President Biden would veto a package put forward by House Republicans to provide aid to Israel while cutting funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and leaving out funding for other national security priorities, the White House said Tuesday.
In a comprehensive statement of administration policy, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) extensively critiqued the House GOP proposal, contending that it introduces partisan elements into support for Israel. The statement further criticized the proposal for not addressing the current situation adequately, as it omitted provisions for humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza and assistance for Ukraine, as well as support for allies in the Indo-Pacific region.
“The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) expressed its concerns about the impact of this bill, stating that it is detrimental to Israel, the Middle East region, and our national security. The White House emphasized that the GOP’s proposal represents a departure from bipartisan tradition by proposing budget cuts within an emergency national security package.
According to the OMB, previous efforts in Congress have consistently maintained a bipartisan approach to providing security assistance to Israel, and they believe that this bill could potentially disrupt that longstanding approach. Separating Israel’s security assistance from other national security priorities is seen as having global consequences.
The OMB’s statement on Tuesday indicated that the administration would continue its efforts to collaborate with lawmakers in Congress to reach an agreement on the supplemental request put forth by the White House earlier in the month. provide aid to Israel
The GOP’s proposed package, introduced on Monday, allocates $14.3 billion in aid to Israel for its efforts against Hamas, the militant group governing Gaza, which was responsible for terrorist attacks on October 7th resulting in the loss of approximately 1,400 Israeli lives.
Additionally, this proposal seeks to reduce funding for the IRS that was originally included in the Inflation Reduction Act, a comprehensive tax, health, and climate bill signed into law last year, representing one of President Biden’s key policy achievements.”