The House GOP recently unveiled its 14 billion dollar aid bill that seeks to support Israel. What makes this bill particularly interesting is that the money for this aid package is offset by cuts to the Internal Revenue Service budget for the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
This bill is seen as a move by the House GOP to show their support for Israel while also tackling some of Biden’s policy initiatives. The move is a clear attempt to check the Biden-Harris administration’s agenda in domestic economic policy and U.S.-Israeli relations.
The 14 billion dollar aid package is expected to help Israel with its defense capabilities in the face of various threats from its enemies in the region. The bill also calls for the renewal of the multi-year Memorandum of Understanding which is considered to be the most important security agreement to both countries.
The bill also features language that encourages the Biden-Harris administration to move forward with a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is seen as a big concession by the House GOP and has been welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In order to pay for this aid package, House GOP leaders have proposed cuts to the budget of the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS budget cuts are estimated to be around two billion dollars and would largely come from the Inflation Reduction Act. The Act was supposed to help decrease the overall burden of inflation on the U.S. economy but the proposed cuts would ultimately limit its effectiveness in the eyes of many.
Despite the proposed cuts, the move by House GOP leaders is still generally seen as a success as providing military aid to Israel is a priority of many Republicans. It is also viewed as a way for House GOP leaders to express their support for Israel while also pushing back on the Biden-Harris administration’s domestic policy initiatives.
Overall, the recently unveiled House GOP 14 billion dollar aid bill for Israel is a curious yet noteworthy attempt to show their support for the country while also trying to offset portions of the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. It will be interesting to see how the Biden-Harris administration and their supporters respond to the GOP move in the coming months.
