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Senator Bernie Sanders to Force Senate Vote on Resolutions Halting Proposed U.S. Arms Sales to Israel

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Senator Sanders to Force Vote on Halting U.S. Weapons Sales to Israel

Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Senate Democrats, plans to call for a vote on Wednesday on two resolutions that would halt proposed U.S. weapons sales to Israel. The votes represent the fourth time Sanders has introduced such measures, with previous attempts being rejected by a majority of senators.

Details of the Proposed Resolutions

The two resolutions target specific proposed arms transfers:

  • The first resolution would halt a proposed $151.8 million sale of 12,000 1,000lb bombs to Israel's military.
  • The second resolution would prevent a proposed $295 million sale of bulldozers to Israel.

Legislative History and Context

This will be the fourth time Senator Sanders has forced consideration of resolutions to cut off military aid to Israel in the Senate. Previous resolutions have been rejected by the chamber's Republican majority and many Democrats.

Support for similar measures among Senate Democrats has varied in recent votes:

  • In November 2024, a first batch of measures won support from 18 of 51 Democrats and their allies.
  • In April of the current Congress, 15 of 47 caucus members supported similar measures.
  • In July, 27 members backed another batch of resolutions.

In the House of Representatives, some progressive lawmakers have expressed support for cutting off all military aid to Israel.

Statements from Lawmakers

Senator Bernie Sanders stated the vote is an opportunity for Congress to "stand up to" the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac). He cited a Pew Research Center survey finding that 80% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans view Israel negatively.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she would "not support Congress sending more taxpayer dollars and military aid to a government that consistently ignores international law and US law."

Representative Ro Khanna stated, "I do believe Iron Dome is important in terms of saving lives. Israel can buy it with their own money."

Related Advocacy and Actions

Protests and Advocacy:
On Monday, dozens of people were arrested at a protest outside the New York City offices of Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, urging them to vote for the resolutions. Neither senator supported previous measures.

Coalition Letter:
Last week, a coalition of progressive groups including Indivisible, MoveOn, J Street, and Jewish Voice for Peace sent a letter to senators urging support for halting the weapons sales.

The groups described the proposed bomb sale as raising "urgent legal and moral concerns," stating the munitions have been used "in densely populated areas in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, with significant documented civilian casualties." They stated the bulldozers "have been widely used in operations involving large-scale demolition of homes, civilian infrastructure, and entire neighborhoods in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, contributing to forced displacement and de facto annexation."

Separate Senate Action

In a separate procedural move on Wednesday, Senate Democrats forced a vote on a war powers resolution that would have prevented former President Donald Trump from continuing hostilities against Iran. That resolution was voted down by Republicans.