
House to take up Israel aid package Thursday
CBSN
The House will take up Republicans' standalone Israel aid bill Thursday afternoon, with Democrats firmly opposed to passing aid for Israel in a measure separate from aid to Ukraine and other national security interests.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he'll bring the bill to the floor on Tuesday. The supplemental aid package for Israel would offer $14.3 billion in aid for its fight against Hamas, a sum that would be taken from IRS funding. But the Congressional Budget Office says this would in fact increase the deficit because that IRS funding was designated for enforcement actions against tax cheats.
"Israel doesn't need a cease-fire," Johnson told reporters Thursday. "It needs its allies to cease with the politics and deliver support now. And that's what we're doing." President Biden had said Wednesday he thought there should be a humanitarian "pause" in the Israel-Hamas war, after his campaign speech was interrupted by a protester calling for a cease-fire. "I think we need a pause," which he said would "give time to get the prisoners out."