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By Jackson Richman and Joseph Lord(EPOCH TIMES)
Senators expressed differing sentiments about the House’s bill to provide supplemental funding to Israel amid the Jewish state coming under attack by Hamas and Hezbollah.
Democrats are united in opposition to the bill, which would give Israel $14.3 billion, but only by reallocating that amount from Internal Revenue Service funding under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated he is “deeply disappointed” by the measure, one of the first to be considered under new House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
“Their price for helping Israel … is making it much easier for wealthy Americans to cheat on their taxes,” he said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told The Epoch Times that the GOP is playing a game with the legislation and called it “a non-starter.”
“I think it seeks to play political football with aid to Israel … It makes me very concerned that one of his [Mr. Johnson’s] first actions is seeking to exploit Israel’s vulnerable position and its need for aid by attaching a poison to the package,” said Mr. Blumenthal.
Republicans, meanwhile, are divided over the bill.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), for example, has called for Israel and Ukraine assistance to be passed simultaneously, saying that the two are “intertwined.”
However, not all GOP senators are behind their leader.
“I’m all for cutting the IRS. I’d like to do that in any event. So if we cut the IRS and then use the money for ally Israel, I’m all for it,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told The Epoch Times. “In all seriousness, I think that prioritizing Israel is the right way to go here. I think we should act on Israel ASAP and get that done.”
“You know, fortunately, he and I agree on this policy 100 percent,” said Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), referring to Mr. Johnson.
The State Department, meanwhile, is staying out of the divide over the bill.
“I will let others in the government speak to specific legislative packages, first and foremost, the White House,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in response to a question from The Epoch Times on Oct. 31 about the bill.
A bipartisan letter to Mr. Johnson called for Israel and Ukraine assistance to be all together.
“We are living through a precarious global period, and it is critically important that, as it was in generations past, our partisan politics stop at the water’s edge,” said Reps. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.), and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio).
“In this historic moment, we urge you to bring to the floor the full supplemental funding request supporting Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan together, as well as securing our southern border, so that all members of Congress can vote their consciences on this essential legislation,” they continued.
The bill allocates $4.4 billion for defense maintenance through Sept. 30, 2025, which is the end of the 2024–2025 fiscal year. The secretary of defense would be required to notify Congress of the transfer of funds “not less than” 15 days beforehand.
The legislation sets aside $801.4 million—which can be used until Sept. 30, 2026, the end of the 2025–2026 fiscal year—for Israel procuring army ammunition, $10 million for naval weapons acquisitions, and $38.6 million for air force missile procurement.
Most notably, the bill allocates $4 billion—which can be used until Sept. 30, 2026—for the Iron Dome missile defense and David’s Sling air defense systems. There is no specific funding for the Arrow missile defense systems, though money is fungible and it is likely that air force missile procurement could be used for that crucial element of Israel’s defense systems.
There is $1.35 billion for research, development, testing, and evaluating Israel’s defense—for use until Sept. 30, 2025—$1.2 billion of which can be used for developing the Iron Beam defense system, which is designed to intercept short-range rockets.
Finally, the bill allocates $3.65 billion for State Department operations in Israel that can be used until Sept. 30, 2025.
The House is expected to pass the bill on Nov. 2.
