An amendment seeking to nix over $3 billion in military aid to Israel failed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, but the support it received is still likely to raise eyebrows. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined with over 100 Democrats who backed the proposal sponsored by GOP Rep. Thomas Massie.
In a statement released ahead of the vote, Pelosi made it clear that she hadn’t completely split with Democratic Party leadership on the issue of the War in Gaza. She said she still supports a “two-state solution” and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries‘ “proposals to achieve a just and lasting peace.” Jeffries, for his part, voted against the amendment along with nearly the entire Republican caucus.
In her statement, Pelosi made it clear that her party’s current stance wasn’t working.
“‘For the good of the Israeli people and the Palestinian people, it is clear U.S. policy must change,” she wrote.
Pelosi called Massie’s amendment “ill-conceived” as written. She still voted in favor of the amendment for “the message that it sends.”
“The American people are demanding an end to a perpetual cycle of war,” she said. “The Netanyahu government can not maintain its current course.”
Pelosi has remained steady in her support of Israel from the outset of the war while being deeply critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. When Republican House leadership invited the Netanyahu to speak to Congress in 2024, she said the decision made her “very sad” and hopefully joked that he might be ousted from his position.
