Scoop: Fuming pro-Israel Democrats blast "shameless" GOP vote
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Rep. Dean Phillips. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.
A group of pro-Israel House Democrats who opposed restricting President Biden's ability to withhold arms to Israel is blasting the vote as a "shameless" attempt to "use Israel and the American Jewish community as political pawns," Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It's a reflection of growing Democratic frustration around Republicans repeatedly holding votes on Israel and antisemitism that Democrats say are mainly meant to divide their party.
What's happening: The denunciation came in a statement led by Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Middle East, and co-signed by 11 fellow Democrats.
- "We call on Speaker Johnson and House Republicans to cease the practice of unilateral messaging bills with no path forward in the Senate and restore the broad, bipartisan, pro-Israel consensus," they wrote.
- The lawmakers said they "stand at the ready to work with our Republican colleagues to ensure the U.S.-Israel relationship remains ironclad, that Hamas is dismantled, all hostages are returned, and Israelis and Palestinians can soon live side-by-side in peace."
- Eight of the statement's signers are Jewish, including steadfast Israel supporters like Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Kathy Manning (D-N.C.).
The backdrop: The House voted 224-187 to pass a bill that would force Biden to provide for the "prompt delivery" of congressionally passed aid to Israel.
- If Biden doesn't comply, the bill would restrict funding to the Pentagon and the State Department.
- The bill got 16 Democratic votes in the House but is unlikely to get a vote in the Senate. The White House has said Biden would veto it.
- In their letter, the Democratic lawmakers noted the Republican bill "lacks a single Democrat co-sponsor."
The other side: "The Biden Administration's decision to withhold weapons is catastrophic and goes directly against the will of Congress," Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in a statement on Thursday.
- Johnson said it is "alarming" that 184 Democrats voted against the bill, accusing them of siding "with the radical, pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic party."
Between the lines: The vote was seen by many Democrats as an effort to force them to choose between staying loyal to Biden and supporting Israel.
- Republicans have been increasingly seizing on Democrats' votes on Israel and antisemitism-related legislation on the campaign trail.
Zoom in: The group of 16 Democrats who voted for the bill was filled with swing-district members but excluded some of the House's most stalwart Israel defenders — shocking some lawmakers.
- Several Democrats pointed to the votes of Reps. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) and other vulnerable lawmakers who are not particularly outspoken on Israel.
- "It seemed to be more about [being] frontliners than their Israel position," observed one senior House Democrat.
The bottom line: Manning told Axios she "certainly understood why people voted yes," telling Axios she "thought long and hard about the vote — I read the bill over and over."
- In the end, she said, the "unnecessary" language Republicans included threatening funding for the Pentagon and State Department "stopped me from voting yes."
Editor's note: This story was corrected by removing the name of a Democratic representative who did not sign the statement.
