(PatriotWise.com) — Speaker of the House Mike Johnson on Monday evening announced that the House would take up separate aid bills for Israel and Ukraine as part of its effort to address Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel last weekend, CNN reported.
House Republicans met Monday evening for a policy conference to discuss Iran’s attack on Israel and a series of bills to respond to Iran’s aggression.
According to Axios, the Republicans discussed a wide range of bills the House would vote on this week, including bills to “fully implement” Iranian sanctions and ensure that the sanctions aren’t being bypassed. The GOP also seeks to restrict imports and transactions between US financial institutions and the Islamic Republic.
Republicans have also teed up resolutions, including one to urge the European Union to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and another declaring “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” an antisemitic slogan.
New Jersey Republican Rep. Tom Kean introduced a resolution declaring that the House would stand with Israel as it deters Iran and its proxies and affirming Israel’s “right to respond” to Iran and its proxies by any “necessary means.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said that bills “represent a comprehensive response” to the threat posed by Iran and “demonstrate our support of Israel.”
While the bills would require a two-thirds majority to pass under the House process known as “suspension of the rules,” many have bipartisan support and are likely to pass.
However, the bills to aid Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan are likely to face contentious opposition.
Johnson’s plan to pursue separate bills for each is likely to be met with pushback, not just from lawmakers but also from the White House.
In Monday’s press briefing, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the White House opposed stand-alone legislation for Israel and urged the House to vote on the supplemental aid package passed by the Senate.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also called for a House vote on the supplemental package, writing in a letter to House colleagues that Iran’s attack on Israel and the events in Eastern Europe “underscore the need for Congress to act immediately.”
Copyright 2024, PatriotWise.com
