House Of Reps Unlikely To Vote On Standalone Israel Bill This Week

Jake Sherman at Punchbowl News reporting on X that: "House Republican leadership isn't putting an Israel aid bill on the floor this week, according to sources. It's dead for now, I've been told."

• Comes as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) calibrates his response to the USD$95 billion national security bill which was passed by the Senate in the early hours of this morning.
• There has been increasing chatter today that a handful of pro-Ukraine Republicans could sign a discharge petition to bring the bill to the floor without authorisation from the Speaker.
• A discharge petition remains a long-shot but if Johnson fails to articulate a clear strategy for approaching the package in the coming days it may become more likely.
• Rep Chip Roy (R-TX), a member of the Conservative House Freedom Caucus, said in response to reports of a discharge petition: "We're going to fight this Senate Defense Contractor Caucus effort to hand the House floor to Dems."
• Rep Andy Biggs (R-AZ), another Freedom Caucuser, noted that there is likely sufficient support for Ukraine to pass the bill, should it come up for a vote: "If it were to get to the floor, it would pass — let’s just be frank about that."