Republican Rep. Ralph Norman is drawing a red line for U.S. aid to Israel—the same standard he's set for Ukraine funding.
Norman's Communications Director and Deputy Chief of Staff Austin Livingston told Newsweek that while the South Carolina Republican is not opposed to such assistance, he will not support any new spending, foreign or domestic, without offsets elsewhere to pay for it.
"Our government is over $33 trillion in debt with a deficit this year alone approaching $2 trillion," Livingston said on Thursday. "It's just sad the greatest nation in the history of civilization is not in a stronger position to help our allies due to our abhorrent financial recklessness."
Over the last two weeks, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for Congress to pass federal assistance to Israel as it fights its war against Hamas. Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history on October 7, after which Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. While much of the fighting had taken place in the Gaza Strip, the conflict expanded to the West Bank this week.
Most U.S. officials have expressed solidarity with Israel and its right to defend its sovereignty. President Joe Biden, who has repeatedly vocalized his steadfast support for Israel and who traveled to Tel Aviv this week, requested more than $105 billion from Congress for a national security package that includes $14.3 billion in aid for Israel.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene echoed Norman's position on Friday when she announced on X, formerly Twitter, that she would vote against any package that provided U.S. dollars to help foreign countries defend their borders.
"If Joe wants to do something about our border then put a moratorium on immigration and deport ALL the illegals he let in!!" Greene wrote. "The American people can't afford to fund Joe's foreign wars anymore!!"
Biden's proposal also includes $61.4 billion in aid for Ukraine as it fights against Russia's invasion and comes amid rising opposition to funding Ukraine among Republicans. A number of conservative hardliners in the House have refused to pass sweeping packages that include additional funding to Kyiv, which has received more than $75 billion in assistance from the United States since the war began in February 2022.
Livingston told Newsweek that Norman was not entirely opposed to a package that includes funding for both foreign countries and that he'd consider any package on its merits, but that the congressman "remains unlikely to support aid for any nation without offsets."
Other Republicans, however, have been clear that they do not want Ukraine aid to be lumped into a bill for Israel.
Rep. Randy Weber told Newsweek that the two conflicts can't be viewed as the same from an assistance standpoint because, "We simply don't have the same track record with Ukraine." Comparing Israel-U.S. relations to Ukraine-U.S. relations, the Texas Republican said, "For over 75 years, since its very birth as a nation, Israel has been a strong and faithful ally to the United States."
Weber added that Israel's history also gives him reason to believe that it could win the war in the Middle East, but that the Biden administration has "failed to articulate any strategic vision that would culminate in a victory for Ukraine."
Rep. Matt Gaetz took a similar stance on Saturday, telling CNN, "However you feel about Israel and however you feel about Ukraine, I think that responsible and reasonable government ought to address those questions separately. They shouldn't be lashed together."
"Mushing things together, log rolling them, that is the old way of Washington," Gaetz said, adding that he would support aid for Israel but not for Ukraine.
A group of nine Republican senators have also penned a letter on Thursday to Senate Leadership, urging Congress to "keep separate attempts to provide military aid to Israel from additional funds to Ukraine or other matters."
"These are two separate conflicts and it would be wrong to leverage support of aid to Israel in attempt to get additional aid for Ukraine across the finish line," the letter read. The signees included Sens. Roger Marshall, Cynthia Lummis, JD Vance, Josh Hawley, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, Mike Lee, Rick Scott and Ron Johnson.
Update 10/23/2023 7:44 a.m. ET: This story was updated with comments from Weber.
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Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and world politics. ... Read more
