WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans joined forces Wednesday to defeat two measures that would have halted approximately $450 million in military equipment sales to Israel, demonstrating continued GOP support for President Trump’s Middle East policies.
The failed resolutions highlighted a growing divide within the Democratic Party, as most of the 47-member Democratic caucus supported blocking the sales due to concerns about civilian casualties from Israeli military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
Despite decades of bipartisan congressional support for Israel making such blocking measures unlikely to succeed, advocates believe bringing these issues to a vote pressures both Israeli leadership and U.S. officials to better protect non-combatants.
Those favoring the arms sales argue Israel remains a crucial ally deserving continued American military support.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who works with Democrats, pushed for the votes on both measures, arguing the sales violated foreign aid requirements under the Foreign Assistance Act and Arms Export Control Act.
The first measure targeting a $295 million deal for D9R and D9T Caterpillar bulldozers and related equipment failed 59-40. Seven Democrats joined all Republicans in opposing the resolution, while Wyoming Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis was absent.
The second resolution aimed at blocking $151.8 million worth of 12,000 BLU-110A/B general purpose 1,000-pound bombs and associated support services was defeated 63-36. Eleven Democrats crossed party lines to vote with Republicans, and North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis did not participate.
Sanders explained that Israel deploys these bombs in strikes against Gaza and Lebanon while using the bulldozers to destroy residential structures in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank.
“The United States must use the leverage we have — tens of billions in arms and military aid — to demand that Israel ends these atrocities,” Sanders stated while advocating for the blocking measures.
Israeli officials maintain they do not deliberately target civilians, stating their military actions aim to eliminate militants and destroy military infrastructure.
Wednesday’s voting results showed increased support for limiting Israeli arms sales compared to previous attempts. Two similar Sanders-sponsored resolutions failed in July with larger margins of defeat — 73-24 and 70-27 in the 100-member Senate.
The Trump administration circumvented standard congressional oversight procedures for these military sales early in the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, claiming emergency circumstances required immediate weapons transfers.
