The House on Tuesday sank an effort by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to pass a $17.6 billion military aid bill for Israel to support the slaughter in Gaza.
The bill was fast-tracked under the suspension of House rules, requiring it to have a two-thirds majority to be advanced to the Senate. But the bill failed in a vote of 250-180, with 166 Democrats and 14 Republicans voting against it.
The bill was under threat of a veto from the White House since President Biden wants Congress to pass a $118 billion foreign military aid and border bill that includes about $14 billion for Israel and $60 billion for Ukraine. Most Democrats opposed the $17.6 billion bill for Israel due to the White House’s opposition, although some came out against unlimited support for Israel.
The House previously passed a $14.3 billion bill for Israel that paid for the aid by cutting funding from the Internal Revenue Service, but it was opposed by Democrats and never taken up in the Senate. Some members of the House Freedom Caucus voted against the $17.6 billion bill for fiscal reasons and because they want to prioritize action on the border.
“Well, it’s unpaid for and our borders are wide open. I’m not gonna, can’t go to my constituents say here’s $17 billion, even for someone who I love like Israel, and a good friend, somebody I fully support, I can’t do that,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX).
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said before the vote that he would oppose the bill because the US couldn’t afford it and because of where the money will actually go. “Most of this money will go directly to the US Military Industrial Complex (MIC), which, if you’re keeping up, prefers to be referred to as the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) now. Watch for those stocks to go up Monday,” he said.
It doesn’t matter. The administation will just steal the money from somewhere else.Congress is worthless and corrupt and no longer means anything.Just like our government. They will take it from and important social welfare program that helps people instead of killing them.
Maybe we could reoccupy Afghanistan so the CIA could ramp up heroin production there. Billions and billions…
which reminds, … Did they ever return the $6B they stole from the Afghans?
“More than a year after the Afghan Fund was created to disburse $3.5 billion [one half of what we really owe them] in frozen assets for the benefit of the Afghan people, no disbursements have been made. Why?”
https://thediplomat.com/2023/10/a-year-on-billions-in-afghan-assets-linger-in-switzerland/
thanks Thomas. And just more confirmation how squalid Washington is.
They will print money-for the Ukraine,for Israel, for the invaders from the Latin countries,for the guaranteed national income,for reparations-and steal the money by inflation from the US public.
A hundred $Billion here and a hundred $Billion there and soon you are talking real money.
How about that inflation and the American citizens?
I guess when an election can be stolen it doesn’t matter what the Kleptocracy does anymore.
Israel needs to be de-funded and international laws enforced.
BDS, just like, but even so much more so, racist S. Africa.
BDS -just like Hitler’s boycott-singles out Jews
“BDS made a few thieves rich.”
daah…cuz genocide jake sez so!!!…daaaahh…
Abie.Abie,Abie baby-face the truth.
All foreign aid should be eliminated,save for temporary help for natural disasters. International laws should be enforced, to keep Hamas in Gaza, and then bring terrorists to trial.
Liberal universities should be defunded.
Most Democrats opposed the $17.6 billion bill for Israel due to the White House’s opposition, although some came out against unlimited support for Israel.
The others wanted their political careers to continue.
That’s not entirely true, though, is it?
If they ran on doing the public’s will, they could get small donations and win. It’s about the gravy train.
It’s also about the power of the lobby and it isn’t limited to democrats. And it’s not just monetary contributions. Watch how they go after Massie.
“If they ran on doing the public’s will, they could get small donations and win. It’s about the gravy train.”
Small donations and political labor power – sure, ‘the Sanders case.’
Win? Some places, not others – again, Sanders and the Squad a case of the idea – if not the practice – of ‘internal opposition’ supported by a progressive base – a base long stiff-armed by the right liberal, establishment wing of the Democratic Party.
However, what such progressive politicians could plausibly do is – in parliamentary fashion – present themselves as a bloc necessary for ‘Democratic coalition’ rule…and, on that basis, make binding demands and gain compromises from the ruling Democratic right.
The large popular opposition to the White House and Congress’s support for Israel’s genocidal siege of Gaza could, it seems, find a breakaway politician or group of politicians who more strongly ‘joined the movement,’ positioning them to more convincingly threaten the Democrats with withdrawing electoral support if they don’t radically change their unpopular, antidemocratic, complicity with Israel’s criminal siege.
ie – again, as Sanders’ name galvanized citizens around healthcare…but, vs Sanders, prepared to tell his ‘army’ to refuse support short of big concessions.
See Ro K in the ‘came out against’ link – could be a standard bearer for such an ‘internal fracture,’ though he lacks Sanders’ populist Brooklyn truculence.
To be clear, I think, in the end, Sanders was a sheepdog. Or he became the internal controlled opposition.
The scam squad never used leverage. And most Democratic voters don’t use leverage, withholding votes for policy. But kudos to Arabs and Muslims.
1/ “[I]n the end, Sanders was a sheepdog… became the internal controlled opposition.”
Yes, though it must be said, not just “in the end”:
as your comment suggests, “sheepdog” is one fixed key aspect of Sanders’ ‘progressive Democrat’ relationship to the Democratic Party.
Here I remind you that – from the start of his two candidacies – Sanders committed to ‘respecting the nomination process’ – ie, he pledged in advance to actively support the winner.
We can make the outsider-establishment relationship more clear by replacing “internal controlled opposition” with the – I believe – more conventional term, loyal opposition.
2/ “The scam squad never used leverage. And most Democratic voters don’t use leverage”
No, but – contradicting my above comment – I’d argue that – had Sanders’ “army” been larger, more organized, and more independent – a true ‘movement,’ greater than Sanders – his and other ‘loyal opposition’-alists would have mutated…been forced…into outright opposition.
Israel has a strong credit rating. They can borrow money to buy weapons. etc. They don’t need to put US taxpayers on the hook for debt to fund a foreign nation. Any official in the USA that supports this activity is a traitor.
That’s right, and from everything we’ve seen so far that’s the entire ruling elite, along with, of course, their pocket pols, careerist military, judiciary, bureaucracy, MSM, ….
But he still speaks.
Yes. He has balls. And principles it would seem. This is from late October of 2023.
“AIPAC always gets mad when I put America first,” wrote Massie on X. “I won’t be voting for their $14+ billion shakedown of American taxpayers either.”
“Most of this money will go directly to the US Military Industrial Complex…
And ALL of it will go directly for genocide.
The USA has no business sending arms, money to one of the most Corrupt Nations, Ukraine. The USA has no business sending arms and money to the Terrorist State of Israel, a Genocidal Monster. The USA should be about PEACE first, aiding countries in being self sufficient, not dependent on others. Americans are sick of our Government enriching the Politicians, their Lobbyist with the blood and dollars of our children. Members of Congress voting to give money, arms to Ukraine/Israel, needs to be voted OUT.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) clearly proves there are still some decent elected political leaders who can and do think about the good of the nation. I have never spoken with Representative Massie but I can imagine a person like him who sees deep and complex meaning behind Latino masses fleeing their homes, neighbors and friends for an uncertain future in the US.
Let’s hope this minority of representatives puts their heads together and takes the helm of our nation before it sinks.
But the problem is a member’s decency is not sustainable and only lasts for a session or two…!
But he doesn’t do it in recognition of his oath and obligation under the recent ICJ order, … which ought to be the go to argumant, righteous and incontravertible.
Trump wanted Thomas Massie to be kicked out of the Republican Party not all that long ago.
The current invasion at the border is due to people fleeing the over population caused by irresponsible reproduction,overpopulation,environmental destruction. 19 year old women with no husband and 5 0r 6 children are no asset to the US. A certain number are professional criminals,others will become moochers. Jobs for these people do not exist,housing does not exist.
You are living in a propaganda bubble. Sometimes you seem too smart for that, but here you are spouting 180° backwards propaganda that undermines the strength of the country, You can choose to make up stories and live a lie but you can’t make up a false reality. Brown skin Latino immigrants add to the economy, I’ve known the stats for over sixty years. Here’s a new set for you;
https://www.commondreams.org/news/how-does-immigration-help-the-economy
People coming here with complaints of entitlement-they don’t like the free food that they are getting,they expect free healthcare,they expect free babysitters,they want to stay in $500 a day hotels, women with 6 children and nomate,they have no skills,they drive through the streets without licenses,plates, or registration,they have created massive crime waves,they are not literate in Spanish or English-they have no useful skills-they will add nothing. Let them move next door to you,or camp out on your lawn,or see your taxes raised.or break into your home-this is what happening right now. Limited,controlled immigration may offset an aging demographic,but the Bidenites are letting in criminals and moochers.
“The current invasion at the border is due to”
See, that’s where you go wrong.
Things that aren’t happening don’t have causes.
Volcanos have causes;mass migrations have causes. If masses of people enter a country against the will of that country,it is invasion.