On Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a new legislation that would allocate $17.6 billion in military aid to Israel as it continues its conflict with Hamas.

Speaker Mike Johnson stated in a letter to members that the funding bill may be voted on in the full House sometime next week.

The House, led by the Republican party, previously authorized $14.3 billion in additional military assistance to Israel. However, this was contingent on using funds originally designated for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to cover the cost.

The Senate, which is currently controlled by the Democratic party, objected to that stipulation and plans to introduce a bill that would offer support to Israel and increase military aid to Ukraine in their conflict with Russia.

The upcoming Senate bill is anticipated to include measures for enhancing security on the southern border of the United States with Mexico.

Next week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has initiated measures to begin discussions on the comprehensive bill, with the first procedural vote scheduled for no later than Wednesday.

The House Appropriations Committee has stated that the total of $17.6 billion would cover expenses such as refilling Israel’s missile defense systems, purchasing more advanced weapons, and manufacturing artillery and other ammunition.

A portion of the money will also go towards restocking American weapons given to Israel after the Hamas attack on October 7th.

Johnson expressed the urgency of supporting our ally and our own military presence in the region in his letter to colleagues.

It was uncertain if conservative members of the House would object to the financial support for Israel unless an equal amount of money was cut from another part of the budget.

The Republican members of the House have demanded that any additional assistance given to Ukraine must also include stricter border measures in the United States, especially as there has been a surge in immigration attempts. Although the Senate intends to fulfill this request, Johnson has expressed that the proposed border security plan is not enough.

Prior to providing Israel or Ukraine with new military assistance, both the House and Senate must approve the same bill and then send it to President Joe Biden, a member of the Democratic party, for his signature to make it a law.

The Senate is looking to incorporate assistance for Taiwan into its proposed legislation.