WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 The Democrats in Washington state\u2019s congressional delegation split Wednesday on a vote to cut U.S. military aid to Israel for the next fiscal year, mirroring a growing national rift within the Democratic Party over its long-standing support for the Jewish state.<\/p>\n
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced the largely symbolic amendment to a broader spending package for the State Department and other national security-related agencies. It failed but drew significant Democratic support, demonstrating a sharp shift within the party and the nation as Israel\u2019s war on Gaza stretches into its third year. In all, 103 Democrats voted in favor of the measure, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; 98 Democrats voted against it, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.<\/p>\n
Washington\u2019s delegation was likewise divided. Reps. Adam Smith, Pramila Jayapal and Emily Randall voted in favor of Massie\u2019s amendment to cut aid. \u201cMy vote reflects the need for a fundamental change in our approach to the far-right (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu government \u2014 one that is long overdue,\u201d Randall, of Bremerton, said in a statement. \u201cThat means no more additional funding for offensive weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reps. Suzan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Marilyn Strickland and Kim Schrier voted against, some of whom expressed concerns that the amendment would have jeopardized humanitarian aid.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s amendment would move us in the wrong direction by cutting humanitarian assistance and diplomatic aid,\u201d DelBene, of Medina, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Larsen, of Everett, similarly criticized the effort as one that would halt critical attempts at brokering peace in the region. \u201cI voted \u2018no\u2019 on a Republican amendment that would have prohibited any diplomatic, humanitarian, development or security funding related to Israel,\u201d Larsen said.<\/p>\n
Every Republican member of Congress, including Reps. Dan Newhouse, of Yakima, and Michael Baumgartner, of Spokane, voted against it, with the exception of Massie.<\/p>\n
On the House floor, Massie said the $3.3 billion could instead be spent at home on U.S. roads, bridges and veterans\u2019 needs. Massie recently lost his bid for reelection after Trump backed his primary challenger.<\/p>\n
Despite the amendment\u2019s failure, its sizable support from Democratic lawmakers Wednesday shows notable discontent among the party\u2019s voters on the United States\u2019 relationship with Israel.<\/p>\n
A spate of leftist candidates, stretching from Colorado to New York, have secured primary wins this year while running on platforms that challenged military aid to Israel. Some of these candidates unseated Democratic officeholders who had expressed support for Israel over many decades. Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate primary candidate in Michigan, has been markedly critical of Israel in the highly watched race.<\/p>\n
Smith\u2019s vote in favor of halting military aid to Israel comes as two leftist candidates, with platforms promising to seek an end to aid to Israel, have launched longshot challenges against him in Washington\u2019s 9th Congressional District.<\/p>\n
Smith\u2019s office did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday evening, and he did not share a public statement about his vote. In an August 2025 statement<\/a>, he said it was time for the U.S. to stop the sale of some weapons to Israel as leverage to pressure the nation into a ceasefire, acknowledging that the demand was a departure from his previous politics.<\/p>\n Jayapal, who has frequently criticized the Israeli government throughout her five terms, said in a statement before the Wednesday vote that the United States has a \u201cmoral obligation\u201d to halt all weapons sales to the Israeli government.<\/p>\n