These 16 House Democrats Voted to Force Biden’s Hand on Aid to Israel

Three Republicans — including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Warren Davidson of Ohio — also voted against.

But the bill will not be considered by the Democratic-controlled Senate and President Joe Biden has threatened to veto the bill, proposed by Republicans after Biden revealed he was withholding some offensive weapons from Israel due to concerns over the Jewish state’s invasion of Rafah. a town in southern Gaza where there are hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees.

Republicans in particular have sought to hit Biden for the decision, including Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, a Republican who voted against Israeli aid but has now introduced articles of impeachment against Biden for withholding that aid .

Specifically, the “Israeli Security Assistance Support Law” does the following:

• condemns Biden’s decision and calls on him to provide Israel with all approved aid;
• eliminates the salaries of any State Department or Pentagon employees who help withhold aid;
• withholds funding from the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the National Security Council until all withheld aid has been delivered.

The White House told members of Congress on Tuesday that it strongly opposed the bill, arguing that it would “harm the President’s ability to implement effective foreign policy” and could “lead to a spiral of unintended consequences” by limiting the president’s ability to adjust. levels of support in the future.

House Democratic leaders also pushed rank-and-file members to vote against the bill, prompting at least one Democrat to avoid stating his position in advance.

“I know how I’m going to vote, and nothing’s going to stop me,” said Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, one of the House’s most vulnerable swing district Democrats.

Jewish Democrats ended up divided on the bill, with several arguing that Republicans were simply trying to use Israel as a wedge to divide Democrats.

Among them was Rep. Greg Landsman of Ohio, who told Business Insider in a statement that he would vote for the bill while calling on Republicans to amend it. He also argued that the Biden administration needed more “clarity” on its policy toward Israel.

Since October 7, the House has taken a series of Israel-related votes that have divided House Democrats, including a vote equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism and another aimed at cracking down on anti-Semitism on campuses, but which has been the subject of criticism linked to freedom of expression.

Last month, 37 Democratic lawmakers voted against a bill to provide military aid to Israel that Biden is now partially withholding.

Here are the 16 House Democrats who voted for the bill:

1. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania
2. Angie Craig from Minnesota
3. Henry Cuellar of Texas
4. Don Davis from North Carolina
5. Lois Frankel of Florida
6. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez
7. Jared Golden from Maine
8. Josh Gottheimer from New Jersey
9. Greg Landsman from Ohio
10. Jared Moskowitz from Florida
11. Frank Pallone of New Jersey
12. Mary Peltola of Alaska
13. David Scott of Georgia
14. Darren Soto from Florida
15. Tom Suozzi from New York
16. Ritchie Torres of New York