The Daily Populous Thursday July 16th, 2026 day edition
Authored by jewishinsider.com and submitted by plz-let-me-in

No. 2 House Democrat Katherine Clark will vote to cut off aid to Israel

Clark called the amendment a Republican stunt and ‘overly broad,’ but said she’ll support it anyway because the U.S. ‘must change course’

Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), the No. 2 House Democrat, said she plans to vote for an amendment by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to cut off U.S. aid to Israel next year — breaking with other members of Democratic leadership on the issue.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said Tuesday that he plans to vote against the amendment but said Democratic leadership will not be whipping the vote, set for Wednesday afternoon. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), the No. 3 House Democrat, is also opposing the amendment.

Clark, in a statement, called the amendment “overly broad” and “not an attempt to have a serious and necessary debate about offensive military aid to Israel” and a Republican stunt. But she said that she’ll support it anyway as a signal that the U.S.-Israel relationship needs to change.

“I will be voting yes, not because I agree with the entirety of the amendment, or the GOP’s cynical motivations for its consideration, but because I believe we must change course,” Clark said, accusing Israel of failing to comply with “U.S. law, interests, and values” and arguing that the U.S. should not provide a “blank check.”

Clark called for a “new and sustainable path for true security in the Middle East,” including increased aid to Gaza, a halt to settlement construction in the West Bank, an end to settler violence and the Palestinian right to self determination.

She also said that Israel has a “right to exist as a sovereign, secure, and democratic Jewish state” and to “defend their people and their territory.” She said the U.S. should “continue to have a strong strategic alliance with Israel and support its defense,” as well as continue to support missile-defense systems, which fall outside the scope of the Massie amendment. She also called for fighting “the scourge of antisemitism whenever and wherever it appears.”

Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also said on Tuesday that he would vote in favor of the amendment and is encouraging other Democratic lawmakers to do the same.

“At its best, the Progressive Caucus’ role is to be an independent voice and lead on important issues of peace and human rights,” Casar said in a letter to colleagues. The Democratic Party needs a new approach to Israel and Palestine. When Democrats retake the majority in November, I hope the Progressive Caucus can help lead our Party towards a position that secures safety, dignity, and self determination for Palestinian and Israeli civilians alike.”

He emphasized that the portion of non-military funding being blocked is small, and that “the American people are crying out for an end to US tax dollars subsidizing Israel’s military.”

Aguilar said on Tuesday that he plans to oppose the Massie amendment but echoed Jeffries in saying, “I strongly believe that we need a change in posture in the region,” and calling the upcoming end of the current U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding “an opportunity to review what our relationship looks like.”

“We need an Israel that believes in free and fair elections. We need to ensure that they have a right to defend themselves, but we also need to do everything we can to have a Palestinian state,” Aguilar said.

He accused the Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of having “done everything they can to isolate Israel, and we need to ensure that we are building new friends in the region, not having fewer.”

chrisjinna on July 15th, 2026 at 19:58 UTC »

They don't need it anymore. They are going to make way more money selling US weapons to the US. https://bisi.org.uk/reports/us-and-israel-deepen-their-military-ties

svrtngr on July 15th, 2026 at 17:56 UTC »

Rahm Emanuel (who sucks, but is Jewish) changing his tune on Israel aid was the canary in the coal mine, here.

Jedi_Ninja on July 15th, 2026 at 17:53 UTC »

Didn't Netanyahu say they didn't need help from the US?