Senate Blocks Measure 36-63... First Time In Decades!
Senate Rejects Multiple Measures To Block Arms Sales to Israel
Seven Democrats voted with Republicans against the resolution, which failed 40-59 in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate, defeating a motion to ban the transfer of military weapons to Israel.
The bill, a joint resolution by Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who caucuses with Democrats, would have blocked the sale of military bulldozers to Israel.
The resolution passed late Wednesday with 40 senators voting in favor. The legislation was voted down by seven Democratic Senators: Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
A second resolution to prevent the sale of 12,000 1,000-pound bombs to Israel received 36 votes in favor and 63 against.
The findings underlined a wider shift among Senate Democrats, as more have separated themselves from the party’s longstanding support for Israel. The move comes as the United States and Israel have launched coordinated strikes against Iran, and Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon has continued despite claims of a cease-fire—conflicts that have fueled concerns among many Democrats about civilian casualties, regional escalation, and ongoing U.S. involvement.
The votes came after a separate War Powers resolution to stop U.S. military participation in Iran failed 47 to 52. Lawmakers voted primarily along party lines.
The level of Democratic support for the resolutions was a “shift” that “reflects where the American people are,” Sanders said.
“Americans, whether they are Democrats, Republicans, or independents, want to see our tax money invested in improving lives here at home—not used to kill innocent women and children in the Middle East and put American troops in harm’s way as part of Netanyahu’s illegal wars of expansion,” he said in a statement late Wednesday.
Sanders has introduced similar measures in the past. A November 2024 effort drew support from 18 senators, while a July 2025 resolution garnered 27 Democratic votes, at the time, more than half the caucus, to block the sale of assault rifles to Israel.
“Being a stalwart friend of Israel, however, does not mean agreeing with all decisions of the Israeli Government or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, just like being a patriot of the United States does not require unquestioning agreement with the policy decisions of President Donald Trump and his administration,” California Sen. Adam Schiff and Sen. Alex Padilla said in a joint statement after voting in favor of the resolutions. Both had previously opposed similar measures.
Sanders said the votes reflected growing unease among Democratic voters over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and the widening scope of the conflicts in Gaza, Iran, and Lebanon.
“In strong and growing numbers they do not want us to continue spending billions of their taxpayer dollars in support of the illegal, horrific and expansionist war policies of the Netanyahu government in Israel,” Sanders said on the Senate floor, citing a Pew Research Center survey released earlier in April finding that 80% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans view Israel negatively.
Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona also voted in support of the resolutions after opposing some of Sanders’ earlier efforts. Speaking before the vote, Kelly said his position was shaped by the actions of Netanyahu and Trump.
“The United States and Israel are fighting a war against Iran without a clear strategy or goal. I’ve been clear that I oppose this war in Iran and the reckless decisions being made by Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump,” he said during remarks on the Senate floor.
Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, the Republican chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said he would oppose these measures as they would “embolden” Iran.
“It would send the message that the United States is prepared to leave our ally Israel vulnerable to further Iranian attacks and put the tens of thousands of Americans living there at risk,” he said on the Senate floor.
Hakeem Jeffries Panics - He Just Lost A WAVE of House Seats Intensifies
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a sharp public rebuke against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis following the governor's announcement of a special legislative session to redraw Florida’s congressional district boundaries, a strategic move expected to yield four additional seats for Republicans in the United States House of Representatives.
Governor DeSantis defended the mid-decade redistricting initiative by asserting that Florida was shortchanged in the 2020 Census relative to its explosive population growth over recent years. DeSantis emphasized that registered Republicans now hold a 1.5 million voter advantage across the Sunshine State, arguing that the existing district boundaries rely on unconstitutional racial classifications rather than geographic and demographic reality.
"The new map will more fairly reflect Florida’s current population makeup and fulfill our commitment to mid-decade adjustments."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated during his official announcement of the special session.
Representative Jeffries quickly pushed back against the plan, characterizing the proposed congressional map as a partisan overreach that could ultimately backfire on state Republicans during upcoming election cycles.
"It is a 'DeSantis Dummymander'. Florida Republicans pursuing this redistricting will end up in the exact same situation as Texas Republicans, whom I describe as being on the run. They are dummymandering their way into the minority before a single vote is cast."
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declared in response to the governor's redistricting strategy.
In a swift counter-response, Governor DeSantis dismissed the minority leader's warnings, inviting the New York Democrat to travel to Florida to campaign personally against the proposed boundary adjustments.
"I invite Leader Jeffries to campaign in Florida. I would be happy to host him at the governor’s mansion and take him fishing. Having Jeffries campaign across the state will only benefit Republicans because Florida voters will soundly reject the ideology being presented."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated during a subsequent media press conference.
The redistricting battle in Florida unfolds amidst a broader national struggle for control of the House of Representatives, where state-level map adjustments across the country could determine the congressional majority. The Supreme Court of the United States recently lifted a lower court injunction that had temporarily blocked a new congressional map in Texas, a decision that could potentially add five Republican seats to the lower chamber.
Conversely, California’s pending redistricting plans are projected to yield five additional seats for Democrats, while Virginia’s congressional map remains subject to ongoing legal challenges before the state Supreme Court over constitutional boundary concerns. As both major political parties adjust their national strategies, mid-decade redistricting initiatives in key states continue to reshape the legislative landscape ahead of the upcoming congressional elections.
