The top Democrat on the House Rules Committee is attempting to employ a rarely used rule to force a vote on a massive military spending bill that includes $61 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel. A significant number of Americans oppose sending billions to Israel or Ukraine.
Rep. Jim McGovern, ranking member of the House rules panel, is collecting signatures to force a vote on the supplemental defense spending bill. McGovern will need a majority of representatives, or at least 218, to sign his petition to bring the bill to a vote even if Speaker Mike Johnson opposes it.
The bill has passed the Senate, and President Joe Biden has said he will sign it into law should it clear the lower chamber. Members of the House estimate that the $95 billion war bill will easily pass the body with over 300 votes if Johnson allows it to come to the floor. Though Johnson supports the spending, to become speaker, he pledged to block any vote on Ukraine aid without sufficient immigration reform. The $95 billion legislation does not include money for border enforcement.
The bill is moving through Congress at a precarious time for Tel Aviv and Kiev. In Ukraine, Kiev’s forces are losing ground to Russian fighters, while Ukrainian soldiers report a severe lack of ammunition and manpower. There is little hope on the horizon for Kiev as Russia is producing substantially more weapons than Ukraine’s Western backers.
Tel Aviv, meanwhile, is struggling in the north and south. In Gaza, Israeli forces have slaughtered over 20,000 women and children but have made little inroads in dismantling Hamas. On the northern border, Tel Aviv is in a fight with Hezbollah, forcing multiple Israeli villages to evacuate toward the center of the country.
Additionally, the war in Gaza has become increasingly unpopular in the US. Many Americans, including a sizable portion of Biden’s Democratic base, view the Israeli onslaught as a genocide. Protesters have disrupted several of the president’s reelection campaign events this year with chants of “Genocide Joe.”
This article was originally featured at Antiwar.com and is republished with permission.
