US President Joe Biden pledges military support for Israel amid Hamas attack, raising questions about aid for Ukraine
Gaza Strip. His promise raised questions about whether Washington can ramp up defense aid to Israel without jeopardizing aid for Ukraine, especially given Republican lawmakers' ouster of House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy and failure so far to name a replacement. Biden administration officials insist Washington can absolutely do both, but acknowledge there will be challenges.
The U.S. Congress controls spending, so Biden must convince the Senate and House to pass legislation authorizing additional funding. These spending bills generally originate in the House, where the Speaker - the elected leader of the majority party - controls what legislation is put to a vote.
Republicans hold a narrow 221-212 majority in the House, which made it possible for just a handful of their members to oust McCarthy last week, the first time in U.S. history this has happened. Because McCarthy's ouster was unprecedented, it is not clear whether Representative Patrick McHenry, who is serving as temporary speaker, can legally call a vote on any aid legislation.
Further complicating the issue, many of the hard-right members who ousted McCarthy oppose aid to Ukraine, including Representative Jim Jordan, a frontrunner in the Speaker's race. House Republicans refused to include aid to Ukraine in a last-minute spending bill passed last month to avert a government shutdown. Support for Israel is far stronger, with Republicans closely tied to conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Biden administration is considering tying a request for assistance to Ukraine to more money for Israel.
Israel is a major long-term recipient of U.S. military assistance and enjoys a steady stream of U.S. aid.
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