More than 100 House Democrats voted to block billions of dollars in military aid to Israel, an ultimately unsuccessful effort that underscored the growing divide in their party over the issue.
On Wednesday, 103 Democrats voted in favor of an amendment to block aid proposed by GOP Rep. Thomas Massie, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump who is skeptical of American support for Israel. One Republican also signed on. But the measure ultimately failed 104-314. 98 Democrats voted no and 10 voted present, meaning they did not offer an opinion on the issue.
Even the top three lawmakers in the House Democratic leadership are divided on the issue. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar voted against it, and House Minority Whip Katherine Clarke voted in favor.
Progressive Democrats celebrated a seismic shift in their party: For the first time, a majority of House Democrats voted to block billions in military aid to Israel. Two years ago, only 37 Democrats voted to block aid to Israel when faced with a similar vote.
“Think about this for a minute. Starting today, a majority of Democrats in this building have refused to vote to send billions of dollars in weapons to the Israeli military,” Democratic Rep. Greg Kazar, leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said after the vote. “This sends a strong signal to Netanyahu that the days of inexplicably blank checks for his wars and his war crimes are over, at least on the part of the Democratic Party.”
He added: “After this vote, I think nothing will be the same on this issue.”
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar said that as she voted, she reflected with fellow progressive Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian member of Congress, about what this moment meant.
“When we came here, a day like today, the kind of voting that took place today, seemed impossible,” Omar said.
Knowing that their caucus would be divided on the issue, House Democratic leadership deliberately did not rush the vote, and Jeffries instead urged members to vote their conscience. For weeks, Democratic lawmakers met privately to have “family discussions,” as several members described it, about how to approach the vote.
Even Democrats who voted for the Massie amendment, like Clark, argued that it was deeply flawed because it also blocked humanitarian funding for Palestinian refugees and civilians in the Gaza Strip. Some argued that the measure was designed to drive a wedge among Democrats.
“This is not an attempt to have a serious and necessary debate on offensive military aid to Israel. Rather, it is a stunt by congressional Republicans who would rather score cheap political points than lead,” Clarke said in a statement announcing her vote. “However, it is clear that the status quo is not sustainable. We should not give carte blanche for military assistance to any country that is not consistent with U.S. laws, interests and values.”
Some Democrats sought to downplay the divisive vote and hand the issue back to Republicans.
“We allowed ourselves to be tied into a knot over something that will never, ever move forward. But to Hakeem’s credit, he said, vote your conscience,” Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, who voted against the measure, told CNN.
But the vote also signals a shift in House Democrats’ positions as the party tries to define its position on U.S. foreign policy toward Israel. Many on the left are demanding a dramatic change of course.
“There is a huge pent-up desire among most Democrats to signal a change in policy toward Israel and the region,” said Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman, who was present at the vote, meaning he has not taken an official position on the issue. “For many of my colleagues, the Massey Amendment is the appropriate vehicle for such a statement.”
This story has been updated with additional details.