Dems divided over spending bill and Israel defense system
Fox News congressional correspondent Chad Pegram has the latest on the Democrats' budget fight on ‘Special Report’
Nine House members, including eight Democrats, voted against funding for the Israel Iron Dome missile defense system on Thursday.
The bill passed overwhelmingly 420-9.
The "no" votes were Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.; Cori Bush, D-Mo.; André Carson, D-Ind.; Marie Newman, D-Ill., Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz.; Chuy Garcia, D-Ill.; and Thomas Massie, R-Ky.
‘SQUAD’ ANGERS PRO-ISRAEL DEMS WITH STANCE AGAINST IRON DOME FUNDING
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Hank Johnson, D-Ga., both voted present.
Congressional Democrats initially wanted to pass the Iron Dome funding in a continuing resolution on Wednesday. But because the legislation contained a debt ceiling increase Republicans refused to vote for it. That left Democrats with just a three-vote margin for error. When a handful of progressive lawmakers objected to the Iron Dome funding, Democrats were forced to pull the provision from the bill in order to ensure its passage along party lines.
The vote came after a contentious exchange on the House floor in which Tlaib said, "We cannot top be talking only about Israelis need for safety at a time when Palestinians are living under a violent apartheid system."
That prompted an outraged response from Rep. Charles Fleischmann, R-Tenn.
"I ask the majority to condemn the comments that were just made by their member," Fleischmann said.
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Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., obliged.
"I cannot allow one of my colleagues to stand on the floor of the House of Representatives and label the Jewish democratic state of Israel an apartheid state," he said. "I reject it."
Deutch said that Tlaib's statement was "consistent with those who advocate for the dismantling of the Jewish state."
Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.
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