House votes 104-313 to keep $3.3B Israel aid intact as Democrats split sharply on Massie amendment
The House on Wednesday rejected Rep. Thomas Massie's amendment to cut $3.3 billion in annual U.S. foreign aid to Israel, 313-104. The count held by a wide margin, but the Democratic breakdown told a more complicated…
Key takeaways
- The House rejected Rep. Thomas Massie's amendment to cut $3.3 billion in annual U.S. foreign aid to Israel by a vote of 313-104.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and 97 other Democrats opposed the cut, while the second-ranking Democrat, Rep. Katherine Clark, joined 102 colleagues in backing it, and 10 Democrats voted present.
- Jeffries opposed the amendment as 'overly broad,' arguing it would jointly restrict military assistance, humanitarian aid, refugee resettlement, peace-building programs, and U.S. Embassy operations.
- Massie, the only Republican to support his own measure, called Israel the 'biggest welfare recipient of the United States.'
- The State Department appropriations bill moves forward without the aid cut attached.
The House on Wednesday rejected Rep. Thomas Massie's amendment to cut $3.3 billion in annual U.S. foreign aid to Israel, 313-104. The count held by a wide margin, but the Democratic breakdown told a more complicated story: Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and 97 fellow Democrats voted against the cut, while Rep. Katherine Clark, the second-ranking House Democrat, joined 102 colleagues in backing it. Ten Democrats voted present.
The leadership break
Jeffries had signaled his opposition during a closed-door caucus meeting Tuesday, then followed with a "Dear Colleague" letter arguing the amendment was "overly broad." His concern was drafting. As written, the measure would have restricted military assistance, humanitarian aid, refugee resettlement, peace-building programs, and U.S. Embassy operations together. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar of California echoed that reading.
Clark's vote carried weight precisely because she holds the chamber's second-ranking Democratic post. Her 102 allies argued that Israel's conduct in Gaza warranted cutting funds. Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas told the House floor that withholding aid was the path to changing Israeli behavior. Before the vote, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she expected the support total to be "quite large," adding the issue was cutting across ideological lines.
The case against cutting
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida made the national security argument plainly: aid to Israel degrades shared threats from Hamas and Hezbollah, and most of the $3.3 billion returns to the American defense industrial base through Israeli weapons purchases. Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland went further, saying the amendment would "embolden the enemies of peace, those pursuing the complete elimination of Israel."
Massie, the lone Republican to back his own measure, has called Israel the "biggest welfare recipient of the United States."
What to watch
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar of Texas framed the 104-vote total as a milestone, saying more Democrats than ever before had voted to stop sending money to Benjamin Netanyahu's government and vowing to keep building support. NBC News polling from March found 67% of Democratic voters hold more sympathy for Gaza than Israel, against 17% for the reverse. Three socialist candidates defeated establishment-backed Democrats in New York's June primaries largely on opposition to Israel. The State Department appropriations bill moves forward without the aid cut attached.
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Filed via foxnews.com