Freedom Caucus: Iran’s attack on Israel creates ‘false’ reason to approve aid to Ukraine

The House Freedom Caucus is warning GOP leadership not to use Iran’s attack on Israel over the weekend as “justification” to send additional aid to Ukraine, as lawmakers from both parties and chambers call on the lower house to pass the foreign aid package approved by the Senate — which includes support for Israel and Ukraine.

In an official statement released on Monday, the conservative group said the attack was a “false justification” for approving more assistance to Ukraine.

“Under no circumstances will the House Freedom Caucus accept using the emergency situation in Israel as a false justification to force aid into Ukraine without compensation and without security for our own open borders,” the Freedom Caucus wrote.

Instead, the group urged the Senate to approve the stand-alone $14.3 billion Israel aid bill that the House passed in November, which also included an equal amount in cuts to IRS funding.

Senate Democrats have already called this legislation a failure, expressing opposition to IRS cuts and raising concerns about the separate transfer of aid to Israel and Ukraine.

“The House Freedom Caucus unequivocally supports Israel. Congress should provide aid to Israel – and the House already did so nearly five months ago and paid for it. The Senate must act immediately to adopt HR 6126, the Israel Supplemental Security Appropriations Act, to support our ally,” the official position reads.

The position of the House Freedom Caucus — made up of about three dozen conservatives — comes as the lower chamber prepares to enter the debate over foreign aid this week.

Questions remain about how House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) intends to enter the politically thorny discussion, with a growing contingent of his conference expressing opposition to additional aid for Ukraine, and how Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga. .) threatens to force a vote on his dismissal.

Johnson told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” over the weekend that the House would “try again” to pass aid to Israel this week, but did not reveal details about the legislation. He also did not say whether aid from Ukraine would be included.

“The details of this package are now being worked out. We are looking at options on all of these supplemental issues,” Johnson said.

When asked about aid to Ukraine, Johnson once again suggested sending assistance in the form of a loan and including the REPO Act, which would use seized frozen Russian assets to help Kiev.

“I think these are ideas that can reach consensus. And that’s what we’ve been working on. We will send our package. Let’s put something together and send it to the Senate to fulfill those obligations,” Johnson said.

Members of both parties and chambers are urging Johnson to hold a vote on the $95 billion Senate supplement, which passed the upper chamber on a bipartisan 70-29 vote in February and includes aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan .

“We must immediately accept the bipartisan, comprehensive national security bill passed by the Senate,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter on Monday. “This is a Churchill or Chamberlain moment. House Democrats will defend democracy and do everything in their power to stand up to aggression. Will factions of the Republican majority continue to appease her?”

“Congress must also do its part. The national security supplement that has waited months for action will provide critical resources to Israel and our own military forces in the region,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wrote in a statement Saturday.

Johnson, however, could face a vote on his impeachment if he puts this legislation to a vote. Greene, who last month introduced a motion to vacate — the same mechanism used to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — has yet to force a vote on the legislation.

The Georgia Republican did not say when she plans to trigger a vote on Johnson’s impeachment, but warned him not to put aid to Ukraine on the floor.

“Right now, he doesn’t have my support and I’m watching what happens with FISA and Ukraine,” Greene told reporters after meeting with Johnson last week, referring to the reauthorization of warrantless surveillance powers. from the USA.

Some Democrats, however, have said they would step in and protect Johnson from a GOP coup if he puts the Senate relief bill on the floor, a detail that adds to the political minefield Johnson faces.

“If the choice is between aid to Ukraine and voting to block a motion to vacate, or no aid to Ukraine, I think there are a lot of Democrats who would be willing to help achieve that,” Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) he told The Hill last month.