Congress still could not agree on aid to Israel

The stalemate continues. The American House of Representatives, Tuesday, February 6, stumbled on an envelope of 17.6 billion dollars (about 16.5 billion euros) for Israel, which was opposed by Joe Biden, the American president demanded that these funds be combined with aid for Ukraine.

Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress are locked in a clash over American aid to the two countries. Conservative lawmakers, with a majority in the House and mostly close to Donald Trump, want to leave new funding for Israel, the United States’ historic ally in the war against Hamas, at any cost. But many of them oppose the recognition of new funds for Kiev, believing that it is not up to the American taxpayer to finance a conflict embroiled in conflict.

Aware that the sense of urgency in Washington has waned since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Joe Biden has been demanding since October that envelopes for both countries appear in the same draft law. An idea that many Republicans oppose.

Biden accused Trump of manipulation

The vote on Israel, called for by conservatives in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, was a way to try to force the president’s hand. in vain To be approved, the bill must be voted on by the House of Representatives and the Senate and then signed into law by the President. However, most Democrats were against this text. Joe Biden had already warned that he would veto it if it were adopted.

In addition, the American president on Tuesday butted heads with Donald Trump, whom he accused of manipulating the Republican Party to block any reform of immigration policy and any new aid to Ukraine. “Donald Trump likes to use this question (from immigration) instead of solving it”announced the Democratic president during a speech from the White House.

Joe Biden’s potential opponent in November’s presidential election, a spokesman for the former president said “sure lies”Donald Trump said in a statement “Created the most secure border in history, and (it was) Joe Biden who overturned his decisions, sowing death, destruction and chaos” in all countries.

At stake: A reform project blocked by the opposition, which would provide more police officers at the borders, stricter asylum procedures, and which would give the president the power to completely and simply close the border with Mexico, in the event of the aforementioned migrant arrivals. A certain threshold. The bill, painstakingly negotiated for weeks by senators from both camps, also hinges on the resumption of American military aid to Ukraine, which has been suspended since late December, and any new aid to Israel.

“It’s time to show some courage”

“Supporting this bill means opposing Putin. To oppose it is to play the game” Of the Russian president, democracy said. Joe Biden sought about $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel. They will only have it if the Senate, then the House of Representatives, which together make up Congress, vote on the text. But to listen to Republican leaders, who have a blocking minority in the Senate and who have a majority in the House, there is little or no chance of this happening, who are calling for tougher immigration policy.

The American executive argued, for its part, that the text had the support of the border police union, which the judge ruled it did not. “not perfect”But it is better than reform “status quo”. This same union, Joe Biden underlined, called for voting for Donald Trump in 2020. The Democratic president hopes to turn this opposition from the right in his favor.

“Every day between now and November, Americans will know that if the border isn’t secure, it’s only because of Donald Trump”He emphasized. “Time for Republican lawmakers to show some courage” Against the former president, he demanded.