US Policy

House Moves Forward with Supplemental Aid Bill

L . Thomas Block
L . Thomas Block
Washington Policy Strategist
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Key Takeaways
  • Legislation for aid to Ukraine and Israel advanced in the House with bipartisan effort.
  • The House vote on the actual legislation is expected on late Saturday or Sunday, but it appears likely to pass both the House and the Senate.
  • Israel's retaliatory attack on Iran took place early Friday morning, and it appears to have been a measured and proportional response.

In a dramatic bipartisan move, Republicans and Democrats worked together to move the National Security Supplemental funding bill towards a House vote.

The first step in getting most bills to the House floor is the approval of a RULE that allocates the time for debate on the legislation and what amendments may be offered. In recent years, this process has been partisan, with the Rules Committee stacked with conservative Republicans who put out bills over the objection of Democrats. Today the three Freedom Caucus Republicans on the Rules Committee voted against bringing the Ukraine/Israel supplemental to the floor, but Democrats voted with the other Republicans, sending the legislation to the floor on a 9 to 3 vote.

On the floor, the first key test vote was on accepting the Rule, and Democrats continued to work with Republicans to get the bipartisan Rule passed. The vote on the Rule was 316 to 94. Thirty-nine Progressive Democrats and 55 Freedom Caucus Republicans voted NO on the Rule. The vote on the Rule is often viewed as a test vote on final passage; hence, the vote count on passing the bill looks positive. The plan is to have a vote on the Supplemental on Saturday.

If the House passes the bill, it will then need to go the Senate where a vote is expected late Saturday or Sunday. As the bipartisan Ukraine/Israel package passed the Senate in February on a vote of 70 YES to 29 NO, the expectation is that the Senate will accept the House package.

Iran/Israel

Early Friday morning local time, Israel made its expected retaliatory attack on Iran after last weekend’s barrage of missiles and drones fired by Iran on Israel. The only bombs that hit a target in Israel were at a military base, and Israel’s attack on Iran was aimed at a military target. Both nations used missiles and drones that avoided having their warplanes enter the airspace of the other.

Both sides have indicated that the current tit-for-tat has come to an end, and the world is holding its breath hoping that is the case. Israel’s problems have not disappeared, as attention will now return to Israel’s war in Gaza against Hamas.

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L . Thomas Block
L . Thomas Block
Washington Policy Strategist
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