House Speaker Mike Johnson says $14.5 billion in US aid to Israel will come from budget cuts

New House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was elected this week by a Republican majority, made comments about his intentions for American spending in overseas wars on Thursday, when he told Fox News' Sean Hannity that he supports a $14.5 billion expenditure for Israel, but that the US "cannot be dropping money out of helicopters."

But for Johnson, that money will have to come from somewhere else in the budget, it cannot just be added on to what is already being spent. Johnson told Hannity that the funds on the table are "a very specific number tied to very specific measures." 

Johnson also said that he does not currently support US troop involvement in a war in Israel, and apparently reminded Biden's White House staff that Congress has substantial oversight in matters such as these. Congress is the governmental branch that has the powers to declare war, not the executive branch.

He has a clear view of what Israel is facing, telling Hannity that Israel's "neighbors want to eliminate them." He feels strongly that the US will "back up" Israel and that the US will not let down their long-standing ally.

Johnson said, "they tell us when we're in Israel the reason we're able to sustain ourselves and survive is because everybody knows our big ally is America."

Many in the Republican caucus are wary of extending further foreign aid to war zones, specifically Ukraine, where the US has spent $113 billion since February 2022. Of these concerns, Johnson said, the US "cannot be dropping money out of helicopters," but that it is important for America to show support for "nations of free people around the world."

"But," he said, "we have to take care of our own house first."

Johnson backed Trump during his time in office, and said that during Trump's presidential term, "we had the greatest economy in the history of the world." This, he said, was "not by happenstance," but was a direct result of Trump's policies for the American people.

"I think right now we're in very desperate times – I think the hour is late and the crisis is great," he said.