Comedian Bill Maher challenged former Biden national security advisor Jake Sullivan on Wednesday over the Senate vote on Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to block specific military sales to Israel, with 40 of 47 Senate Democrats supporting the measures.
The resolutions, introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), sought to block $295 million in military bulldozers and $152 million in 1,000-pound bombs from being sold to Israel. The Senate rejected the measures, but only after 40 Democrats voted to advance them.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive Democrats and their allies argue that blocking military sales to Israel represents a principled position against what they characterize as a misguided war. Supporters of the vote say the war has cost American credibility, lives, and contributed to higher gas prices for American families.
Former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan defended the 40 Democrats who voted to block the sales, stating they "did the right thing." Sullivan argued that the war in Iran was "misbegotten from the beginning" and that Democrats who oppose continuing U.S. involvement should not vote to send more weapons to Israel.
"I think that's just a basic proposition," Sullivan said during the interview. "If you are not wanting to support the U.S. and Israel continuing the war in Iran, you shouldn't be voting to send more weapons to Israel."
What the Right Is Saying
Conservatives and pro-Israel Democrats have criticized the Sanders resolutions as harmful to a key U.S. ally during an active conflict. Bill Maher, who has been a frequent critic of progressive Democrats on Israel policy, highlighted that only seven Democratic senators voted with Republicans to reject the measures.
"This is the Democrats saying, we're not going to sell Israel any more military equipment," Maher said. "Seven Democrats joined the Republicans in shooting this down. So Israel has seven Democratic allies left in the Senate."
The seven Democrats who voted with the Republican majority were: Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), John Fetterman (PA), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Chris Coons (DE), Jacky Rosen (NV), and Catherine Cortez Masto (NV).
Maher pushed back on Sullivan framing the 40 Democrats' position as "the right thing," noting that he was referencing those who voted for the blocking measures. When asked why Biden lost the election, Maher pointed to the Democratic Party's position on Israel.
What the Numbers Show
The Senate vote revealed a significant split within the Democratic caucus. Of 47 Senate Democrats, 40 (85%) voted to support the Sanders resolutions blocking military sales to Israel. Only seven Democratic senators—roughly 15%—voted with Republicans to reject the measures.
The Joint Resolutions of Disapproval targeted two specific military sales: $295 million for military bulldozers and $152 million for 1,000-pound bombs. While the resolutions ultimately failed, the high number of Democrats supporting them signaled substantial caucus opposition to continued military aid to Israel.
The Bottom Line
The Senate vote highlights a deepening divide within the Democratic Party over U.S. policy toward Israel. The 40-7 split among Democrats on the military sales resolutions reflects broader tensions between progressive members who advocate for conditioning or cutting off military aid and more moderate members who maintain support for Israel.
The Maher-Sullivan exchange underscores how the Israel question has become a fault line in American politics, with each side framing their position as defending either American interests or humanitarian principles. What remains clear is that the Democratic Party's stance on Israel has become a point of contention that figures on both sides of the debate are using to define the party's future direction.