House Blocks Vote On Cutting Israel Aid As Progressive Democrats Back Push

A House vote on cutting $3.3 billion in U.S. military aid to Israel was blocked Tuesday, after the proposal drew support from progressive Democrats and sparked debate inside the party. 

The proposal was introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, and drew public support from several progressive Democrats. The blocked vote showed how sensitive Israel aid has become inside the Democratic Party, where some lawmakers now want to cut or restrict funding while others oppose the move or worry about its political impact.

Massie’s amendment was attached to a State Department and national security spending bill for 2027. It would have stopped money in the bill from being used for Israel and reduced the foreign military aid account by $3.3 billion.

That $3.3 billion is the main annual military aid Israel receives from the United States under a 10-year agreement signed in 2016, which runs through 2028. According to reports, the amendment would not affect a separate $500 million Israel receives each year for missile defense systems such as Iron Dome.

The debate also comes as Netanyahu has backed a plan to gradually reduce Israel’s direct U.S. military aid to zero over the next decade. The idea would cover the remaining years of the current agreement, which expires in 2028, and then continue through a seven-year phaseout. Supporters want to replace the annual aid package with a new model based on defense trade, joint weapons development, military technology cooperation and greater Israeli weapons production at home. 

Rep. Greg Casar, the Texas Democrat who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said he would support the measure.

“Soon, the House will vote on an amendment to block taxpayer funding to Israel’s military. I will vote yes,” Casar wrote on X.

He accused Israel’s government of committing war crimes in Gaza and helping pull the U.S. into war with Iran. “Americans should not be financing more weapons for Netanyahu,” he said.

Rep. Ilhan Omar also backed the amendment. “It should be a no-brainer: Our tax dollars should not fund a genocide,” she said. “We cannot continue to be complicit in Israel’s crimes against humanity.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also told Drop Site News she would vote for the amendment.

But some Democrats were concerned about the wording of the proposal. One Democrat told Axios that the amendment was “poorly drafted,” saying it could cut off not only military aid but also diplomatic funding for Israel.

Another Democrat described the internal discussion as a real debate inside the party. “Both sides got expressed,” the lawmaker said. Rep. Julie Johnson said members were “sharing how they felt” about what she called a controversial issue.

The amendment had been cleared for a possible vote by the House Rules Committee, meaning it was eligible to come to the floor. But House leaders did not bring it up for a final vote. In House procedure, an amendment can be approved for consideration but still never receive a vote if leaders do not allow it to come up during debate.

The aid fight was not the only Israel-related battle in Congress this week. Separately, Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, pushed an amendment to remove a defense bill provision that would deepen U.S.-Israel military technology cooperation.

That provision would expand cooperation between the U.S. and Israel in areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber defense, data-sharing and weapons development. The House Rules Committee blocked the Massie-Khanna amendment from receiving a floor vote.

“Congress has blocked the amendment @RepThomasMassie and I introduced to stop the integration of our military with Israel’s,” Khanna wrote on X. “It is unconscionable to not even have a vote. We will be continuing on and will not be intimidated by the pro-Israel lobby.”

The same week, the House also rejected a separate Lebanon measure from Rep. Rashida Tlaib that sought to limit U.S. involvement connected to Israeli operations against Hezbollah. The resolution failed 189-235, with nearly all Republicans and 22 Democrats voting against it.

Together, the blocked amendments and the Lebanon vote show that the fight over Israel policy has moved from activist pressure into Congress itself. Progressive Democrats are trying to force public votes on U.S. support for Israel, while House leaders and pro-Israel Democrats are trying to contain a growing split.