. Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance said Johnson was taking the "right approach" and urged his colleagues to prioritize border security in any negotiations. "If we're going to have a grand bargain, shouldn't it come with real border security, not the fig leaf that Joe Biden has offered?" he said.
In the midst of this conflict, Johnson is facing a revolt from his small majority, which might make it more difficult for Israel to get aid. Because the national debt is increasing, Republican Reps. Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene have stated their opposition to any foreign aid. They choose to slash domestic spending rather than take out loans to help foreign countries.
Speaker Johnson isn't afraid to rile up people on both sides of the aisle. His actions demonstrate how difficult and contentious it is to negotiate foreign aid. They also demonstrate the importance of finding common ground and prioritizing American interests.
