White House issues veto threat over GOP's Israel-only aid package

The White House has signaled that he would veto a Republican-backed aid package to Israel that includes matching cuts to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and no money for Ukraine should it reach his desk.

Biden has requested that Congress approve a $106 billion spending package, including $14.3 billion for Israel and $61 billion for Ukraine. While the president has sought to bundle aid to both countries and support for Kyiv wanes, House Republicans under Speaker Mike Johnson have put forward a plan to separate aid to the two. The Republican plan, which they unveiled on Monday, would allocated $14.3 billion solely for Israel and include matching spending cuts to the IRS.

The White House outlined its objections Tuesday in a statement of administration policy from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), saying "[t]his bill is bad for Israel, for the Middle East region, and for our own national security," according to The Hill.

"Bifurcating Israel security assistance from the other priorities in the national security supplemental will have global consequences," the statement warned. "Congress has consistently worked in a bipartisan manner to provide security assistance to Israel, and this bill threatens to unnecessarily undermine that longstanding approach."

The legislation is likely dead on arrival in the Democratic Senate, even should it clear the lower chamber. The Rules Committee is slated to begin reviewing the legislation on Wednesday, though it faces steep odds, even in the House. While Democrats remain steadfast in their support for bundling Israel and Ukraine aid, some House conservatives have expressed opposition to sending any additional funds overseas and it remains to be seen whether Johnson can muster enough support to send the plan to the Senate.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.