🇺🇸 Progressives Lay the Groundwork to Force a Vote on Ending Some Arms Sales to Israel

Rep. Delia Ramirez told Drop Site she is in discussions with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on bringing the Block The Bombs Act to the floor.

Progressives in Congress are already pressuring House leadership for a vote next session on the Block The Bombs Act, which would end U.S. sales for at least some weapons to Israel. The organizing comes as history’s most pro-Palestinian Congress will sit in 2027, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) will expand its power as its membership grows to unprecedented numbers.

Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), who authored the current session’s Block The Bombs legislation, told Drop Site News she has already had initial discussions with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about bringing the bill to the floor, and more conversations are planned for the coming days.

Ramirez said she “did not get a direct ‘no’” and she is optimistic because of progressives’ new power in Congress, Israel’s dismal polling among Democrats, and because voters sent a message by electing at least 16 new pro-peace candidates in November, some of whom defeated among Israel’s staunchest congressional allies.

“Our caucus is going to ask the question are you pro-peace or pro-genocide?’” Ramirez said. “The American people have made clear what side they are on, and what they expect of their leaders.”

The current Block The Bombs bill, which has 82 cosponsors, was introduced in September 2025 and would stop the president “from selling, transferring, or exporting certain defense articles or services to Israel, except in specified circumstances.” The sales would be allowed only if Congress passes legislation specifying how the weapons would be used and Israel agrees to the terms. The precise scope of next session’s legislation is unclear.

In January 2026, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told The Economist that Israel was enacting a 10-year-plan to wean itself off U.S. weapons, and reiterated that point multiple times this year. In the days ahead of the election, President Donald Trump said the U.S. would no longer provide Israel with around $4 billion annually in support for weapons. On Monday, the liberal Zionist organization J Street called for ending taxpayer support for sales and evaluating arms sales on a case-by-case basis, though it stopped short of calling for a full embargo.

“They’ve become a very successful country,” Trump said on November 3. “They don’t need it, and we won’t be paying any more.” When asked why, he added, “Why should we suffer the slings from lunatics like an El-Sayed when they don’t need it?”

Meanwhile, calls for an arms embargo that would end all weapons sales to Israel has gained traction in the political mainstream. Among those supporting ending taxpayer assistance and barring weapons sales are Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.)—as well as incoming Reps. Matt Little (D-Minn.), Chris Rabb (D-Pa.), and Melat Kiros (D-Colo.).

In July this year, over 100 Democrats voted to support Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie’s amendment to a State Department funding bill that would have eliminated approximately $3.3 billion in annual U.S. military assistance to Israel. The amendment still failed by a wide margin and Massie lost his primary after Trump backed his challenger and outside groups, including AIPAC’s United Democracy Project, came in with $37 million in spending.

Jeffries opposed the Massie amendment and said in a letter to Democrats at the time that it was “overly broad in that it prohibits or would limit the use of funds for longstanding initiatives related to humanitarian aid, refugee resettlement, peace-building and U.S. Embassy operations.”

However, Jeffries also called for a “major reset” between the U.S. and Israel.

🔗 https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/incoming-freshman-says-allies-of

✡️🇺🇸 Netanyahu tells a gathering of "thousands of Jewish leaders" in Washington that he "foresaw the changes coming" to the US-Israel relationship and devised a scheme to tie Israel to America forever.

"It's called 'From Aid to Partnership,'" he tells the Jewish Federations of North America.

"Today, the president and I are making that vision a reality."

Trump claimed on Election Day he would end the $4B/year in aid we send them by year's end, but Netanyahu is telling Jewish leaders they're working together to shift the aid into a permanent "partnership."

🔗 Chris Menahan 🇺🇸 (@infolibnews)

✡️🇺🇸 Jewish leaders have found the workaround for a hostile U.S. Congress and president:

"Congresses come and go, and even presidents come and go, but the Pentagon is forever."

Israel must rush to merge its defense industrial base with the US now that US aid may be cut off, fmr Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren tells the Times of Israel.

They want to chain themselves to us like a millstone around the neck.

🔗 Chris Menahan 🇺🇸 (@infolibnews)

🇺🇸 Hegseth: For the first time in American history, a cabinet secretary overseeing America's military is being attacked not for losing conflicts with our enemies. But for winning them. Condemned not for defeat. But for military victory. Impeachment for success.

🔗 Acyn (@Acyn)

🇮🇹 In the rare occasion that Roman consuls survived a military engagement which saw the Roman armies defeated, their return to Rome would not be a pleasant one

The consul(s) would be immediately held accountable by the Senate who would inquire into their conduct and if it deems the conduct to be unworthy to have them fined or even executed.

The Roman State did however allow consuls (other officials too) to go into voluntary exile rather than stay, get sentenced and gain infamy.

📖 Polybius' Histories, Book VI 14.

🇸🇦 Bloomberg: Saudi Liquidity Squeeze Adds to Challenges for Crown Prince

The de-facto ruler is already facing a bigger budget deficit, contraction in the economy and the chance of fewer investment deals as near-daily attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen disrupt travel, events and executive visits.

The capital, Riyadh, has been targeted multiple times by the militant group this week, including in an attack that damaged oil giant Aramco’s offices in the financial district.

The funding stress now stands to slow credit growth and prompt public and private borrowers to reconsider projects, according to Tim Callen of the Arab Gulf States Institute.

Saudi credit expanded 2.4% in the third quarter, while deposits fell 1.8%, driven mainly by the drawdown by government entities, according to Saudi central bank data. Callen said pressures to spend during the war were also a contributing factor.

“All-in-all, it’s another sign of how the war is affecting the non-oil economy,” he said.

Non-oil activities — the focal point of the crown prince’s so-called Vision 2030 diversification plan — and the government’s ability to support it through war disruption has become a key concern for economists and investors.

“The combination of higher funding costs, project-driven credit demand and regional geopolitical uncertainty will be an additional headwind for non-oil activity,” said Monica Malik of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank.

Should spending on projects slow because of higher borrowing costs, it could stall Vision 2030 momentum and its ultimate goal of turning Riyadh into a global hub for everything from tourism to investment.

📎 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-11-10/saudi-liquidity-squeeze-adds-to-economic-stress-for-crown-prince

🔗 bonzerbarry

🇸🇻🇭🇹🇺🇸 Axios published a story on Salvadoran operations in Haiti.

The U.S. Chargé d’affaires in Haiti complained to the Haitian PM that El Salvador isn't coordinating with the Gang Suppression Force and that they're endangering international troops (nearly killed some) and civilians.

He requested that the PM inform El Salvador to stop operations immediately until they can coordinate better. He also said that Salvadoran troops fired at the US Embassy, nearly hitting staff.

🔗 bonzerbarry