House Democrats Mostly Stay in Line With Biden Over GOP’s Vote on Arms for Israel

While Democratic leaders have let members vote their conscience on Israel-related issues in the past, there was a directive to vote against Republicans’ effort to force Biden’s hand on military aid.

Jared Moskowitz Campus Protests
Sixteen Democrats voted in favor of Republicans’ Israel arms bill including Reps. Jared Moskowitz and Josh Gottheimer. Stefan Jeremiah/AP

Democrats, even those who have voted alongside Republicans on Israel in the past, largely stuck in line with President Joe Biden as House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed a bill to force shipments of certain bombs to Israel.

The Israel Security Assistance Support Act, Republicans’ direct response to the Biden administration delaying the shipment of 3,500 large bombs and munitions to Israel, passed Thursday with largely Republican support. Sixteen Democrats voted in favor of it, including Reps. Jared Moskowitz, Josh Gottheimer and Ritchie Torres.

“It would be a much more powerful message if it would be bipartisan,” Rep. Greg Landsman said of the bill. “They chose to issue a partisan bill that had a primary goal of splitting Democrats, as opposed to helping Israel.”