Truthout is an indispensable resource for activists, movement leaders and workers everywhere. Please make this work possible with a quick donation.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) announced to colleagues on Tuesday that he is planning to vote against an amendment to a 2027 State Department funding bill that would reduce the amount of direct military funding the U.S. will send to Israel in the next fiscal year, despite growing opposition to the U.S.’s backing of Israel within his own party.
In a “dear colleague” letter on Tuesday, Jeffries wrote that he will be voting against a measure introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) that would cut $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing to Israel included in the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.
Jeffries, a longtime backer of Israel, said the measure is “overly broad” and “would restrict our country’s ability to confront Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations in the region who are sworn enemies of both the United States and Israel.”
He said that Democratic leaders aren’t whipping the vote against the amendment, but said that the caucus has had “extensive conversations” about the measure and that members will vote in a “variety” of ways with regard to Massie’s amendment. The caucus has indeed held meetings about the amendment in recent weeks, despite extremely long odds of it passing.
“In my view, there are more decisive ways to achieve the urgent change necessary when it comes to the far-right Netanyahu government,” Jeffries said.
However, he gave little explanation as to what he believes that change should be. Referencing the upcoming expiration of the 10-year U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding, he says that he believes Israel is “capable of paying for its own sophisticated weapons,” and that future agreements “should be structured consistently with defense agreements that exist with our other Western allies and strictly adhere to our human rights laws and values.”
As advocates for Palestinian rights and human rights experts have long pointed out, however, sending military aid to Israel is already inconsistent with U.S. laws and regulations that require recipients to adhere to basic human rights guidelines.
Notably, Jeffries’s stance is not altogether different from that of Israel’s staunchest backers. This includes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself, who has recently been advocating for a drawdown of U.S. aid to Israel in order for such agreements to be replaced with provisions that even further integrate Israel into U.S. military and intelligence apparatuses while also allowing Israel to stimulate its own economy with more domestic military production.
Because of these shifting priorities, advocates for Palestinian rights have been advocating for opposition to not just aid, but also other agreements that further entrench Israel in its access to the U.S.’s vast military resources.
Such proposals are already in progress. The 2027 Pentagon funding bill includes a provision to mandate that the U.S. grant Israel special access to U.S. military and intelligence technology under a program called the U.S.-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative.
The House Rules Committee already rejected an amendment, by Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California), to strip the Pentagon budget of the proposal last month.
An important fundraising appeal: 7 Days to raise $42,000
Truthout is one of only a few platforms for justice-oriented, grassroots journalism. Today, as political censorship from the right intensifies, we have no choice but to ask for your help.
We are fundraising right now to cover our basic operating expenses. If you can support Truthout with a one-time or monthly donation, you will make a significant impact on our work. Anything you can do makes a difference — we appreciate your support.