Republican Sens. Roger Marshall of Kansas and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee are set to push for votes on two different versions of a stand-alone Israel aid measure in the Senate on Monday night. This move comes in response to Iran's recent drone attack on Israel over the weekend.
Marshall and Blackburn plan to seek unanimous consent to force votes on two Israel aid bills. One bill is for $14.3 billion and includes cuts to President Biden's $80 billion expansion of the Internal Revenue Service under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The other bill is for $17.6 billion but does not include a mechanism to pay for it. Marshall will lead the former bill, while Blackburn will push for a vote on the latter.
In prepared remarks, Marshall emphasized the importance of actions over words, stating, 'We are tired of hearing the pro-Israel lip service while you simultaneously block every effort to help Israel in its time of need.' Blackburn echoed similar sentiments, urging Democratic colleagues to support Israel in the wake of Iran's recent attack.
However, a Democrat senator is expected to object to the request, as the caucus has expressed a desire to tie Israel aid to Ukraine aid. This stance has been a point of contention between the two parties, with the White House also renewing its opposition to stand-alone aid for Israel.
Despite the push for stand-alone Israel aid, the White House has reiterated its position against such measures, arguing that a stand-alone bill would not be beneficial for Israel and Ukraine. Marshall and Blackburn previously voted against a $95.3 billion supplemental foreign aid package that included aid for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan in February.
The debate over stand-alone Israel aid versus tying it to other foreign aid continues to be a contentious issue in the Senate, highlighting the complexities of foreign aid allocation and national security priorities.
