Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) over his vote on a proposed weapons sale to Israel.
Khanna took to X late Wednesday to express his disapproval of Schumer’s vote, stating that the minority leader was “out of touch” with the Democratic base and the nation.
He called for Schumer to “step aside.”
Khanna’s post was in response to Adam Carlson, who listed Schumer among seven Senate Democrats who voted against blocking a proposed weapons sale to Israel. The others included Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and John Fetterman (D-PA).
Among those who voted for the halt in arms sales to Israel was Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.). She supported blocking certain offensive weapons sales to Israel, while continuing to back defensive aid like Iron Dome and reviewing other arms on a case-by-case basis.
She emphasized distinguishing support for Israel’s security from approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s policies or President Donald Trump‘s Iran decisions.
Bernie Sanders Vote Fails, Support Rises
This criticism comes in the wake of a failed effort led by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Wednesday to block U.S. weapons sales to Israel. This was Sanders’ fourth attempt to cut off military aid for Israel in the Senate.
40 Senators supported the resolution to block a $295 million bulldozer sale, while 36 backed another measure to stop a $151.8 million sale of 12,000 bombs to Israel. Notably, support for the measures among caucus members has grown significantly, rising from 15 to 27 between last April and July.
Sanders framed the vote as a chance for Congress to push back against AIPAC’s heavy political spending ahead of upcoming elections. He argued that public support for Israel has sharply declined due to what he called the Netanyahu government’s “horrific and illegal” actions, citing a Pew survey showing high negative views among both Democrats and Republicans.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time Khanna has called out Schumer. In November, he backed more progressive Democrats and called for new leadership. While praising Schumer’s past performance under former President Joe Biden on NBC’s “Meet the Press”, Khanna said he no longer inspires confidence among voters.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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