American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, has suspended campaign fundraising for more than two dozen House Democrats after they backed an amendment to slash $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel.
Amendment Fails, But Signals Shifting Tide
The measure was introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) as an amendment to the fiscal 2027 State Department funding bill. It was defeated on Wednesday by a vote of 104-314-10.
Even so, more than 100 Democrats voted in favor of it. The vote highlighted growing divisions within the party over continued unconditional support for Israel during the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Lawmakers affected include Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (Mass.), former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass). Donation links remained active for opponents of the amendment, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.).
AIPAC did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment.
In an X post on Thursday, Auchincloss defended his vote, saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump must be held accountable for their “disastrous war against Iran, their empowerment of settler violence in the West Bank, and their strategic incoherence against Islamist terrorism.”
“American-made weapons to allies is a grant of trust to both a presidential administration and its counterparty heads of government,” he said.
Auchincloss added that Congress “must act where the executives have failed.”
Pattern of Political Pressure
This isn’t AIPAC’s first move to suspend campaign fundraising. In May 2024, the group stopped making direct donations to 15 Republican lawmakers who voted against $14 billion in emergency military aid for Israel. The move reflected its consistent approach of linking campaign support to lawmakers’ voting records on Israel aid, regardless of party.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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