U.S. Senate Blocks Bernie Sanders Resolutions Halting Weapons Sales to Israel

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked a pair of resolutions pushed by Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, that would have halted weapons sales to Israel, even as Democrats backed the measures in record numbers.

“Washington, April 16, 2026 — In a day marked by legislative tension and diplomatic polarization, the United States Senate blocked a series of initiatives pushed by the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party that sought to suspend shipments of strategic weapons to Israel”

El Periódico de Ceuta

The New York Times reported that “36 Democrats voted to take up a measure that would block the sale of the 1,000-pound bombs” and that “40 Democrats voted in favor of a measure to bar the sale of the bulldozers.”

El Periódico de Ceuta

The Guardian likewise said 40 senators backed a Sanders resolution to prevent the sale of “$295m in bulldozers” and that 36 voted for a second resolution to halt a “$151.8m sale of 12,000 1,000lb bombs.”

The Times of Israel put the figures in a different framing, saying “Forty out of 47 Senate Democrats voted in favor of one of the resolutions to block a $295 million sale of bulldozers” and that “Thirty-six Democrats backed another resolution aimed at blocking a $152 million sale of 1,000-pound bombs.”

The votes still failed because Republicans opposed the measures “en masse,” with the New York Times stating that “Republicans voted en masse against taking up the measures.”

In a statement late Wednesday, Sanders said, “The shift reflects where the American people are,” and he added, “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.”

The Intercept described the outcome as a “watershed moment,” even while noting that “Democratic votes on the pair of resolutions from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., were not enough to overcome universal opposition from Republicans.”

Across outlets, the resolutions were described as targeting two categories of military equipment: “1,000-pound bombs” and “bulldozers,” with multiple dollar figures attached to the proposed sales.

The New York Times said the Senate blocked a bid to cancel arms sales to Israel as “the war against Iran” deepened the party’s divide, and it specified that the bomb measure would block “the sale of the 1,000-pound bombs” while the bulldozer measure would bar “the sale of the bulldozers that Israel has used to level entire neighborhoods in Gaza andLebanon.”

Haaretz

The Guardian described the bulldozer resolution as preventing the sale of “$295m in bulldozers” and the bomb resolution as halting a “$151.8m sale of 12,000 1,000lb bombs.”

The Times of Israel gave a similar structure but different totals, saying the bulldozer resolution would block a “$295 million sale of bulldozers” and the bomb resolution would block a “$152 million sale of 1,000-pound bombs,” while also quoting Sanders as saying, “The United States must use the leverage we have — tens of billions in arms and military aid — to demand that Israel ends these atrocities.”

Responsible Statecraft described the measures as “one targeting a $150 million sale of 1,000-pound bombs and the other a $300 million sale of bulldozers,” and it said the votes were “36-63 and 40-59, respectively.”

The Intercept added that one resolution targeted “the sale of the bulldozers that have been used to demolish neighborhoods in Gaza,” while the other resolution failed “36–63” and was aimed at blocking “the transfer of 1,000-pound bombs.”

In the El Periódico de Ceuta account, the proposal was described as blocking “450-kilogram bombs (1,000 pounds) and armored excavators,” and it asserted that backers cited “growing concern” about use in “the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Iran.”

The vote drew sharp, named arguments from both supporters and opponents, with Sanders and other Democrats framing the resolutions as a way to rein in U.S. involvement while Republicans argued the move would weaken Israel during the Iran war.

“Last night, Congress rejected a pair of Bernie Sanders-led resolutions that would have blocked the sale 1,000-pound bombs and bulldozers to Israel, but Democrats supported both measures in record fashion Sanders has introduced similar efforts on three other occasions”

Mondoweiss

The New York Times quoted Senator Chris Van Hollen, saying, “If we want to rein in a Trump administration that launched an illegal war against Iran, we should also rein in the Netanyahu administration that’s doing exactly the same thing with American taxpayer dollars,” ahead of the vote.

Sanders, in a statement late Wednesday, told the Guardian, “That shift reflects where the American people are,” and he added, “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.”

The Times of Israel also quoted Sanders urging leverage, saying, “The United States must use the leverage we have — tens of billions in arms and military aid — to demand that Israel ends these atrocities,” and it quoted him after the vote saying, “It’s clear that Democrats are beginning to listen to the average American who is sick and tired of spending billions of dollars to support Netanyahu’s horrific wars when people in this country can’t afford housing or health care.”

On the other side, Republican Senator Jim Risch of Idaho warned that the resolutions would “embolden” Iran and “send the message that the US is prepared to leave our ally Israel vulnerable,” according to the Times of Israel.

The New York Times described the context as a widening Democratic rift over “arming the longtime U.S. ally” as concerns over Iran grew, and it said Democratic leaders argued the Senate must stop transfers that would support a war “launched” by President Trump “in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, without congressional authorization.”

Time Magazine quoted Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, who supported the resolutions after opposing some earlier efforts, saying, “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.”

Although the resolutions failed, the vote totals exposed a split within the Democratic caucus, with multiple outlets listing the seven Democrats who voted against both measures and describing protests aimed at party leaders.

Time Magazine said the Senate rejected the measure after “seven Democrats joined Republicans in opposing the resolution in a 40–59 vote,” and it named the seven: “Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Chris Coons of Delaware, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.”

Punchbowl News

Mondoweiss similarly said “Here’s the seven Democrats who voted against the resolutions” and listed the same names, adding that “Schumer is Senate Minority Leader and he has now been lapped on this issue by longtime Israel supporters.”

Mondoweiss also described protests, saying “Earlier this week, 100 activists were arrested outside the offices of Schumer (D-NY) and his fellow New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand,” and it included protesters’ chants: “Schumer, Gillibrand, talk is cheap! / They’re sending bombs, how can you sleep?”

The New York Times described the broader political context as a “Democratic divide” over arming Israel, and it said progressive senators led by Sanders had been critical of robust aid, while “several Democrats who in the past had opposed efforts by Mr. Sanders and others” changed course.

The Forward framed the shift as “In major shift, all but 7 Senate Democrats vote to block weapons sales to Israel,” and it quoted Sen. Elissa Slotkin saying, “I have struggled with these Joint Resolutions of Disapproval as much as any vote since I joined Congress,” and that the issue of support for Israel is “raw, painful and personal.”

The Times of Israel described the voting pattern as “an unprecedentedly overwhelming majority of Democrats joined the minority,” and it said “Forty out of 47 Senate Democrats voted in favor” of the bulldozer resolution while “Thirty-six Democrats backed” the bomb resolution.

The stakes described by the sources extended beyond Israel arms sales to the broader U.S. posture in the Iran war and to the Democratic Party’s internal politics heading toward future elections.

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Responsible Statecraft

The New York Times tied the vote to the “war against Iran” and said the Senate blocked the bid “as the party’s concerns over the war against Iran widened its rift over arming the longtime U.S. ally.”

Responsible Statecraft

The Guardian similarly linked the shift to Democrats “grappling with souring attitudes among their voters on Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct in the invasions of Gaza and southern Lebanon, and his collaboration with Donald Trump in the conflict with Iran,” and it said Sanders forced votes on the resolutions.

Responsible Statecraft said the Wednesday vote was “the fourth time Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, had forced consideration of resolutions cutting off military aid for Israel in the Senate,” and it described the vote as “a meaningful improvement” over July 2025 when “27 Democrats voted to block the sales.”

The Forward added that the vote was “the third time in as many years that the Senate voted on resolutions to limit weapons sales to Israel,” and it said “Last year, 24 senators endorsed the move” before “Now, 40 senators — all but seven Democrats — voted for at least one of the two resolutions.”

Time Magazine and the Guardian both emphasized that the votes came as the U.S. and Israel carried out “coordinated strikes on Iran” and as Israel’s campaign in Lebanon continued despite cease-fire claims, with Time Magazine stating that the votes came shortly after a separate War Powers resolution “aimed at ending U.S. military involvement in Iran failed 47–52.”

Looking ahead, the sources described future political pressure and the possibility of continued legislative attempts, with Responsible Statecraft noting that the Wednesday vote was “closely watched as midterms approach and the Democratic Party gears up for the 2028 presidential primary.”