Sixth District Congressman Ben Cline continues to function as Vladimir Putin’s man in western Virginia.
As I noted in July, Cline voted “yes” on three amendments to cut off American assistance to Ukraine in its fight against murderous Russian aggression.
Last week he joined other House Republicans to approve military aid to Israel to be funded by undercutting the Internal Revenue Service’s ability to go after wealthy tax cheats.
The Republican-controlled House on Thursday approved legislation to send roughly $14 billion in emergency aid to Israel and cut about the same amount from the Internal Revenue Service, in a deeply divided vote on a measure that Senate leaders say they won’t take up and President Biden has already threatened to veto.
Biden in October requested $106 billion in emergency foreign aid for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion, Israel’s response to Hamas’s attacks and to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific.
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But the cuts to the IRS would actually cost taxpayers money, meaning the aid for Israel would add to the deficit even more than just borrowing the $14 billion Biden wants to send, according to a nonpartisan analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. The move would reduce the tax agency’s ability to audit high-income earners and tax evaders, costing taxpayers $26.8 billion in lost tax revenue, the CBO projected. IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel put the lost income at closer to $90 billion.
After the vote, Cline posted on X:
Cline’s sneer at those who “push for more Ukraine funding” tells you all you need to know about his cowardly retreat on support for the Ukrainian people who are resisting the Russian onslaught. Last year he pleaded for campaign contributions based on his supposed “unwavering support of American ally Ukraine and my rebuke of Russia’s atrocities against the people there.”
Unwavering support? Really, Congressman?
Cline should consider the words of Amir Tibon, an Israeli who survived 10 hours under Hamas siege, protecting two small children. He was responding to a proposal by Republican Senator Josh Hawley to transfer aid from Ukraine to Israel.
Gene Zitver is the author of ClineWatch.
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