Thomas Massie’s Blocked Push to Gut Military Aid to Israel Is Triggering a Civil War Among Democrats
Exposing fault-lines.
Thomas Massie’s latest push to slash military aid to Israel has thrown House Democrats into a full-blown civil war, exposing fractures that party leaders can’t paper over. The Kentucky Republican’s now blocked amendment to strip $3.3 billion in security assistance from a national security spending bill forced Democrats to pick sides between progressive outrage over Israel’s genocide in Palestine and centrist loyalty to long-standing U.S.-Israel policy.
Leadership had urged members to vote according to their conscience, but the divide ran so deep that even veterans of the caucus were stunned. Massie’s amendment, that was eventually blocked, targeted the $3.3 billion in annual security assistance Israel receives under a 2016 memorandum of understanding signed by former President Barack Obama, along with $500 million earmarked for cooperative missile defense, per The Hill.
The text of the amendment to the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act was blunt: no funds from the bill can be made available for Israel, and the overall spending is reduced by the same amount. While the measure failed – Republicans overwhelmingly support Israel – it became a litmus test for Democrats, many of whom felt the pressure from younger voters who view Israel’s military actions in Gaza as a campaign of genocide.
The generational divide is stark
Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, called the internal debate “fraught” and admitted he’s never seen divisions this deep in his time in Congress. The conversations, he said, revolved around whether cutting off aid would force Israel to the negotiating table or if diplomacy should be given more time.
A recent Pew survey found that 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now hold an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 69% in 2025 and 53% in 2022. Among Democrats under 50, 47% have a very unfavorable view, compared to 39% of older Democrats. Progressive lawmakers had lined up behind Massie’s amendment, framing it as a moral stand against what they see as unchecked military aggression.
Rep. Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, posted on X that “the Israeli government committed war crimes in Gaza and helped drag America into war with Iran. Americans should not be financing more weapons for Netanyahu.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has also thrown her support behind the measure, though Casar acknowledged the amendment’s broad language could inadvertently cut diplomatic funding, like U.S. Embassy operations. “While I would prefer to vote on an amendment that stripped just military funding,” he wrote, “I think opposing the billions in military funding is what’s most important here.”
Not everyone was on board
Rep. Jerry Nadler called the amendment “poorly drafted,” warning it could have unintended consequences, like defunding embassy staff. Rep. Sara Jacobs called it “overly broad” but still described the caucus debate as “thoughtful.” Even amid the disagreement, Jacobs tried to project unity, saying, “We all agreed that, however people vote, we’re all on the same team.” Rep. Becca Balint said the discussion was civil, with “no yelling” and “very cogent” arguments.
The amendment’s timing couldn’t be more volatile. It comes months after a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect, though both sides have accused each other of violations. The conflict has only deepened the rift within the Democratic Party, with progressive activists targeting centrists who support military aid.
Last week, democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier ousted five-term Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a New York primary, running on a platform that opposed U.S. funding for Israel. On the flip side, pro-Israel groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee have flexed their muscle, helping Wesley Bell unseat progressive Rep. Cori Bush in Missouri.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar acknowledged the “strong positions” members hold on Israel but urged the party not to lose sight of the bigger fight against the current administration’s domestic agenda. Still, the Massie amendment has become a proxy battle for the soul of the party, with activists on both sides ready to punish lawmakers who don’t fall in line.
This isn’t the first time Massie has tried to force a vote on Israel funding
Earlier this month, the House blocked a bipartisan amendment he co-sponsored with Rep. Ro Khanna that would have halted the United States-Israel Defence Technology Cooperation Initiative, a program aimed at deepening military integration between the two countries. According to The Jewish Chronicle, the Rules Committee deemed the amendment “out of order,” preventing a floor vote.
Khanna called the move “unconscionable,” vowing to keep pushing back against what he described as the “pro-Israel lobby.” Massie, who is set to leave Congress in November after losing his primary to a Trump-backed challenger, has made fiscal restraint a hallmark of his tenure.
Massie’s latest amendment doesn’t just target Israel – it also slashes $3.3 billion from the Foreign Military Financing budget, a move that could have ripple effects across U.S. defense partnerships. But with Republicans largely united in their support for Israel, the amendment’s real impact may be on Democrats, who are now facing a reckoning over their party’s stance on the Middle East.
The vote could also serve as a preview of how the issue will play in the upcoming election. Progressive groups are already mobilizing to challenge centrist Democrats who vote against the amendment, while pro-Israel organizations are likely to do the same for those who support it. For a party already struggling to maintain a united front, Massie’s amendment has turned a policy debate into a full-blown identity crisis.
(Featured image: Gage Skidmore)
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