The U.S House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that would increase funding to the Israel which would be offset by budget cuts to the IRS, setting up a potential clash with the White House.
The bill, H.R. 5332, passed with a 253 to 169 vote, with 12 Democrats in favor of the legislation. The bill proposes to appropriate roughly $38 billion in support for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (VA), Education and Workforce Development, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Peace Corps, and the Israel-U.S. Binational Science Foundation. The bill also includes language that would make certain funds available to only Israel.
The bill would be offset by $14.3 billion in cuts to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The proposed cuts will be directed towards the IRS’s enforcement division which is responsible for making sure Americans comply with their tax obligations and pay the accurate amount of taxes. The bill also changes the formula for calculating the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) budget, reducing TAS funding by $13 million.
The White House has warned against the bill which would increase military aid to Israel and reduce IRS oversight. In an official statement, the White House indicated that it “strongly opposes passage of the bill,” calling it “an unwise and ill-considered policy.”
Nevertheless, the bill passed through the House, setting up a potential showdown between the White House and Congress as it moves on to the Senate for consideration. The bill has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle, including from some of the bill’s sponsors. Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY) expressed her disapproval of the bill and its proposed cuts to the Internal Revenue Service.
The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration, with the White House threatening to veto the bill. It remains unclear if the Senate will move forward with the bill if it is passed, or if it will face Congressional gridlock. Only time will tell what will become of this bill and its proposed cuts to the Internal Revenue Service.
