Top House Democrats vow to oppose bid to cut US military aid to Israel

Hakeem Jeffries speaks about Donald Trump’s policies on the war in Iran during a news conference at the US Capitol on 13 July 2026 in Washington DC. Photograph: Finn Gomez/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Hakeem Jeffries speaks about Donald Trump’s policies on the war in Iran during a news conference at the US Capitol on 13 July 2026 in Washington DC. Photograph: Finn Gomez/Getty Images Top House Democrats vow to oppose bid to cut US military aid to Israel House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, calls amendment ‘overly broad’ as party grapples with backlash over Israel US politics live – latest updates Top House Democrats on Tuesday said they will oppose an effort to cut funding from Israel ’s military, amid a rebellion from voters over US support for the Middle Eastern ally that has roiled recent primary elections. The party has been debating how to vote on an amendment that would halt $3.3bn in military aid for Israel, which Republican congressman Thomas Massie has proposed adding to an appropriations bill for the state department and related agencies. Democrats were debating the amendment, which may come up for a vote before the House of Representatives later this week, in the context of a slew of primary victories by candidates who have vowed to take a hardline against Israel. The trend has seen Democratic incumbents unseated in New York and Colorado, and could play a role in deciding contested House and Senate primaries in Michigan and Missouri in the weeks ahead. In a letter to House Democrats that was reported by the New York Times, Hakeem Jeffries , the House minority leader, said he would oppose Massie’s amendment, calling it “overly broad” and warning it could cut off funds from humanitarian aid programs and complicate efforts to counter militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. “In my view, there are more decisive ways to achieve the urgent change necessary when it comes to the far-right Netanyahu government,” Jeffries wrote. He also accused the House’s Republican leaders of “trying to weaponize an amendment they do not support for nakedly partisan reasons”. Pete Aguilar, the third highest ranking House Democrat, later joined him in opposing the amendment. “It’s clear that the Netanyahu administration has done everything they can to isolate Israel, and we need to ensure that we are building more friends in the region, not having fewer,” he told a press conference. Both lawmakers argued that the US should rethink its approach to Israel and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government has faced accusations of genocide from international commissions over its incursion into Gaza following the 7 October attacks. Jeffries called for “a major reset” in relations between the two countries that recognizes both Israel’s right to exist and leads to the creation of a Palestinian state. With a 10-year memorandum of understanding signed under Barack Obama with Israel soon to expire, Jeffries said the next agreement should “strictly adher