House Democrats spent Tuesday morning wrestling with a contentious amendment that would slash U.S. funding to Israel, with lawmakers caught between party pressure and serious reservations about the measure itself.
The clash emerged during a private caucus meeting where members aired deep divisions over an amendment by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to block State Department appropriations from reaching Israel. While progressive Democrats have rallied behind the proposal, others worry it could cripple not just military aid but diplomatic operations.
"We know it's crap, but..." one House Democrat told Axios anonymously, describing the political bind facing the party. The lawmaker criticized the amendment's wording as overly broad and acknowledged the pressure from the base to support any measure seen as opposing Israeli policy.
The gathering exposed fault lines that have grown sharper as the left wing of the party has begun toppling pro-Israel incumbents in primary races. Several establishment Democrats worry they could be next, with House members closely watching Colorado's primary Tuesday night to see if Rep. Diana DeGette becomes another casualty of the Middle East divide.
Inside the meeting, members aired competing concerns. Some focused on the risk of cutting diplomatic funding alongside military support. Others raised questions about Israeli democracy and the sentiment among younger voters. "Both sides got expressed," one attendee said. "You had different members who are going to vote for it, some against it."
Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas) downplayed the temperature, telling Axios that characterizing the session as "intense" overstated the dynamics. "There's a difference of opinion, it's a controversial issue," she said. "People were just sharing how they felt."
House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) struck a diplomatic note at a press conference, describing the conversation as "great" and noting it helps leadership understand where members stand. Behind the scenes, however, Democratic leaders maintained radio silence on the amendment itself, refusing to signal where the party brass leans.
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) broke ranks Monday by backing the measure, though he said he would have preferred an amendment targeting only military funding. The stakes are high for Democrats as the amendment heads toward a vote, with the party publicly divided and leadership watching from the sidelines.
Author James Rodriguez: "Democrats have built a trap of their own making on this one, and there's no clean way out."
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