The political establishment’s hope of tying additional Ukraine aid to an aid package for Israel appears to be declining, though all options remain possible.
“I support both, but I think it’d be a mistake to bundle the two,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) told Politico on Wednesday. “But it sounds like the administration wants to put the two together. I think that’d be a mistake.”
President Joe Biden has not formally requested Congress to approve an aid package for Israel after Hamas’s terror attack over the weekend. For Ukraine, Joe Biden sent an additional $200 million on Tuesday to defend its eastern border. He also requested $24 billion for Ukraine in August, but Congress so far has not shelled out additional taxpayer funds. Congress earmarked $113 billion for Ukraine earlier this year.
Many lawmakers appear united on providing Israel an aid package, as opposed to additional Ukraine funding requests.
A Palestinian protester burns an Israeli flag after the funeral of Palestinian Milad Said Ayyash, 17, who died. AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner
“This is gonna be a leadership call,” House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul (R-TX) told reporters. “They’ve had discussions with [the White House Office of Management and Budget]. We’re looking at a variety of options that would include all four of those things,” he said in reference to funding for Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel, and the U.S. southern border.
For the House to approve aid to Israel, the House must first elect a Speaker. The Republican conference held a conference vote on Wednesday and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) only received 113 member votes, three of which were delegates from territories. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) received 99 votes, and eight voted present. Scalise’s 110 number means he does not have a majority of the majority, a bad sign for Scalise’s chances of winning the Speakership. As a result, the House floor will likely not hold a vote Wednesday for Speaker.
Scalise and Jordan Contend for House Speaker, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Former congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) posted Wednesday on X that Scalise is the “best option for Ukraine.” But the establishment will have a hard time pushing Scalise over the finish line. Almost ten Republicans publicly voiced opposition to the majority leader, including Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, Chip Roy, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Max Miller, and Lauren Boebert.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.