The Senate overwhelmingly rejected two resolutions of disapproval Thursday from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who revived a failed endeavor to halt the sales of $8.8 billion in U.S. bombs and other munitions to Israel.
The outcome was expected but underscored the persistent rift in the Democratic Caucus over the United States’s role in the contentious foreign conflict. The recycled effort by Sanders, a staunch Jewish critic of the U.S. ally’s handling of the war against Hamas, was also defeated in the last Congress.
Two separate privileged measures, which allowed Sanders to usurp the Republican majority and force a vote, failed in near identical vote tallies. The first was shot down 15-82, and the second was defeated 15-83.
Flanked by a poster of Gaza’s war-torn landscape and crumbled buildings, Sanders questioned on the Senate floor why Israel needs more U.S. weaponry.
“Ain’t a whole lot left. I don’t know why they need any more bombs,” he said. “They’ve basically destroyed the entire area. Nothing much left to be destroyed.”
Roughly a third of Senate Democrats, 15 of 47, supported Sanders’s effort. Given their minority status, the number is proportionally the same as last year when Democrats were in the majority.
In addition to Sanders, those who voted to cancel the Israel aid were Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) voted present on both. No Republicans voted for the measures.
Republicans see the wedge matter for Democrats as a key campaign component for picking up vulnerable Senate seats up for reelection next year. All of those facing competitive reelections or retiring from battleground seats opposed the votes.
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Senate Democrats earlier this year blocked a GOP-led bill to sanction International Criminal Court officials for issuing arrest warrants against top Israeli brass, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged war crimes.
Senate Republican leadership whacked Democrats for their latest anti-Israel measure, saying in a release that Democratic senators “keep trying to undermine Israel.”