The House voted 104-313 to reject an amendment offered by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., that would have cut $3.3 billion in foreign aid to Israel for the next fiscal year, a vote that split House Democratic leadership and gave lawmakers their first chance this Congress to weigh in directly on taxpayer-funded assistance to the Jewish state.
The amendment failed overwhelmingly, but the debate exposed hardening attitudes toward Israel within Democratic ranks as support for Palestinian causes has grown in certain segments of the party. Massie, who called Israel "the biggest welfare recipient of the United States," was the lone Republican to support his own measure.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., joined 97 other Democrats in opposing the amendment's elimination. The chamber's second-ranking Democrat, Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., broke with leadership and joined 102 Democrats in supporting it. Ten Democrats voted present.
What the Right Is Saying
Florida Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart argued that the funding supports American security interests by helping Israel combat terrorist organizations including Hamas and Hezbollah.
"The same terrorists and terrorist entities that threaten Israel also threaten the United States and our people directly," Diaz-Balart said during debate on the measure. "When we give Israel the tools and capabilities to eliminate these terrorist threats, we are making America and the American people safer."
Diaz-Balart noted that the vast majority of the funding is used by Israel to purchase American-made weaponry, supporting the U.S. industrial base.
Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., offered sharp criticism of the amendment during floor debate. "This amendment would embolden the enemies of peace, those pursuing the complete elimination of Israel and those who seek the death of Jews," he said.
Ohio Democrat Rep. Greg Landsman criticized both Republicans for bringing the measure and progressive Democrats for supporting it. "It's really bad for our ally, for our national security. They shouldn't be messing around like this," he told Fox News in June, accusing Republicans of putting the measure on the floor to expose divisions within his party.
What the Left Is Saying
Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., the House Democratic whip, joined supporters of the measure, arguing that America's financial leverage could change Israel's behavior amid its war in Gaza, which some lawmakers have labeled a genocide.
"If we hope to change Israel's behavior, we must use our leverage," Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, said on the House floor. "The American people have seen this tragedy with their own eyes. They do not support giving Israel more weapons."
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar, D-Texas., took a victory lap despite the amendment's failure. "More Democrats than ever before voted to stop sending money to Benjamin Netanyahu's government, despite the fact that this amendment was an imperfect vehicle for our movement," he said following the vote. "Tomorrow we get back to work to build a Democratic Party that spends taxpayer dollars on working people, not an out of control military abroad. We will win."
Jeffries argued in a "Dear Colleague" letter that the measure was poorly drafted and overly broad, prohibiting or limiting funds for humanitarian aid, refugee resettlement, peace-building and U.S. Embassy operations.
What the Numbers Show
The amendment failed 104-313, with 102 Democrats joining Massie in support and 98 Democrats opposing it alongside most Republicans. Ten Democrats voted present.
An NBC News survey released in March found that 67% of Democratic voters have more sympathy for Gaza than Israel, while just 17% said the opposite. The polling reflects a shift in party attitudes that has translated into more vocal opposition to Israeli military operations.
Three socialist candidates defeated establishment-aligned Democrats in New York's June primaries while largely running on opposition to U.S. aid to Israel.
The $3.3 billion figure represents annual foreign military financing to Israel under a long-standing memorandum of understanding signed during the Obama administration.
The Bottom Line
Wednesday's vote marks the most significant floor test yet of Democratic attitudes toward Israeli aid, even as the amendment failed by a wide margin. House Republican leaders allowed the measure to reach the floor despite opposition from most of their conference, gambling that internal Democratic divisions would prove politically damaging.
The split among Democratic leadership signals that the debate over U.S. policy toward Israel is no longer contained to fringe elements of the party but has reached the highest levels of House Democratic leadership. Whether this portends a broader shift in official party positions or remains confined to symbolic floor votes will depend on whether more concrete legislative attempts emerge.
The vote comes as Congress continues to navigate U.S. involvement in ongoing Middle East conflicts, with supporters arguing that conditions must be attached to aid and opponents warning that cutting assistance would weaken American strategic interests.