In the halls of the United States Senate, a profound and increasingly divisive debate over American foreign policy and moral responsibility has taken center stage. Senator Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont, has spearheaded a persistent legislative campaign to halt the transfer of offensive military weaponry to Israel, a move that has forced his colleagues to confront the human cost of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. While the Senate recently moved to block several of Sanders’ key resolutions, the resulting votes have revealed a significant and historic shift within the Democratic party—a growing willingness to challenge the long-standing, unconditional military support that has defined the U.S.-Israel relationship for decades.
The legislative battle centered on a series of Joint Resolutions of Disapproval, specifically targeting a massive $20 billion arms package. These measures sought to prevent the transfer of highly specific military equipment, including tank rounds, mortar shells, and JDAM guidance kits—the technology used to turn “dumb” bombs into precision-guided munitions. Introduced in late 2024 and debated into the early months of 2025, these resolutions were a direct response to the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza following Israel’s military response to the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. Sanders argued that by continuing to supply these specific offensive tools, the United States was effectively underwriting a campaign that has resulted in over 43,000 reported deaths and the near-total destruction of civilian infrastructure.
The tally of the votes provided a clear map of the current political divide in Washington. S.J. Res. 111 was struck down with a vote of 18 to 79; S.J. Res. 115 followed a similar path at 17 to 80; and S.J. Res. 113 was defeated 19 to 78. While these numbers indicate a solid majority in favor of maintaining military aid, they do not tell the full story of the momentum shifting beneath the surface. For Sanders and his co-sponsors, including Senators Peter Welch, Chris Van Hollen, and Jeff Merkley, the goal was not merely to win a legislative victory that was statistically unlikely, but to force a public accounting of American “complicity” in the devastation. During a press conference following the votes, Sanders was unwavering, accusing the administration of Benjamin Netanyahu of violating both international law and U.S. domestic statutes that prohibit military aid to countries blocking American humanitarian assistance.
The core of the tension lies in the interpretation of a nation’s right to self-defense. While the vast majority of the Senate agrees that Israel has a fundamental right to protect its citizens from terrorism, Sanders has argued that this right does not grant a “blank check” for a military campaign that utilizes starvation as a tool of war. He has been a vocal critic of the restrictions placed on aid delivery, pointing to reports from international relief organizations that describe widespread hunger and a lack of basic medical supplies. For Sanders, the issue is one of consistency: the United States cannot claim to lead the world in human rights while simultaneously providing the bombs that create humanitarian catastrophes.
Despite the initial defeats, the persistence of the anti-arms-sale movement began to show tangible results in subsequent voting rounds. By mid-2025, when Sanders introduced a resolution to block a separate $675 million sale of bombs and 20,000 automatic assault rifles, the numbers within the Democratic caucus began to move. While the resolution failed to pass the full Senate, more than half of the Democratic caucus—27 senators—voted to block the sale of the assault rifles, and 24 supported the measure to halt the bomb sales. This marked a sharp increase from previous attempts, where only 18 Democrats had stood with Sanders. This shift suggests that the “unshakeable” consensus on military aid is fracturing, driven by pressure from a younger, more progressive electorate that is increasingly skeptical of traditional foreign policy alliances.
Sanders has framed this shift as a response to the American people’s exhaustion. He noted that a significant majority of citizens are increasingly uncomfortable with their tax dollars being used to support a government currently overseen by a leader as controversial as Netanyahu, particularly when that support is linked to the suffering of children. This sentiment has been echoed by a growing number of human rights advocates who argue that the U.S. is losing its “moral standing” on the world stage by failing to enforce its own red lines regarding the conduct of its allies.
The counter-perspective, however, remains deeply entrenched in the Senate’s Republican leadership and among many moderate Democrats. Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has consistently placed the entirety of the responsibility for the conflict and the suffering in Gaza on Hamas. From this viewpoint, any reduction in military aid to Israel is seen as a victory for terrorism and a betrayal of a critical democratic ally in a volatile region. This faction argues that the U.S. must remain steadfast in its support to ensure that Israel has the qualitative military edge required to deter further attacks from groups like Hezbollah and their backers in Iran.
Even with the intervention of international pressure, including statements from President Donald Trump that led to temporary humanitarian pauses and increased airdrops, the situation on the ground has remained critical. The aid efforts have often been described as “drops in the ocean” compared to the sheer scale of the need. This reality has fueled Sanders’ resolve to continue introducing resolutions, even if the outcome remains predictable. For him, the repetition of the vote is a tactical necessity, ensuring that every member of the Senate is forced to go on the record regarding where they stand on the transfer of weapons to a conflict that has no clear end in sight.
Ultimately, the story of these blocked resolutions is a story of a changing Washington. While the legislative efforts to stop the $20 billion arms sale were unsuccessful in the short term, they have successfully moved the “Overton Window” of what is considered acceptable debate in the Senate. The growing number of Democratic dissenters signals that the era of unquestioned military aid may be coming to an end, replaced by a more scrutinizing approach that links security assistance to human rights outcomes. As Senator Sanders continues to push these measures into 2026, he is not just fighting for a change in policy; he is fighting for a fundamental shift in how the United States defines its role as a global power and its responsibilities to the victims of conflict worldwide. The votes may currently favor the status quo, but the increasing dissent suggests that the conscience of the Senate is in a state of deep and perhaps permanent flux.
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