(MENAFN) Newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson has announced that the United States House of Representatives will focus on passing a stand-alone funding bill to support Israel in its conflict with Hamas, deeming it a more immediate priority than providing aid to Ukraine. In an interview on Fox News, Johnson explained that a similar measure is being considered by Republican colleagues in the Senate. He did not specify when the House would address the proposed funding for Ukraine.

President Joe Biden initially proposed bundling aid for both Ukraine and Israel into a USD106 billion emergency funding bill. This plan included allocating $61.4 billion for Ukraine's conflict with Russia, USD14.3 billion for Israel, and USD9.2 billion for humanitarian aid in both countries. While Congress previously approved USD113 billion in aid for Ukraine through four rounds of legislation, there has been increased Republican opposition to further funding for Kiev. This disagreement played a role in the recent removal of Johnson's predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, from the position of House speaker.

Johnson expressed confidence that the stand-alone Israel funding bill will garner strong bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. He emphasized the gravity of the matter, emphasizing that it is not to be used for partisan political maneuvering.

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