House Speaker Johnson Proposes $17 Billion Standalone Israel Aid Bill, Criticizes Senate's Exclusion from Border Talks
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced a standalone Israel funding package to be voted on next week, separate from the long-awaited Senate package that includes broader foreign aid and border security funding. The House bill includes $17.6 billion for Israel's military and U.S. military forces in the region, aiming to address the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Disagreements over Ukraine funding and border security have deadlocked the emergency aid package for months, with Democrats emphasizing the importance of Ukraine funding and Republicans pushing for stricter border security measures. Bipartisan negotiations have been hindered by political tensions, including reported efforts by former President Donald Trump to derail the deal.