John Kirby says Biden would veto Israel-only supplemental package if passed by Congress
Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council John Kirby said during a press briefing that he would veto an Israel-only supplemental package if passed by congress.
Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council John Kirby said during a press briefing that President Biden would veto an Israel-only supplemental package if passed by Congress.
"The president would veto an only-Israel bill. I think that we've made that clear," Kirby said during a White House press conference on Tuesday.
Kirby's remarks came as House Republicans prepared to vote on a $14.3 billion Israel-only aid package.
The bill would offset the aid to Israel by taking away funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, specifically targeting the $80 billion given to the IRS.
SHOWDOWN LIKELY BETWEEN HOUSE AND SENATE AS CONGRESS REMAINS DIVIDED ON ISRAEL, UKRAINE AID
National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby takes questions during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 2, 2023. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
When pressed by a reporter on the administration's stance with an Israel-only supplemental package, Kirby said its position has been made clear.
"I think in our statement of administration policy, we laid out very clearly why we wouldn't want to do that and why we think that of the things we've asked for in the supplemental [are] important," he said.
In a statement of administration policy released Tuesday, the White House said it "strongly opposes House passage of the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024."
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 31: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks about retirement security in the State Dining Room at the White House on October 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Biden Administration is attempting to crack down on so-called "junk fees" in retirement accounts with a rule prosed by the U.S. Labor Department that would stop trusted advisors from recommending investments that are not in a client's best interest but may pay the advisor a higher commission, among other regulations. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
"As demonstrated by the President’s recent supplemental funding request, the Administration strongly supports providing resources for key national security priorities, including aid for our ally Israel as it defends itself against Hamas terrorists. But rather than putting forward a package that strengthens American national security in a bipartisan way, the bill fails to meet the urgency of the moment by deepening our divides and severely eroding historic bipartisan support for Israel’s security," the White House said in a statement.
"Denying humanitarian assistance to two million Palestinian civilians, the majority of them women and children, would be a grave mistake. A deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza will also undercut Israel’s security and regional stability. We have a moral imperative to help those in need. Helping Palestinian civilians in need is also in Israel’s national security interest," it added.
If the House of Representatives passes the bill, senate sources previously told Fox News Digital the bill faces steep opposition in the Senate.
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Israeli armored vehicles gather near the border with Gaza before entering the Palestinian enclave on October 31, 2023, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. (GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images)
"We need to come up with a different package to move forward that has the ability to get through the Democrat controlled Senate and signed into law by a president, who is also a Democrat," a senate aide told Fox News Digital Wednesday.
Fox News Digital's Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
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