The House of Representatives on Wednesday defeated an amendment that would have ended all U.S. assistance to Israel, but the vote exposed a striking divide within the Democratic Party, with more than 100 party lawmakers backing the proposal in a sign of rapidly changing attitudes toward the U.S.-Israel relationship.
The amendment, introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), sought to eliminate roughly $3.3 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Israel from a foreign affairs spending bill. It failed 314-104, with 10 lawmakers voting “present.” Massie was the only Republican to support the measure.
Among Democrats, however, the proposal drew majority support. A total of 103 Democrats voted in favor, while 98 opposed it and 10 voted “present.”
Though my amendment to strike $3.3 billion in aid to Israel from the State Dept Approps bill did not pass, 104 House Members voted in favor of it. The tide is changing.
Americans want their tax dollars to be spent improving things here at home, not waging war and genocide. pic.twitter.com/2S3aR24tpq
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 16, 2026
Several legislators said they objected to cutting humanitarian assistance but viewed the amendment as the only available opportunity to express opposition to the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza and to call for a change in U.S. policy.
The vote underscored growing divisions within Democratic leadership. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar voted against the amendment, while Minority Whip Katherine Clark and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi supported it, saying their votes reflected a desire to send a political message rather than endorse every aspect of the proposal.
In a letter to colleagues, Jeffries argued Republicans had advanced the amendment largely to deepen Democratic divisions. While opposing the measure, he also criticized the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, writing that the “far-right Netanyahu government has isolated Israel from much of the world, severely damaged its standing in the U.S., jeopardized normalization efforts in the region and repeatedly undermined prospects for peace.”
SPLIT: House Democrats fracture over a vote to cut $3.3 billion in aid to Israel — with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his own deputy Katherine Clark landing on opposite sides of the measure.
Democratic leadership declined to whip members either way, a striking signal of… pic.twitter.com/dglFHMdc57
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) July 15, 2026
Several Democrats who backed the amendment cited civilian casualties in Gaza and said continued military assistance was no longer justified. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), once considered a strong supporter of Israel, said the United States “simply cannot continue to condone Netanyahu’s actions.” Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) said, “Self-defense does not include indiscriminately bombing homes.”
Opponents argued the amendment risked undermining both Israel’s security and broader U.S. strategic interests. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) contended the proposal’s purpose was to divide Democrats, while Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) urged colleagues to reject it, saying a vote in favor would be “a vote against American security and against American safety.”
The symbolic vote comes amid a broader shift in Democratic public opinion on Israel. Recent polling has found substantial majorities of Democratic voters oppose additional military and economic aid to Israel, a trend lawmakers and advocacy groups say is increasingly influencing debate within the party. Progressive leaders have argued the House vote reflected those changing views, while others pointed to the conduct of the Israeli government as the principal reason for the erosion of long-standing bipartisan support.
As of Thursday, there was no immediate official response from the Israeli government to the House vote, which was widely viewed as a symbolic measure unlikely to affect current U.S. assistance. Israeli media, however, portrayed the outcome as another indication of the widening divide within the Democratic Party over support for Israel.
The vote concerned U.S. appropriations legislation, a matter that falls within the constitutional authority of the U.S. Congress. While foreign governments may express views on American policy, legislative decisions remain the prerogative of U.S. lawmakers.
Kiran Asim is a writer who covers the U.S., Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. Her reports and analyses look at the geostrategic issues and contemporary developments and their economic and political implications. She also writes about society and education.
