US House defeats bid to cut off Israel aid in vote dividing Democrats

A bid to cut off U.S. aid to Israel was defeated in the House of Representatives, but the vote exposed deep fissures within the Democratic party. The amendment, which sought to halt military assistance, garnered support from nearly half of the Democrats, a significant departure from previous bipartisan consensus on aid to Israel.

Representative Thomas Massie, a fiscal hawk who opposes all foreign aid, introduced the amendment. He cited the "70,000 casualties in Gaza" as a reason for the U.S. not to be "part of that." The amendment was attached to a State Department spending bill.

The vote saw 314 representatives vote against the measure, while 104 supported it. The split reflects a growing tension between progressive Democrats, who are increasingly vocal about ending aid to Israel amid the conflict in Gaza, and moderate Democrats who advocate for continued support, particularly for defensive weapons.

Left-wing Democrats are leveraging the issue in their midterm election primary campaigns, while moderate Democrats are pushing for aid to be restricted to defensive armaments. The outcome underscores the challenge President Biden faces in navigating these internal party divisions on foreign policy.

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There have been 70,000 casualties in Gaza, and I don’t think we should be part of that.