Measure to cut Israel aid fails in bipartisan House vote

A measure to prevent any State Department funding from going to Israel failed by a decisive margin in a House vote on Wednesday.

Why it matters: The vote exposed deep divisions among House Democrats, with even the party's top two leaders taking divergent positions.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and 97 other Democrats voted against the amendment, along with 215 Republicans.
But Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) — along with 102 other Democrats and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), the measure's sponsor — voted for it.

By the numbers: The amendment to the State Department funding bill ultimately failed in a 104-314 vote, with 10 members voting "present."

Catch up quick: At issue for many Democrats was that the amendment made no carveout to protect non-military funding.

Jeffries and many other Democrats who opposed it said they could not vote to cut off diplomatic funding — even if they may have issues with continued military aid to Israel.
But others, including Clark, said they felt compelled to vote for the amendment as a signal to Israel that their actions in Gaza and Lebanon have been unacceptable.

Between the lines: Many Democrats felt political pressure to vote for the measure despite misgivings about its substance.

Lawmakers noted that several incumbents have already been ousted this year by left-wing primary challengers who said they were insufficiently critical of Israel.