US House Speaker Mike Johnson tells Fox News that he is considering introducing an aid package for Israel as a standalone bill, spurred on by comments by Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer calling for new elections in Israel.
“There’s discussion in the last two hours about running Israel as a separate stand-alone because of the events of today,” Johnson is quoted telling Fox. “Frankly, Leader Schumer and his comments made the situation even more urgent.”
“There’s enough members now saying let’s just get Israel done,” he adds.
The introduction of the proposal will likely put pressure on Schumer and other Democrats to show support for the Jewish state.
The Senate has already passed a bill sending some $14 billion to Israel in aid, but Johnson has refused to advance the measure due to the inclusion of around $60 billion in funding for Ukraine.
The House has already passed two standalone funding bills for Israel, but Schumer has refused to have the Senate take them up.
Johnson says that Democrats who opposed the previous attempts “might be more open to consideration of that, given where we are right now and the urgency of the moment.”
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Friday, March 15, 2024
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