The United States Senate on Wednesday blocked two resolutions that sought to stop roughly $450 million in weapons sales to Israel, with Republicans largely lining up behind President Donald Trump’s military support for the country.
The proposals, led by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, would have halted the sale of Caterpillar bulldozers and a separate package of 1,000-pound bombs and related military support.
Both measures were defeated on bipartisan votes, with most Republicans and several Democrats opposing them.
The first resolution, targeting about $295 million worth of bulldozers and related equipment, failed by a vote of 59–40.
Seven Democrats joined Republicans in voting against it.
A second measure, aimed at blocking a $151.8 million sale of BLU-110A/B general-purpose bombs and logistics support, was also rejected, falling 63–36.
Eleven Democrats voted with Republicans to defeat the proposal.
While the resolutions were not expected to pass, they highlighted growing unease among some Senate Democrats over the impact of U.S.-supplied weapons on civilians in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
Sanders argued that the sales violate U.S. laws governing foreign assistance and arms exports, saying Washington should use its leverage to push Israel to reduce civilian harm.
Supporters of the deals counter that Israel remains a key U.S. ally and that military cooperation is essential for its security.
Israel, for its part, maintains that its operations are aimed at militant targets and not civilians.
The latest votes also reflected a shift in sentiment compared to earlier attempts to block arms sales, with support for restrictions slowly increasing within parts of the Democratic caucus.
The Trump administration has previously bypassed standard congressional review procedures for certain weapons transfers during the ongoing conflict, citing urgent security concerns
