House passes $1 billion measure for Israel's Iron Dome, despite lack of progressive support

Democratic leaders tried to pass the $1 billion funding bill with a voice vote but a request was made for a recorded vote

By Nicholas Ballasy

Published: September 23, 2021 1:25pm

Updated: September 23, 2021 3:48pm

Despite opposition from progressive lawmakers, the Democratic-led House passed $1 billion of funding for Israel's Iron Dome on Thursday with the help of Republican votes.

Oregon Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenhaur, the presiding officer, deemed the bill passed with a simple voice vote but a request was made for a recorded yes or no vote.

The final bipartisan vote was 420-9 with two members voting present. Reps. Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Marie Newman (D-Ill.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-Ill.), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) voted no. Reps. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) voted present.

The Democrats hold a 220-212 majority in the House.

Ahead of Thursday's vote, Tlaib, a member of the progressive "Squad," tweeted that she will "not support a standalone supplemental bill of $1 billion to replenish the bombs Israel used to commit war crimes in Gaza." Omar also criticized the bill on Twitter.

"Given the human rights violations in Gaza, Sheikh Jarrah, and ever-growing settlement expansion, we should not be ramming through a last-minute $1 billion increase in military funding for Israel without any accountability," she wrote.

South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson, who supported the bill, said the legislation was designed to "cover" for the progressive lawmakers who advocated for removing the Iron Dome funding from a continuing resolution that passed the House earlier this week.