The US House of Representatives on Thursday approved a Republican plan to provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel in the fight against Hamas, despite Senate Democrats’ insistence that the bill has no future and the White House’s promise to impose a veto.
The measure passed by a vote of 226 to 196, largely along party lines: most Republicans supported the bill and most Democrats opposed it.
The introduction of the bill was the first major legislative initiative under new Republican Speaker Mike Johnson. President Joe Biden has threatened to veto it and Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader in the Senate, has said he will not bring the measure to a vote.
Biden has called on Congress to approve a larger $106 billion emergency spending package that includes funding for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine, as well as humanitarian aid. Schumer said the Senate will consider bipartisan legislation that addresses broader priorities.
The House bill’s funding includes billions of dollars for the Israeli military, including $4 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling defense systems to counter missile threats. The bill also provides for the transfer of certain types of military equipment and equipment from US warehouses.