US Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez voted against an amendment proposed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Friday, that sought to cut USD 500 million in military aid for “Israel’s” air defense systems.

By voting “no” on the amendment, Ocasio-Cortez effectively voted to maintain the funding.

The amendment, H.Amdt.55 to H.R.4016, aimed to eliminate $500 million allocated for “Israeli Cooperative Programs,” which include systems like the Iron Dome.

Rep. Greene argued that the US, facing a $37 trillion national debt, should cease providing foreign aid, stating that “nuclear-armed Israel” is capable of defending itself.

She highlighted that the US already provides “Israel” with $3.8 billion annually in foreign aid, with an additional $8.7 billion allocated in April 2024.

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly rejected Greene’s amendment with a vote of 6 in favor and 422 against (Roll Call No. 207). The six members who voted to cut the funding were Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Al Green (D-TX), Summer Lee (D-PA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was not among those who voted to cut the funding.

Previously in April 2024, she cast a “PRESENT” vote on a separate $1 billion supplemental military funding bill for “Israel’s” Iron Dome.

She had a controversial emotional reaction after the vote, where she was seen crying on the floor before voting.

In a letter explaining her decision, she cited the “rushed” legislative process, which, she said, “created very real spillover effects.”

“Yes, I wept. I wept at the complete lack of care for the human beings that are impacted by these decisions, I wept at an institution choosing a path of maximum volatility and minimum consideration for its own political convenience,” the New York representative said.

US support for “Israel’s” security has been a long-standing foreign policy, with over $130 billion in bilateral assistance provided since 1948.

This includes an annual provision of $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing and $500 million for cooperative missile defense programs, formalized through a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding.

Pro-“Israel” advocacy groups, such as AIPAC, lauded the amendment’s defeat, emphasizing the “clear bipartisan message about America’s support for our democratic ally”.