Democratic Senators Urge Block on Military Spending Bill Over Israel

A group of progressive U.S. senators, led by Chris Van Hollen, is urging fellow Democrats to block the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the fiscal 2027 Intelligence Authorization Act. The lawmakers seek to delay the advancement of these bills to force a Senate floor debate on provisions that would expand military, intelligence, and security cooperation between the United States and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a "Dear Colleague" letter signed by senators including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the group argues against providing the votes necessary to compel President Donald Trump to strengthen ties with what they characterize as an extremist government. The NDAA is currently being drafted by the U.S. Congress to authorize a proposed 1.5 trillion dollar military budget.

This effort reflects a growing internal rift within the Democratic Party regarding traditional U.S. policy toward Israel. The divide is intensifying as the party navigates internal disagreements on Israel's favorability ahead of the November midterm elections.