Gary Palmer votes for aid for Israel, cuts funding to IRS

On Thursday, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to provide American support for Israel’s defense in its war with Hamas. The stand-alone funding bill also overturns much of President Joe Biden’s increase in new funding for the IRS. Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL06) voted for the package and released a statement afterward.

“When Biden Democrats show weakness in foreign policy stances, our friends around the world suffer,” said Rep. Palmer. “Israel has every right to defend itself from the brutal attacks we have been witnessing over the past month. With this piece of legislation, we are helping an ally in need while also cutting funding from Joe Biden’s weaponized IRS. These funds are better used supporting Israel than being used by IRS agents to audit middle-class Americans.”

The Hill reported that Democrats criticized the $14.3 billion package because it cuts billions of dollars in aid for Gaza, which President Biden requested, and Biden’s measure to dramatically increase the enforcement arm of the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS funding cuts were part of the Inflation Reduction Plan passed when Democrats controlled the House during the last Congress and would hire 81,000 more IRS agents. It was also separate from the $61.3 billion Biden requested to assist Ukraine in its war with Russia. New Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said that the House will address the Ukraine aid next in a separate bill.

Twelve Democrats voted with almost all Republicans for the Israel aid bill, which passed 226 to 196.

The passage of the bill is a win for Speaker Johnson.

“It’s imperative that the U.S. sends a message to the world that threats made against Israel and the Jewish people will be met with strong opposition,” Johnson wrote on X.

The GOP legislation is unlikely to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate in its current form. Since aid for Israel is a bipartisan priority, some version of an Israeli aid bill will pass the Senate – either as a stand-alone bill or in the form of the next continuing resolution (CR) as it is increasingly unlikely that either House of Congress will pass out a viable budget that the President will sign before the current CR expires. Some more bipartisan version of Israeli aid will likely come back to the House for a vote in the next three weeks.

The White House has said President Biden will veto the bill if it comes to his desk in its current form.

Palmer is serving in his fifth term representing Alabama’s Sixth Congressional District. He announced this week that he will seek a sixth term in next year’s election.

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