Washington, D.C. – President Biden has indicated that he would veto a House Republican proposal to provide aid to Israel while cutting funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and excluding support for other national security priorities, according to the White House. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) criticized the GOP package, stating that it introduced partisanship into the issue of supporting Israel. The OMB argued that the proposal fails to address the current situation adequately by not including humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza or support for Ukraine and allies in the Indo-Pacific.

In addition, the White House emphasized that the GOP proposal departs from bipartisan precedent by seeking funding cuts as part of an emergency national security package. The OMB stated that this approach undermines the longstanding bipartisan cooperation in providing security assistance to Israel and warned of the global consequences of separating Israel’s security assistance from other national security priorities.

The White House reaffirmed its commitment to work with lawmakers in Congress to reach an agreement on the supplemental request for funding put forward earlier this month. Meanwhile, the GOP package, unveiled on Monday, aims to provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel in its battle against Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza and recently carried out terrorist attacks resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,400 Israelis.

However, the GOP proposal faces criticism for its inclusion of cuts to IRS funding, which was part of the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law last year as a major policy achievement of President Biden. Furthermore, the package diverges from the White House’s strategy of linking aid for Ukraine and Israel in the same legislation, which could complicate the bill’s passage.

The legislation, one of the first introduced under Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who recently assumed the position, will be taken up by the House Rules Committee. However, its prospects of becoming law are uncertain, as it would need to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate, where lawmakers have voiced a desire to connect support for Ukraine and Israel.

In summary, President Biden would veto the House Republicans’ aid package for Israel due to the funding cuts for the IRS and the exclusion of support for other national security priorities. The White House criticized the proposal for introducing partisanship into the matter and warned of the potential negative consequences. However, the GOP package, which includes significant aid for Israel, faces challenges, including opposition from Senate Democrats and deviations from the White House’s approach of linking aid for Ukraine and Israel in the same legislation.