Incoming House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) defended his approach to redirect IRS funding to provide aid to Israel, saying Republicans are “trying to be good stewards of the taxpayer’s resources.” 

“Instead of printing new dollars or borrowing it from another nation to send over to fulfill our obligations and help our ally, we want to pay for it, what a concept, we are trying to change how Washington works,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Last week, House Republicans passed a $14.5 billion package to provide military aid to Israel. The vote came down mostly on party lines (the GOP holds just a nine-seat edge). But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has called the plan “not serious,” and Biden has threatened to veto the bill.

This comes as the House voted late Tuesday to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for defending the Hamas attack against Israel as “resistance” and calling for the destruction of the Jewish state.

The vote — originally scheduled for Wednesday — was moved up after Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), who introduced the resolution, received death threats.

At the same time, the war between Israel and Hamas is also Johnson’s first big test as House speaker after the party ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as speaker. Johnson said he will turn next to aid for Ukraine and U.S. border security as Republican lawmakers increasingly oppose helping Kyiv fight Russia.  

3. Youngkin’s 15-Week Abortion Limit 

In Virginia, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin tried to give his party a model for a post-Roe political reality by backing a 15-week limit as a middle ground. At the same time, both chambers of Virginia’s state legislature seats were on the ballot. 

Virginia is the southern-most U.S. state that has not either banned or restricted abortion since the Supreme Court’s ruling. Control of the state legislature — currently divided between Republicans and Democrats — could ultimately decide how abortion access is handled.