LI Reps. all vote against ban on U.S. aid to Israel

WASHINGTON — Long Island Reps. Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi voted Wednesday to help defeat a proposal to block U.S. aid for Israel’s military over the next fiscal year.

In doing so, they sided with the top Democrat in the U.S. House, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn). But they found themselves split off from dozens of progressives and other Democratic colleagues, reflecting expanding fissures within the party’s base about how to handle U.S. relations with Israel.

Meanwhile, House Republicans made the vote largely symbolic by voting nearly unanimously against the language to end the financial support for Israel, including Reps. Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota.

The amendment failed in a 314-104 vote, with 10 lawmakers voting present. Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) and Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) were among 98 Democrats voting to oppose the measure, while 103 fellow party members voted to support it and block the funding.

"This extremely harmful amendment would threaten our strategic alliance, undermine our national security interests and eliminate funding for important research and diplomacy in the region,," Gillen explained of her vote.

Suozzi, in a statement, said: "I am a steadfast supporter of Israel and will not walk away from one of our closest allies. This overly broad and irresponsible amendment would be a gift to our adversaries."

The amendment to halt $3.3 billion in taxpayer funding in an appropriations package for the State Department was actually a Republican measure from  Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), the only Republican to ultimately vote for it.

The timing came as U.S. relations with Israel have become a major source of division within the Democratic Party, seen as even costing several Democratic incumbents their seats in primary challenges this year from the left-wing anti-Israel movement.

Jeffries on Tuesday wrote a "Dear Colleague" letter to fellow Democrats urging defeat of the amendment warning it would limit the use of funds for initiatives related to humanitarian aid and could limit the United States' ability to deal with Hamas and Hezbollah.

But Jeffries did note the "strongly held views" within the party on the issue.

Some other top House Democrats, including the No. 2 Democrat, Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), also supported Massie's resolution — a rare split between the top party leaders.

LaLota (R-Amityville) said in a statement after the vote, "Iran has repeatedly declared its goal of wiping Israel off the map and bringing death to America soon after."

He continued, "That's why the pro-Hamas Democrats and the isolationist Republicans are wrong to deny Israel the support it needs to defeat a common enemy."

Garbarino (R-Bayport) said in a statement that standing with Israel is in America’s national security interest, "and I will continue to support any security assistance our ally needs."