Maryland’s House delegation broke in three directions this week on a closely watched amendment that would have eliminated $3.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid to Israel. Reps. Jamie Raskin and Glenn Ivey voted yes, Rep. Sarah Elfreth voted present, and the rest of Maryland’s House members voted no when the chamber considered Rep. Thomas Massie’s amendment to H.R. 8595 on July 15.clerk.house+3
The amendment failed, 104 to 314, but the margin only tells part of the story. More than 100 House members backed the proposal, and the vote exposed one of the clearest splits yet inside the Democratic caucus over military aid to Israel and the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza.clerk.house+2
Why It Matters
The vote signals a widening rift inside the Democratic Party over unconditional military support for Israel. For Maryland voters, it was a public test of where each House member stands on one of the most divisive issues in Washington just weeks following the state democratic primaries heavily critical of Israel
The vote also matters because Maryland’s delegation includes senior Democrats with influence inside the party, especially Raskin and former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Their split reflects a broader argument inside the party over whether aid to Israel should continue without new restrictions, be conditioned, or be cut entirely.
The Vote
Here is how each Maryland House member voted on the Massie amendment to H.R. 8595:
- Andy Harris, MD-01: No
- Johnny Olszewski, MD-02: No
- Sarah Elfreth, MD-03: Present
- Glenn Ivey, MD-04: Yes
- Steny Hoyer, MD-05: No
- April McClain Delaney, MD-06: No
- Kweisi Mfume, MD-07: No
- Jamie Raskin, MD-08: Yes
Only Raskin and Ivey joined the bloc that tried to end the funding entirely. Elfreth stood apart from both sides with a present vote, while Harris and five Maryland Democrats voted to keep the aid in place by defeating the amendment.
Delaney excuse for voting No, was that her vote was not an endorsement of unconditional Israel aid, but a rejection of what she called a “poorly drafted” amendment that would have also stripped humanitarian assistance meant for Palestinians.
House member’s vote also drew immediate reaction from advocacy groups. CAIR Maryland praised Raskin and Ivey for opposing the aid, while criticizing members who voted no or present. That response matters in a state where Democratic lawmakers are increasingly being pushed to explain not just whether they support Israel, but what limits they support on U.S. assistance.
Context
The amendment was offered by Massie as part of the House debate on H.R. 8595, the fiscal 2027 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill. It would have cut the annual U.S. military assistance package for Israel, a pillar of American foreign policy that many lawmakers in both parties have long supported. But this year’s debate looked different. House Democrats split almost evenly, with 103 Democrats voting yes and 98 voting no, showing how much the politics of Israel aid have shifted since the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians and brought mass disease, hunger and suffering to the Palestinian people.
Raskin has emerged as one of the House’s most consistent voices pushing for conditions on Israel aid. He voted against a $14 billion package in April 2024 and has co-sponsored legislation to restrict arms transfers. His alignment with Ivey this week extends that pattern into 2026.
The House vote also followed a related, though separate, Senate action. In April 2026, Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks both supported joint resolutions disapproving specific U.S. arms sales to Israel, including a measure involving armored bulldozers that ultimately failed 40–59. That vote drew backlash from parts of Maryland’s Jewish community even as it reflected a growing bloc of Senate Democrats questioning arms transfers.
What’s Next
The Massie Amendment’s failure keeps the $3.3 billion in aid intact for now, but the near-even Democratic split suggests future appropriations fights over Israel funding will remain contentious. Lawmakers on both sides say they expect similar amendments to resurface as the fiscal year 2027 spending process continues in the Senate.
For Maryland voters, the practical next step is political, not procedural. This roll call is now part of the record and it gives organizers, donors, and constituents a clean list of where each member stood when the House was asked whether to keep sending military aid to Israel without that $3.3 billion line item.
