As a result of seven Democrats voting against the resolution alongside Republicans, the motion to prohibit the delivery of military equipment to Israel was defeated in the United States Senate, which is controlled by Republicans.
The resolution was defeated by a vote of 40-59.
Under the proposed legislation, which was a joint resolution proposed by Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who is a member of the Democratic caucus, the sale of military bulldozers to Israel would have been prevented.
Late on Wednesday, the resolution was approved by a vote of forty senators who were in support of it. A total of seven Democratic senators, including Richard Blumenthal (Democrat of Connecticut), Chris Coons (Democrat of Delaware), Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat of Nevada), John Fetterman (Democrat of Pennsylvania), Kirsten Gillibrand (Democrat of New York), Jacky Rosen (Democrat of Nevada), and Chuck Schumer (Democrat of New York), voted against the legislation.
There were 36 votes in favor of a second resolution that would restrict the supply of 12,000 bombs weighing 1,000 pounds to Israel, while there were 63 votes against it.
The results highlighted a more widespread shift among Democrats in the Senate, as an increasing number of members have distanced themselves from the party’s long-standing stand of support for Israel. The move comes at a time when 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. These conflicts have fueled concerns among many Democrats regarding civilian casualties, regional escalation, and ongoing involvement from the United States.
Earlier, a separate War Powers motion that sought to put an end to the United States’ military involvement in Iran was defeated by a vote of 47 to 52. The majority of votes cast by lawmakers were along party lines.
According to Sanders, the level of support that the Democratic Party has shown for the resolutions is a “shift” that “reflects where the American people are.”
“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.
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