Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) introduced an amendment to the State Department budget aiming to fully eliminate U.S. financial aid to Israel. The amendment failed with a vote of 104–314 but exposed deep divisions within the Democratic Party.
Under a 2016 memorandum signed by President Barack Obama, the U.S. committed to providing Israel $3.8 billion annually for ten years, including $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing to support the Israeli military.
House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D–N.Y.) opposed the amendment, describing it as "overly broad." In contrast, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (D–Texas) supported it, stating that "the American people are crying out" to stop "sending billions of dollars to a military that has killed tens of thousands of civilians." Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D–Mass.) voted for the amendment but criticized it as "stunts from Congressional Republicans who would rather score cheap political points than lead," despite Massie being the only Republican supporter.
Massie, known for his libertarian stance against all foreign aid, also proposed cuts to aid for Jordan, Egypt, and Tunisia. He framed the vote as a challenge to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement about reducing Israel's reliance on U.S. aid, saying, "Netanyahu said he wants to reduce Israel's dependence on US aid; let's start now." Massie expressed concerns about alternative funding mechanisms lacking transparency.
The vote underscored a rift within the Democratic Party, pitting leadership against the party base over U.S. support for Israel, especially following the October 2023 Hamas attacks that prompted increased aid to Israel.
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