Posted on 11/01/2023 2:58:39 PM PDT by Mariner
New Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Republican senators Wednesday that U.S. military aid to Israel must move by itself, warning them that a larger package also funding Ukraine, Taiwan and the U.S. southern border can’t pass the House.
Johnson also told GOP senators that he supports sending military aid to Ukraine but cautioned that it must be attached to reforms to improve border security.
He told senators that he plans to move an Israel aid bill and a Ukraine-border security bill sequentially, according to GOP senators who attended the meeting.
According to Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Johnson said he supports bringing a Ukraine assistance bill to the House floor but emphasized he wants to do “Israel first.”
“He’s for both of them; he’s just trying to do one at a time,” Tuberville told reporters after the meeting.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
I wouldn't hold out too much hope for a Ukraine bill, border security is anathema to Dems and most of the GOP conference is opposed to any at all.
These Republicans are showing their true colors.
The power of the speaker to set the agenda is what you are relying on. Not the whim of the Reps.
Making them separate funding bills makes sense to me. Let each one live or die on its own. Good move by Speaker Johnson.
The GOP House has to stand with the speaker on this first bill. They have to make the point that new allocations must come from other extravagances in the budget. No more just selling debt and printing money to pay for every whimsy.
And if they don’t stand with him, they risk throwing the House back into chaos.
And, from a political strategy POV this is a good move because Biden and the Dems have already boxed themselves into a corner on the aid. They really aren’t in a position to say no.
Pass the stand alone. If they reject it, pass it again with double the spending cuts. Do this until they give in
THEY want the spending. They need to be taught that the US House is not the US Senate or US White House’s rubber stamp.
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.
Good for him.
Of course Israel first. Ukraine has been at it for nearly two years with little to show for it. Israel was just attacked 3 weeks ago.
No money for sanctuary cities
Billions in 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.
Iran is supplying Hezbollah with weapons, sure, but do they want to enter this war directly if they can help it? Israel knows the lay of the land there better than anyone so they must know igniting a regional war could actually threaten Israel’s very survival.
Why are some FReepers and legislators cheering that on?
Billions in 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.
Iran is supplying Hezbollah with weapons, sure, but do they want to enter this war directly if they can help it? Israel knows the lay of the land there better than anyone so they must know igniting a regional war could actually threaten Israel’s very survival.
Why are some FReepers and legislators cheering that on?
Well, the guy said more/less the same thing this morning so it’s encouraging that he’s stood by it throughout the day.
Guess we’ll keep fingers crossed and see what tomorrow brings . . .
Sounds good, but more funds will be available to offset $ to Ukraine with some outside the box thinking (BTW I loved the speaker using Biden's IRS binge to instead fund Israel). Improving border security grows the stick used against illegal immigration. Shrinking the carrot drawing it offers lots of creatively reversable $. Illegal immigrants shouldn't be eligible for tax payer support $ beyond the minimum required to keep them alive until shipped back. But IIRIC federal courts have declared they can't be excluded from all kinds of largess. Well as our new, constitutional law expert, speaker knows well the Framers blessed us with multiple checks and balances between the 3 branches. Most seem to have forgotten all about checks on the judicial branch beyond impeachment, but although rarely used they do exist. IIRC one of them is that Congress can set or limit jurisdiction over the laws. I'm not a lawyer, but I recall being taught Congress can pass a law and include a clause rendering it non-reviewable, at least the usual courts or limit its review to special courts (thus, eg. the special tax courts). So write new law barring illegals from eligibility for most federal funding and include clauses to the prior court rulings can't automatically overturn it or, at worst require new rulings in a court of Congresses choice. I don't know the specifics of how to do this, but leave it to Speaker Johnson's constitutional expertise to unravel. As an originalist he can't believe the Framers intended the status quo, even if he were to accept the current acceptance of federal largess for individual citizens. Remove that federal carrot and lots of illegals will stop coming and some here will leave.
If the Senate acts and unifies and modifies the bills into one, the House should separate them, apply the modifications, and send the Israel bill back first.
Good for him and the House Republicans.
> extravagances in the budget.<
That is the best description I’ve seen in a long while. Kudos.
EC
FACTS ON FILE-——China sides w/ Hamas against Israel. As of 2022, China was Israel’s
2nd largest trading partner, with total trade value reaching a whopping $24.45 billion.
Both the Trump and Biden administrations had restricted sensitive technological exports to China. As a result, China turned to cooperative Israel. China’s direct investment in Israel’s IT industry, especially in chips and semiconductors, now has increased.
In 2017, Israeli PM Netanyahu said China accounts for one-third of the investment in Israeli high technology, which includes US military technology the US shares w/ Israel, its strongest ally. In the ’90s, Israel sold military equipment and technologies to China, including the Harpy missile system.
This incident chilled relations between the United States and Israel, with Israel being suspended from its status as Security Cooperative Participant in the Joint Strike Fighter program. However, on 6 November 2005, Israel stated that it has been re-admitted into the program.
The US had to pressure Israel to stop sharing US military technology w/ China. Yet Israel still doesn’t restrict China from acquiring dual-usage technologies that could have military implications against the US.
A succession of US administrations warned Israel about its growing tie with China, sharing concern about China using Israel as a backdoor to access sensitive technologies from the US.
The most vocal objection to Sino-Israeli ties came from the Trump administration. When former Secy of State Mike Pompeo visited Israel in 2019, he warned Israelis that the CCP “engages in spying through its commercial state-owned enterprises and presents risk through its technology systems. Pompeo said China’s actions posed a risk.
Unfortunately, Israel largely brushed aside the warnings. Like many other countries, China’s massive market has enticed Israel. Plus, the Israeli government hopes China’s good relationships with Arab nations may help Israel.
This year, Netanyahu was working on a Sino-Israeli free trade agreement and planned to visit China. But China’s siding w/ Hamas should wake up Israel’s leaders to the reality that Communist China’s relationship with Israel is purely transactional.
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.