US House Speaker Johnson to bring Israel bill to floor despite deficit effect

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said on Wednesday he still plans to hold a vote on a standalone Israel aid bill despite a Congressional Budget Office score showing it could increase the federal deficit by cutting funding to the Internal Revenue Service. In the first major legislative action under new Speaker Mike Johnson, House Republicans unveiled a standalone supplemental spending bill that would provide $14.3 billion for Israel by cutting Internal Revenue Service funding. The measure is strongly opposed by Democrats, as well as some Republicans.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said on Wednesday he still plans to hold a vote on a standalone Israel aid bill despite a Congressional Budget Office score showing it could increase the federal deficit by cutting funding to the Internal Revenue Service.

In the first major legislative action under new Speaker Mike Johnson, House Republicans unveiled a standalone supplemental spending bill that would provide $14.3 billion for Israel by cutting Internal Revenue Service funding. The measure is strongly opposed by Democrats, as well as some Republicans. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, said on Tuesday the bill would be dead on arrival in the upper chamber.