House Republicans introduced legislation that would provide Israel with $14.3 billion.

In order to foot the bill, legislators want to cut into the funds allocated to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Specifically, it targets some of the $80 billion the package gave to the IRS,” Fox News wrote.

“HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ Israel aid bill is out. It offsets $14.3 billion in Israel aid with $14.3 billion in cuts to IRS from the Inflation Reduction Act. This offset will NEVER, EVER fly. Dems will reject it out of hand,” Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman commented.

Fox News reports:

Israel is shaping up to be the first big test for newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., whose first act on the House floor as leader was to pass a bipartisan resolution condemning Hamas.

He’s expected to hold a vote on the Israel aid bill on Thursday.

It will likely put Democrats in a tough spot between the political fallout of rejecting Israel aid and the bill’s removal of funds from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

And the bill puts Johnson at odds with the Democrat-controlled Senate and White House, both of which are pushing for Israel aid to be tied with dollars for Ukraine’s defense against Russia.

However, the cuts to IRS funding is likely to please conservatives – Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Hill Country Patriot Radio on Monday that he would support Israel aid if it was offset with budget cuts.

“The American people must see that it’s going to cost something if we’re going to give another $14 billion to Israel. So I’m for it. But it should be paid for…with real money, not budgetary gimmicks,” Roy said.

“We’re going to have pays-for in [the bill],” Johnson told Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany.

“We’re not just going to print money and send it overseas,” he added.

WATCH:

CBS News added:

The Republican bill sets up a battle over support for Israel, with Mr. Biden and Democrats in the Senate wanting to pair aid for Israel with tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, which some House Republicans oppose. The White House asked Congress for a $105 billion aid package two weeks ago, which included $14 billion for Israel and $61 billion related to Ukraine.

Johnson, who supports separating the aid packages, acknowledged that the cuts to the IRS would be unpopular among Democrats, but said he planned to call Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for a “direct” and “thoughtful conversation.”

“I understand their priority is to bulk up the IRS,” Johnson told Fox News. “But I think if you put this to the American people and they weigh the two needs, I think they’re going to say standing with Israel and protecting the innocent over there is in our national interest and is a more immediate need than IRS agents.”

The president signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in 2022, and it included hundreds of billions of dollars for Democratic priorities related to climate change, health care costs and taxes. It also boosted the IRS’ funding by $80 billion, allowing the agency to hire thousands of agents and revamp decades-old technological systems. Experts said the upgrades and hiring boost were long overdue and would improve the agency’s ability to process tax returns, but the provision was highly unpopular among Republican lawmakers.

Read the bill’s complete text at Punchbowl News.

 

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