Senate overwhelmingly passes package containing Ukraine aid and more



In a 79-18 vote, the U.S. Senate voted to pass a package that included Ukraine aid, Israel aid, and other items even as the America's ever-expanding national debt is over $34 trillion.

Two Democrats, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, and 15 Republicans voted against passage, according to the Washington Post.

The package now heads to President Joe Biden, who plans to sign it.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer described the package as "one of the most consequential measures Congress has passed in years to protect America’s security and the future of Democracy."

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GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has been a vocal opponent of the measure.

"They think they're Churchill. They're congratulating themselves for spending money that doesn’t belong to them—money we don't have and will have to borrow and print. Spending other people's money to fight someone else's war—against their will—isn't heroic. It's cowardice," Lee tweeted.

"It doesn’t end well for any political party whose elected officials repeatedly display contempt for the party’s most faithful voters," Lee tweeted. "Dems don’t do this to their base," he added. "Dems fight for their base, not against it," Lee wrote.

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said in a post, "Since this $95 billion package doesn't secure our border and further plunders our children’s future, I’m voting no. Securing our own border before we secure another nation’s seems obvious to me, but apparently it is not to most in Congress."

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If The GOP Loses Its House Majority, It’s Speaker Johnson’s Fault

And actually, we’d be better off with a Democrat-controlled Congress and an actual GOP opposition than whatever this is.

Sanders continues claiming Israel's response to October terror attacks has been 'immoral'



Left-wing independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has continued accusing Israel of carrying out an "immoral" response to the October terror attacks.

"The issue we face with Israel-Gaza is not complicated. While we recognize that Hamas’ barbaric terrorist attack began this war, we must also recognize that Israel’s military response has been grossly disproportionate, immoral, and in violation of international law. And, most importantly for Americans, we must understand that Israel’s war against the Palestinian people has been significantly waged with U.S. bombs, artillery shells, and other forms of weaponry," Sanders said in a Tuesday statement.

"Congress is working to pass a supplemental funding bill that includes $10 billion of unconditional military aid for the right-wing Netanyahu government to continue its brutal war against the Palestinian people. Enough is enough. Congress must reject that funding. The taxpayers of the United States must no longer be complicit in destroying the lives of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza," Sanders declared.

Sanders previously expressed the same sentiments last month as well, declaring in a letter to President Joe Biden that "while it is appropriate to support defensive systems that will protect Israeli civilians against incoming missile and rockets attacks, it would be irresponsible to provide an additional $10.1 billion in military aid beyond these defensive systems as contained in the proposed supplemental foreign aid package."

"The Netanyahu government’s current military approach is immoral, it is in violation of international law, and the United States must end our complicity in those actions," Sanders said in the December letter.

Israel launched a war effort last year after terrorists raped, kidnapped, and slaughtered people.

Citing the Health Ministry of Gaza, the Associated Press has reported that over 22,400 individuals have been killed, and that over two thirds of those were women and children.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that Israel is striving to avoid civilian casualties.

"Israel does its best to minimize civilian casualties by dropping leaflets, sending text messages and using other means to warn Gazans to get out of harm’s way. Hamas by contrast does its utmost to keep Palestinians in harm's way—often at gunpoint," Netanyahu noted in a Wall Street Journal piece last month.

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has accused Israel of showing "disregard for Palestinian lives."

"When it comes to military aid to Israel, the U.S. cannot write a blank check for a right-wing government that's demonstrated an appalling disregard for Palestinian lives. The U.S. should use all the tools at its disposal to condition aid & move the parties toward a lasting peace," Warren tweeted.

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Biden and Senate Democrats set to kill Republican aid package to Israel



House Republicans passed a bill Thursday that would ensure Israel has the means to combat and ultimately defeat the terrorist organization that slaughtered thousands of civilians last month, including at least 33 Americans. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has indicated that he and his fellow Democrats in the Senate will kill the aid package and instead condition support for Israel on other foreign expenditures.

Fresh off announcing a campaign to fight so-called Islamophobia, President Biden has also vowed to veto the aid package.

In 2022, Biden ratified Democratic climate and tax legislation that allocated $80 billion to the IRS over a 10-year period. Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) introduced a bill this week that would take some of the money previously intended to strengthen American taxmen and instead provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel amid its war with Hamas.

The "Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act" passed Thursday largely along party lines in a 226-196 vote — a major success for the new House speaker from Louisiana who championed the legislation.

Republican Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) voted against the bill. While most Democrats voted in concert with anti-Israel progressives like Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), 12 ultimately supported the legislation.

NBC News reported that some Democrats cited the IRS cuts as their reason for not supporting the act.

"Tonight, a bipartisan group of members voted to send immediate aid to Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East. Our supplemental package, which is fully offset, provides Israel with advanced weapons systems, supports the Iron Dome missile defense system, and replenishes American domestic defense stockpiles," said House Speaker Mike Johnson. "This is necessary and critical assistance as Israel fights for its right to exist."

"With anti-Semitism on the rise both domestically and abroad, it's imperative that the U.S. sends a message to the world that threats made against Israel and the Jewish people will be met with strong opposition," added Johnson.

The House speaker called on the Senate and the White House not to dawdle; however, Democrats in both have indicated that additional expenditures must be tacked on for there to be any movement on renewed support for Israel.

After once again attacking Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville over his principled protest of Pentagon abortion policy, Schumer said on the Senate floor, "The Senate will not take up the House GOP's deeply flawed proposal."

"It still mystifies me that a moment when the world is in crisis, at a time when we need to help Israel respond to Hamas, the House GOP thought it was a good idea to tie Israel aid to a hard-right proposal that will raise the deficit," continued the New York Democrat. "Why would they make support for Israel conditioned on this hard-right giveaway to the wealthy?"

Instead, Schumer indicated that Senate Democrats will condition support for Israel on aid to Ukraine, humanitarian aid to Gaza, and "competition with the Chinese government."

Where Ukraine is concerned, Johnson has indicated that more funding may be on the way, although legislation to that end might also entail means to address the unprecedented crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, reported the New York Times.

"It's just a matter of principle that, if we're going to take care of a border in Ukraine, we need to take care of America's border as well," said Johnson.

It may be premature to discuss separate aid packages, as President Joe Biden — like Senate lawmakers, Democratic and Republican alike — appears keen on an all-or-nothing approach.

Biden has vowed to veto the Israel aid package. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stressed Thursday, "The president would veto an Israel-only bill. I think we have made that clear."

The White House wants a $106 billion aid package along the lines Schumer vaguely described, including aid for Palestinians and investments in the Indo-Pacific.

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Rashida Tlaib accuses Israel of 'ethnic cleansing in Gaza'



Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan issued a statement on Thursday in which she accused Israel of perpetrating "ethnic cleansing in Gaza."

"As the Israeli government carries out ethnic cleansing in Gaza, President Biden is cheering on Netanyahu, whose own citizens are protesting his refusal to support a ceasefire," Tlaib said in her statement.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed an Israel aid measure on Thursday, with most Republicans and a dozen Democrats voting for passage. Two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, voted against the measure, which would provide billions in aid to the Jewish state while slashing funding for the IRS.

"Soaring inflation and high interest rates are due to overspending. We can’t afford more foreign aid. I voted against the billions for Ukraine, and I am voting against $14+ billion of foreign aid for Israel tonight," Massie tweeted.

Greene shared a video in which she discussed her vote against the supplemental while noting that she is a staunch supporter of Israel.

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Greene had put forward a resolution to censure Tlaib last week, but Democrats and more than 20 Republicans voted to table it on Wednesday.

Tlaib, like the bulk of House Democrats, voted against the Israel supplemental appropriations measure on Thursday.

"U.S. funding for the Israeli military with no humanitarian conditions will take us father away from ending the violence and reaching peace. Achieving a just and lasting peace requires lifting the blockade, ending the occupation, and dismantling the dehumanizing system of apartheid. Not only do some of my colleagues want to send more weapons to carry out war crimes and violations of international law, but they want to do it by providing tax breaks to billionaires and undermining crucial investments in our communities," Tlaib said in her statement.

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Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Mike Johnson Should Call Biden’s Bluff On Israel Funding Threat

President Joe Biden is threatening to veto House Republicans' aid package to Israel unless it includes funding for Ukraine.

IRS chief makes eyebrow-raising claim about Israel aid bill, then the CBO quickly kills it



IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel claimed that cutting his agency's budget to finance military assistance to Israel will cost taxpayers dearly.

On Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) unveiled legislation to send $14.3 billion in military aid to Israel, a figure both Republicans and Democrats support. To pay for the assistance, the legislation proposes offsetting the cost by rescinding funds appropriated to the IRS in the Inflation Reduction Act.

That proposal, Werfel claimed, will cost taxpayers $90 billion.

"This type of the cut, over the cost of the Inflation Reduction Act, would actually cost taxpayers $90 billion — that's with a 'B,'" he told the Washington Post.

The cost is associated with a reduction in the IRS' ability to collect additional revenue over the next decade.

"All of those funds go to increased scrutiny on tax evasion going on at the highest wealth, and that is millionaires and billionaires and large corporations and large complex corporations," Werfel explained. "When you reduce those audits, you reduce the amount of money that we can collect and return to the Treasury for other priorities."

Werfel's cost estimation, according to the Washington Post, is "based on IRS modeling that shows a 6-to-1 ratio of money spent on tax enforcement to revenue collected."

The Congressional Budget Office, meanwhile, said Johnson's legislation would not cost taxpayers $90 billion. But the nonpartisan agency also found that simply reallocating funds meant for the IRS will not offset the cost of providing emergency military assistance to Israel.

In fact, the CBO found the bill would add $26.8 billion to the deficit, making its net cost $12.5 billion.

Those figures represent estimated costs over the next decade, and they assume the IRS increases revenue collection on wealthy Americans. But as the Treasury Inspector General for the Tax Administration, the official IRS watchdog, explained in a report earlier this year, the IRS is not positioned to increase such capabilities.

Still, the IRS told the Washington Post it has allocated only $2.4 billion of the $80 billion given to them in the Inflation Reduction Act. It's hard to believe that a small percentage of the money not currently being used can't be sent to our No. 1 ally in the Middle East.

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Speaker Johnson finds perfect way to fund military aid for Israel, upsetting all the right people



House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sent Democrats into an uproar with his first major legislative proposal as leader of the House.

On Monday, Johnson unveiled a proposal to send Israel $14.3 billion in military assistance funding, consistent with President Joe Biden's request.

To pay for the military assistance, Johnson proposed rescinding an equal amount of funds appropriated to the Internal Revenue Service through the Inflation Reduction Act, which Biden signed into law last year. The law, which did not actually lower inflation, aggressively expanded the IRS with $80 billion in funding over the next 10 years.

The proposal upset Democrats for two reasons.

First, they want to intertwine money for Israel with money for Ukraine. Second, they don't want Republicans to claw back money appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act, the president's biggest legislative accomplishment.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), for example, railed against Johnson for proposing "unprecedented offsets," accusing him of "playing political games." Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, accused Johnson of "setting a dangerous precedent" by offsetting the spending. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) accused Johnson of "politicizing" Israel with a "poison pill."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D), meanwhile, said he is "deeply troubled" by the "partisan and woefully inadequate package with no aid to Ukraine, no humanitarian assistance for Gaza, no funding for the Indo-Pacific." The White House released a statement outlining the same complaints.

The question is: If these Democrats want to support Israel with more funding as quickly as possible, isn't this the way to do it?

After all, rescinding aid appropriated to the IRS is not playing political games. For Johnson, it's about funding the military aid, not passing the bill to future generations. If the IRS is not currently using those funds, why can't Congress use them for something nearly every lawmaker supports?

Moreover, there is a significant problem with sending Ukraine tens of billions more in taxpayer dollars: government corruption in Ukraine. A top Ukrainian presidential adviser recently told a Time magazine correspondent of corruption in Ukraine, "People are stealing like there’s no tomorrow."

At the end of the day, it's unlikely that Johnson's proposal will become law. But he's setting a fiscally conservative precedent, making good on his promises.

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Biden uses Israel tragedy to give YOUR tax dollars to Ukraine & Gaza



President Biden has been adamant about his support for Israel and has just called for more foreign aid in a primetime address to the American people.

However, Biden is not only trying to tie Israel aid to Ukraine aid, but he threw Gaza aid in there as well.

“In recent years, too much hate is given too much oxygen, fueling racism, the rise of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia — right here in America,” Biden said as he addressed Americans.

While Biden showed concern for Americans facing anti-Semitism after the events of October 7, he went on to say, “I know many of you in the Muslim-American community, the Arab-American community, the Palstinian-American and so many others are outraged and hurting, saying to yourselves, ‘Here we go again with Islamophobia.’”

“We can’t stand by and stand silent when this happens,” Biden added after recalling the recent death of a young Palestinian boy in Chicago.

Glenn Beck points out that Biden is equating followers of Islam with Islamists, the latter of which are part of the group Americans actually take issue with following Hamas’ attack on Israel.

Islamists “should be wiped off the face of the Earth,” Glenn says, considering they’re the ones under Allah’s laws who believe in asking the rock to point out the Jews, throwing homosexuals off buildings as they do in Iran, and forcing women to cover themselves except for the eyes.

“If that’s the kind of stuff that you want, you have no place in modern society. Go live in a cave,” Glenn says.

Meanwhile, tens of Americans are dead following the attacks, and some are being held hostage, but that seems to be far from Biden’s number-one priority.

“Why don’t you go over and rescue Americans who should be rescued? What do we pay taxes for? How many Americans are kidnapped?” Glenn asks, adding, “What is a higher priority than that?”


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INSANE: Biden tries to tie Israel aid to UKRAINE?!



President Joe Biden is planning on combining aid for Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel, and border funding — among other things — into a single package, and Republicans are not pleased.

Representative Chip Roy is among them, telling Glenn Beck, “We’re going to lock arms and figure out how to fight and change this,” as he believes what Biden is doing is “unacceptable.”

However, Roy is not only up against the Democrats but members of his own party.

“The vast majority of Republicans are totally fine with increasing spending, kicking the can down the road, saying ‘Oh the next president will save us,’” he says, adding, “At some point you have to pick a major fight and mean it.”

“If we need to kill all dollars to Ukraine, and that means we’re not going to address the border fast enough, okay, let’s pick that fight,” he continues.

While Roy is in the midst of a serious battle with Democrats and Republicans alike, especially considering the recent ousting of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House, he offers that “a lot of good things have happened this year.”

Among those things are the border bill, the National Defense Authorization Act, and the DOD Appropriations Bill. However, Roy knows that “all of that goes out the window if you don’t finish the job.”

“So, my position is finish the job,” he adds.

Glenn believes that Roy is doing the right thing, however, he doesn’t know how he can trust anyone around him to follow suit.

“I trust no one for the most part in this town, particularly people who have been here for a long time. We are in the process, in my opinion, of breaking this town and creating coalitions in which we can trust each other,” Roy explains.

Hopefully his plan to create trustworthy coalitions works, as Roy is desperate to cut Ukraine funding and secure the border — a cause many taxpayers can get behind.

“We gotta keep fighting,” he says.


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