By Staff, Agencies

The US House passed a bill on Thursday to provide $14.3 billion in aid to the ‘Israeli’ occupation entity as it fights a war against Hamas – a move that sets up a clash with the Democratic-led Senate in an early leadership test for Speaker Mike Johnson.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has called the House GOP bill a “deeply flawed proposal” that the Senate will not take it up. Democrats are objecting to the fact that the bill does not include aid to Ukraine and would enact funding cuts to the Internal Revenue Service. The House vote was 226 to 196. Two Republicans opposed the bill and 12 Democrats supported it.

Democrats have called for aid to ‘Israel’ to be paired with additional security assistance for Ukraine. In the Senate, there is bipartisan support for aid to ‘Israel’ and further aid to Ukraine. But in the House, many Republicans are opposed to sending more aid to Ukraine, putting the two chambers at odds.

In an attempt to offset the cost of the $14.3 billion in ‘Israel’ aid, the House bill would rescind $14.3 billion in funding for the Internal Revenue Service. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said, however, that the proposal to offset aid to ‘Israel’ by cutting IRS funding would add to the deficit and result in roughly $26.8 billion in lost revenue over 10 years.