Democrats lining up against stand-alone Israel aid bill

House Democrats are lining up in opposition to a Republican bill providing new military funding for Israel — but not without a lot of internal agonizing.

At an animated closed-door meeting in the Capitol basement Tuesday morning, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and other top leaders told the caucus that they’ll oppose the bill when it hits the floor later in the day. 

“We are prepared to support any serious, bipartisan effort in connection with the special relationship between the United States and Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East,” Jeffries, along with Reps. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), wrote to Democrats in a letter released shortly after the meeting.  

“Unfortunately, the standalone legislation introduced by House Republicans over the weekend, at the eleventh hour without notice or consultation, is not being offered in good faith.” 

That position aligns them with President Biden, who has vowed to veto the proposal if it reaches his desk. And an overwhelming majority of House Democrats appear ready to get on board in voting against the bill. 

“This is a stunt. It’s a gotcha,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), a prominent Jewish lawmaker. “I’m very proud that the president has seen this for what it is.”

The Democratic opposition would typically be inconsequential in a House chamber controlled by Republicans. But Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is seeking to pass the Israel aid bill using a procedural tool, known as the suspension calendar, that requires two-thirds of the chamber to pass legislation.

Democrats are widely supportive of providing their Middle Eastern ally with a new round of military help for its ongoing response of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. But Johnson’s bill excludes other provisions favored by Democrats, including humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in Gaza and new military funding for Ukraine.

Absent the other foreign aid provisions, Democrats say they’ll oppose the stand-alone Israel bill when it hits the floor Tuesday evening — opposition that threatens to prevent the bill from hitting the two-thirds threshold needed to pass.

“Speaker Johnson should pull it and focus on comprehensive national security,” said Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), another Jewish lawmaker and strong Israel supporter. 

The Democratic opposition will not be unanimous. Amid the wave of critics, there are a number of Democrats who say they’ll support the bill in order to show solidarity with Israel. To vote against it, these voices are warning, would send a message to the world that the U.S. is abandoning its support for Tel Aviv in the wake of the worst attack in the country’s history. 

“I’m certainly aware of the president’s position. I’m aware of leadership. … And ultimately this bill isn’t going to hit the president’s desk except in a form that the Senate votes on it,” said Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), another veteran Jewish lawmaker. “If you have a bill that has nothing in it except Israel, and it fails, what does that say to the rest of the world?”

That message was delivered by some of Israel’s staunchest supporters during Tuesday’s closed-door meeting. And their emotional pleas had an impact on at least some Democrats who went into the gathering sure they’d vote against the Israel bill, but left the discussion much less certain.

“It’s difficult for me not to go along with the president, and I don’t think anybody can accuse him of being anti-Israel,” Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) said. “But you’ve got some people saying if you don’t do this, it’s saying to our enemies in the Middle East that we’re no longer connected at the hip with Israel. … I walked in there saying I was going to be with the president on this, and I’m getting a headache now.

“This is not fun.”

Tuesday’s debate mirrors that in November when Johnson, in his first act as Speaker, brought an Israel funding bill to the floor combined with cuts to the IRS. Twelve Democrats joined with most Republicans to pass that measure through the House, and it appears the number will be higher this time around, without the IRS provision.

Still, most Democrats seem poised to oppose it, not only to show unity with the White House but out of recognition that the Democratic-controlled Senate — which is pushing a much broader foreign aid and border security package — will never take it up. 

“I think there is a strong consensus among Democrats that we need to stick with the president,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), another prominent Jewish lawmaker.

Aris Folley contributed.