House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told fellow Democrats Tuesday he will oppose an amendment aimed at cutting off U.S. aid to Israel, wading directly into a contentious issue that is dividing the party.
Jeffries announced his position in a “Dear Colleague” letter circulated Tuesday and later spoke about his opposition during a morning caucus meeting.
The amendment to the fiscal 2027 spending bill for the State Department and overseas programs was introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and could come up for a vote in the coming days. It has sharply divided the party for weeks, with progressives calling for an end to America’s financial support for Israel as leadership-aligned members warned that the measure could also cut off aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Jeffries said the amendment is “overly broad in that it prohibits or would limit the use of funds for longstanding initiatives related to humanitarian aid, refugee resettlement, peace-building and U.S. Embassy operations.” He added that the measure would also restrict U.S. capabilities to “confront Hamas.”
The letter was first reported by The New York Times.
Until today, Jeffries had not advised his caucus about how he would vote on Massie’s amendment, though he hinted he had qualms. He hosted two lengthy meetings last month where House Democrats debated the measure.
He said in the letter Tuesday that there are “good faith reasons that will result in Members voting in a variety of different ways.”
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