Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

House Republicans: Force Joe Biden To Explain Why Israel And Ukraine Are More Important Than America
The Federalist ^ | 11/28/2023 | Eddie Scarry

Posted on 11/28/2023 10:31:02 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Here are two things I’m very, very tired of: Hearing how deadly important it is that we send billions more taxpayer dollars to fix the problems of other countries and watching my own country degrade and decay while being told everything is fine.

The federal government is allegedly in some sort of high-stakes standoff between House Republicans, Senate Democrats, and the White House over yet another request from Joe Biden to send tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine and Israel. Politico on Monday summarized the supposed conflict, writing that “the White House is insisting that its multifaceted funding request move in one piece due to fears that separating out Israel funding — with its overwhelming bipartisan support — would mean letting the more controversial Ukraine aid languish.”

In total, Biden is asking Congress for more than $100 billion in spending, the vast majority of which would go to his precious Ukraine, a few billion to Israel, and then something like ten bucks for “border security.” The problem for him, however, is that handing fistfuls of cash to President Zelenskyy(yyy) isn’t too popular with voters anymore — especially Republican voters. Knowing this, House Speaker Mike Johnson has offered to get money for Israel on its own and with nothing attached. That’s called “expressing the will of the people.” There was even the added bonus of making the funds available only if it came from spending that was already scheduled for elsewhere — in this case, on the IRS.

As for the Democrat-controlled Senate, Leader Charles Schumer is naturally backing Biden by preemptively rejecting Johnson’s offer and telling senators they “should be prepared to stay in Washington” until they pass “a funding bill to ensure we as well as our friends and partners in Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region have the necessary military capabilities to confront and deter our adversaries and competitors.” In other words, it’s going to be all or nothing.

Well, don’t threaten me with a good time!

I’m curious as to what leverage Biden and Schumer believe they have on the matter. A plurality of Americans say the U.S. is offering “too much” support for Ukraine. That’s been the case since at least June. The Democratic Party is bluntly divided on aiding Israel, with some elected officials openly supporting the nation’s enemy.

Meanwhile, in America, where we’re treated by Washington with Spirit Airlines-level service, prices on basic goods continue to climb, the Southern border has collapsed, and to step outside the house is to risk getting mugged and murdered.

It’s Bidenomics, folks! Bottom up, middle out, folks! It just works, folks!

Precisely where is anyone supposed to find the urgency to send another round of money to yet another country when everything here sucks? And precisely what is the threat for those who won’t? That the Senate will have to work through Christmas?

Be my guest!

Admittedly, expectations for Republicans should never be higher than Stephen Hawking could jump. Maybe Johnson will cave, and the American taxpayer will be forced to send more of their dollars elsewhere, all while watching their family get poorer and their city less safe. Those things apparently don’t matter so long as Ukraine and Israel aren’t taken care of first.

If forcing senators to stay in Washington for Christmas, away from their families, is what it takes, that’s a price everyone should be willing to pay, especially Speaker Johnson. Let Biden and Democrats explain why the welfare of other countries is more important than ours.


Eddie Scarry is the D.C. columnist at The Federalist and author of "Liberal Misery: How the Hateful Left Sucks Joy Out of Everything and Everyone."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Israel; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: congress; foreignaid; israel; ukraine
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last

1 posted on 11/28/2023 10:31:02 AM PST by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Sure let’s abandon Israel /s
Idiot.


2 posted on 11/28/2023 10:32:48 AM PST by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

“Here are two things I’m very, very tired of:”

Why would I read an article that starts like that? Too many words put in front of me. Will AI result in still more?


3 posted on 11/28/2023 10:36:49 AM PST by cymbeline
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

More egregiously, Biden and the Democrats are OK with arming foreign countries but grabbing guns from Americans is an obsession w/ them. The same “Congress” that gleefully tramples 2A rights, is hell bent on supplying weapons to foreign countries.


Not content w/ the mega billions already in his pocket, Zelensky now says
he wants US tax dollars to Ukraine “according to the Israeli model”......here’s what he means:
Congressional Research Service
US Foreign aid to Israel
60 page detailed report

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL33222/44

The concerned Israeli lobby made sure Congress is required by law to ensure that U.S. military aid in the Middle East region doesn’t damage Israel’s military superiority over its neighbors. That requirement enjoys broad bipartisan support and has served as a benchmark for ensuring Israel receives robust U.S. support.

Biden keeps gaslighting Americans about the “need” for
American foreign aid tax dollars to Ukraine and Israel.
Here’s why they DONT need it:

About $113.1 billion in tax dollars were authorized in 2022 for Ukraine, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Most of it–about $67.1 billion–was defense-related. The other $46 billion included:
<><>$26.9 billion for economic support;
<><>$7.9 billion for international disaster assistance;
<><>$6.6 billion in assistance for refugees;
<><>$1.5 billion for assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia;
<><>plus $3.1 billion for other non-defense spending.

US tax dollars helped Ukraine
<><>pay the salaries of 618,000 educators, 517,000 health workers, and 56,500 first responders
<><>helped sustain critical healthcare services,
<><>helped meet pension responsibilities for 9.8 million people,
<><>assisted 1.3 million internally displaced persons,
<><>provided housing assistance to 4.1 million people,
<><>provided social assistance to 240,000 low-income families
<><>helped subsidize 480,000 persons with disabilities,
<><>bought supplies for farmers,
<><>financed finding markets for small business.

Backstory: Since 1973, Israel has received more than $120 billion US tax
dollars in MILITARY assistance alone, including “three special aid” packages.
<><>billions for signing the Israel-Egypt peace treaty
<><>billions for Israel’s withdrawal from the Sinai.
<><>billions for redeployment of Israeli forces
<><>rebuilding Israeli air bases in the Negev cost $5 billion.

Besides weaponry, Israel also receives economic and humanitarian foreign aid, which supports broad economic development and sociopolitical stability and can include non-military support related to the country’s pressing security needs.

Military aid from US taxpayers has blanketed Israel over the years. They have more than enough resources, now, to nail Hamas and Hezbollah. Wealthy Israel has very low debt, and actually had a budget surplus this year, while the US is $33 trillion in debt, a debt which future generations are saddled with.


4 posted on 11/28/2023 10:36:54 AM PST by Liz (Women have tremendous power — their femininity, because men can't do without it. Sidney Sheldon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

If Joe’s not elected to a second term, he doesn’t have much time left to bankrupt the country. He needs these big foreign aid packages approved to put a big turd in the swimming pool before he leaves.


5 posted on 11/28/2023 10:37:17 AM PST by ProudDeplorable (Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty. ~ Ronald Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

About time... But will they do anything about it?


6 posted on 11/28/2023 10:37:48 AM PST by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

They are not more important. But both Ukraine and Israel are now being attacked by the two most dangerous and predatory groups in the world namely Russia and the Muslims. And for us to have a real peace in this world both will have to be dealt with.


7 posted on 11/28/2023 10:37:57 AM PST by amnestynone (We are asked by people who do not tolerate us to tolerate the intolerable in the name of tolerance.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Because the destruction of America is the highest priority of the Left.


8 posted on 11/28/2023 10:41:08 AM PST by G Larry (It is RACIST to impose SLAVE WAGES on LEGAL Immigrants by importing Cheap ILLEGAL Labor!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: amnestynone
Russia and Muslims are dangerous enemies, to be sure.

However, China is a bigger threat.

9 posted on 11/28/2023 10:41:12 AM PST by marktwain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Put it on his prompter, he’ll say whatever you want


10 posted on 11/28/2023 10:42:07 AM PST by bigbob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

King pedoPIG, the First couldn’t explain his way out of a wet paper bag....er wet diaper.


11 posted on 11/28/2023 10:48:27 AM PST by lgjhn23 ("On the 8th day, Satan created the progressive liberal to destroy all the good that God created...")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Williams
Sure let’s abandon Israel /s

All my life, I've heard conservatives say they oppose welfare, foreign and domestic, because:

1. It weakens the recipient and makes them dependent.

2. It destroys character, filling the recipient with resentment, ingratitude, and a sense of entitlement.

3. People and nations should pay their own way, stand on their own two feet, as a matter of principle.

4. The welfare is never enough, the hand is always out, every year there's another "special circumstance" or "unforeseen crisis" that necessitates continuing aid.

But when attention turns to Israel, some conservatives toss all this wisdom out the window.

Why is treating Israel like a normal country that must pay its own way "abandoning" Israel? Has Israel "abandoned" us by not paying us foreign aid?

When will it ever be enough?


12 posted on 11/28/2023 11:15:43 AM PST by Angelino97
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Very good damn question.

We need to stop ALL foreign aid until EVERY problem is solved in America. Tell each banana republic to figure it out for themselves, our money needs to support US, not every global hard luck case.

And Zelenskyy passed my personal overload point a month after the war started. Give me ONE reason that the fate of Ukraine affects we as an American.


13 posted on 11/28/2023 11:21:21 AM PST by VideoPaul
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I didn’t see any explination from Brandon in the article. Or for that matter republicans forcing him to do anything.


14 posted on 11/28/2023 11:26:53 AM PST by chuckb87
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Williams

There are ways to support Israel and Uhraine without sending a dime overseas. Reagan knew how to do it. Trump knew how to do it. But where’s the grift angle in that?

EC


15 posted on 11/28/2023 11:28:57 AM PST by Ex-Con777
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Williams

The author gives more spoon fed pablum for populists. I always knew Democrats were dumb as doornobs but it’s been disappointing to see many GOP voters are apparently just as brain dead.


16 posted on 11/28/2023 11:32:00 AM PST by lodi90
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Angelino97

Because foreign policy and national security are not like welfare or like your kids’ allowance.

And Israel does more than pull its own weight as our ally and stabilizing force in the Middle East.

Next false analogy.


17 posted on 11/28/2023 11:33:07 AM PST by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: VideoPaul

Why don’t some of you wake up? You want to stop all foreign aid everywhere in the world until every problem in America is fixed.
But you just don’t care that America will be destroyed because the world will be taken over by enemies very serious enemies who want to kill us.

But let’s just have temper tantrums how ridiculous.


18 posted on 11/28/2023 11:34:48 AM PST by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: amnestynone

Basically liberals

Ukes - hamas = dnc Zealot- crusaders

Obombobot - bidendistas


19 posted on 11/28/2023 11:37:17 AM PST by Firehath (Quackery - An irrelevant simplification / undetected Complex problem - attacking symptoms)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: All

Hamas said it will attack Tel Aviv.

20 posted on 11/28/2023 11:43:00 AM PST by Liz (Women have tremendous power — their femininity, because men can't do without it. Sidney Sheldon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson