More than half the Democratic caucus backed an effort to cut $3.3 billion in military assistance to Israel on Wednesday, delivering a stark signal that party sentiment toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has shifted dramatically since the October 2023 war began.
The amendment, introduced by Republican Thomas Massie, sought to halt the aid package in a spending measure. It failed 104-314, with 10 lawmakers voting present. Yet the 103 Democrats who backed it represent nearly half of the 212-member caucus, illustrating the depth of party division on Israel policy.
The scale of Democratic support caught even some party leaders off guard. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar announced they would vote no, but Jeffries declined to formally whip members against the amendment. He called Massie's proposal "overly broad" but acknowledged "the strongly held views throughout the caucus in this important area of foreign policy."
More provocative were the endorsements from senior Democrats. Whip Katherine Clark, the second-highest ranking House Democrat, declared her support, stating that "the Netanyahu government has failed to meet" the standard of complying with U.S. law and values. "We should not provide a blank check for military aid to any country," she said.
Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, went further, comparing Netanyahu to Donald Trump and calling for criminal prosecution. "Netanyahu, like Donald Trump, is a corrupt authoritarian who should face criminal courts, not receive billions more for weapons," he said.
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar sent members a letter urging them to support the amendment. "The American people are crying out for an end to US tax dollars subsidizing Israel's military," Casar wrote.
Even Nancy Pelosi, a longtime Israel advocate, voted yes on the amendment despite reservations about its wording. "While this amendment is ill-conceived, I vote yes for the message that it sends," the former House speaker said, citing demands from the American people to end "a perpetual cycle of war."
The vote reflects broader shifts in Democratic primary contests. In New York last month, voters ousted two incumbent Democratic House members and replaced a retiring colleague with democratic socialists who centered opposition to U.S. support for Israel in their campaigns. Similar dynamics played out in Colorado, where long-serving congresswoman Diana DeGette lost her primary to challenger Melat Kiros, whose campaign criticized the incumbent's Israel position.
Similar battles are shaping up in Missouri and Michigan, where primary challenges to Democratic incumbents and candidates hinge partly on their stances toward Israel policy and the influence of AIPAC, the influential pro-Israel lobby.
Clark herself noted that Massie's amendment would cut humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, not just military funding. She called the proposal "more stunts from Congressional Republicans who would rather score cheap political points than lead," signaling that some Democrats opposed the amendment on strategic grounds rather than substance.
Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of J Street, a liberal pro-Israel advocacy group, described Wednesday's vote as a watershed moment. "Today's vote reflects the emerging consensus in the party," he said. "The debate will no longer be about whether U.S. policy should change, but rather how it must change."
Author James Rodriguez: "The 103 Democratic votes tell you everything about where the party base has moved, regardless of what leadership says or how the bill is labeled."
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