Republican Senator Roger Marshall said, “Time is of the essence and it’s imperative that the Senate not delay delivering this crucial aid to Israel another day,” he said.
They also accused House Republicans of playing politics with the crisis in Occupied Lands, delaying aid for the Israel regime by tying support to cutting funding for the Internal Revenue Service, a favorite target for Republicans, rather than writing a bipartisan bill.
The House bill would provide $14.3 billion for the regime as it continues to attack Gaza civilians after Hamas’s October 7 surprise attack.
 The funds would include $4 billion for the procurement of the Israel regime’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling defense systems to counter short-range rocket attacks as well as some transfers of equipment from US stocks.
The House vote was largely along party lines. Democrats called the proposed IRS cuts a politically motivated “poison pill” that would increase the US budget deficit by cutting back on tax collection. They also said it was essential to continue to support Ukraine.
To become law, legislation must pass the Democratic-controlled Senate as well as the Republican-majority House, and be signed into law by Biden, a Democrat. The White House had said Biden would veto the House bill.
Senate leaders are writing their own supplemental funding bill and hope to introduce it as soon as this week.
RHM/PR