A storm has erupted within America’s political circles after Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced an amendment in the House of Representatives seeking to strike off $500 million in military aid earmarked for Israel’s missile defence. Greene’s push, part of the 2026 Pentagon appropriations package, reflects growing discord within the ruling party over Washington’s unyielding support for Israel despite spiralling domestic debt.
“The United States, the American citizens, is $37 trillion in debt. Yet we're constantly sending hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign aid to foreign countries. This has to end at some point,” Greene said while addressing the House floor on Thursday.
The proposed cut targets funding for Israel’s Iron Dome and other strategic air defence programmes, with Greene citing Israel’s status as a nuclear-armed power capable of defending itself. “My amendment would strike $500 million in funding for nuclear-armed Israel's missile defence system, and it's important to emphasise it that way. Israel is a nuclear-armed nation, which is very capable of defending itself, and they have been proving that as we've watched on the world stage,” she said.
Her statement comes at a time when fractures have begun to widen within the Republican establishment over Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war, repeated airstrikes on Iranian targets, and the failure to fulfil President Trump’s ceasefire pledges for both Gaza and Ukraine before his re-election.
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Greene has long been an outspoken critic of US foreign policy, often accusing successive administrations of capitulating to Israel's strategic demands, particularly in West Asia. She recently ramped up her rhetoric following allegations that Israeli intelligence may have had links to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, a case that continues to haunt the American elite.
Greene claimed the US had lost over $800 million worth of advanced missile systems in recent months protecting Israeli airspace from retaliatory attacks. “During recent escalations involving Israeli strikes on Iran, the US used 15 percent–20 per cent of its terminal high-altitude area defence missile stockpiles to protect Israel,” she said, calling the outlay “unsustainable”.
The amendment has stirred unease within both pro-Israel circles and senior Republican leadership. No formal comment has yet been made by the White House or the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
Israel has received billions in American security assistance since the 1980s, much of it untethered to conditions. However, Greene’s move, though unlikely to pass in its current form, signals growing unease within US policymaking circles about the strategic and financial costs of unconditional support.
As Washington’s military obligations abroad continue to mount, and domestic concerns over inflation, public services, and national debt swell, Greene’s proposal is expected to deepen debate over whether America can afford to bankroll its allies indefinitely — even one as longstanding as Israel.
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