Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on Sunday said the United States sends $2 billion to the Kingdom of Jordan each year.
“Their King spent $100 million on luxury properties in Malibu, DC, & London. I offered an amendment to end the welfare,” Massie said.
Massie thanked five other House Republicans who voted for his amendment.
They include:
- Rep. Chip Roy
- Rep. Nancy Mace
- Rep. Josh Brecheen
- Rep. Eric Burlison
- Rep. Warren Davidson
The amendment to eliminate the approximately $2.1 billion in U.S. assistance and military aid to Jordan was overwhelmingly rejected in a 421-6 vote.
The U.S. sends $2 billion to the Kingdom of Jordan each year. Their King spent $100 million on luxury properties in Malibu, DC, & London. I offered an amendment to end the welfare. Thank the 5 who voted w/me. @RepChipRoy @RepNancyMace @RepBrecheen @RepEricBurlison @Rep_Davidson pic.twitter.com/pntgvD1YCK
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 19, 2026
More from The American Conservative:
The United States has provided Jordan with around $33.8 billion in assistance during the past 75 years. In 2022, the Biden Administration signed a memorandum of understanding with Jordan pledging $1.45 billion annually over seven years, the largest-ever MOU with the Hashemite Kingdom. This year, Congress authorized over $2 billion in aid to the country, placing it among the top three recipients of U.S. aid worldwide for 2026.
It might seem logical to some for Washington to send billions in aid to a nation facing a desperate financial crisis. But while Jordan indeed experiences an elevated unemployment rate, it is far from the world’s poorest country. According to the World Bank, its GDP has quadrupled during the last two decades and is significantly higher than that of many African countries, including Burundi, Malawi, and Madagascar. “Jordan’s economy remains resilient, supported by sound macroeconomic policies,” asserted the International Monetary Fund in December. The life expectancy of Jordanians is around 78 years, ranking in the top third of countries, indicating relatively better healthcare services offered to citizens.
For progressives, it is important that Washington only send aid to countries that share its values. Unfortunately, Jordan does not meet this criterion. According to the Economist’s most recent rating of countries’ levels of democracy, Jordan is labeled an “authoritarian regime,” the lowest ranking. In the 2024 parliamentary election, the Islamic Action Front—long considered the Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing—won the most seats. Yet, the following year, Jordanian authorities banned the Muslim Brotherhood and raided its headquarters. Reporters Without Borders ranked Jordan 142nd out of 180 countries worldwide in its 2026 press freedom ranking, lamenting widespread censorship. If U.S. aid is meant to support democracies, then there is little reason to send billions to Amman as King Abdullah II and his intelligence services continue to dominate Jordanian politics.
Another reason cited for offering aid to Jordan is the Syrian refugee crisis. After the 2011 war erupted, Jordan generously accepted over 600,000 Syrian-registered refugees, ensuring that these Syrians stayed in the region and did not migrate to the United States or Europe. But, after rebels ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, the UN noted that 196,000 Syrian refugees had left the Hashemite Kingdom and returned home. Since the Syrian refugee population in Jordan continues to decline, it makes little sense that U.S. assistance to Jordan has only increased.
Republicans have long justified assistance to Jordan in part due to Amman’s 1994 peace treaty with Israel. Jordan and Egypt—the only Arab countries to maintain ties with Israel for much of its history—received the most U.S. assistance among Arab states despite being wealthier than Yemen and Sudan. But the U.S.-brokered 2020 normalization agreements with additional Arab states, including Morocco, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, make Jordan’s diplomatic relations with Israel less unique. While King Abdullah maintains security cooperation with Israel, Jordan’s ties with the Jewish state are at a low point after recalling its ambassador from Tel Aviv and suspending a water-for-energy agreement in 2023, in protest of the Gaza war. Furthermore, if lawmakers on Capitol Hill are moving to end aid to Israel itself, then it makes little sense for Jordan to keep receiving such a massive amount of U.S. assistance because of its relations with the Jewish state.
There were harsh criticisms of the aid to Jordan on social media.
Why in the HELL are we sending billions to Jordan? https://t.co/efxm4M6n1z
— Hodgetwins (@hodgetwins) July 20, 2026
CUT OFF ALL FOREIGN AID, WE ARE 37 TRILLION IN DEBT. https://t.co/ahj7ziYdP6
— David Cassidy (@davidcassidy26) July 20, 2026
The GOP just voted to continue to give the country of Jordan $2B/year.
Thomas Massie and 5 other Republicans were the only ones to vote against it.
We are so freaking cooked. https://t.co/XnSq8uT0C7
— Evan Kilgore 🇺🇸 (@EvanAKilgore) July 20, 2026
Countries that are almost 40 trillion dollars in debt shouldn’t be sending taxpayer dollars to any country for whatever reason.
It’s like a guy buying rounds of drinks for the whole bar while filing for bankruptcy https://t.co/2wCQ6iPKhN
— Steve Ferguson (@lsferguson) July 20, 2026
All foreign aid, regardless of who it’s going to, be it Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Ukraine, or Taiwan must be ended. https://t.co/12ZT25lMvt
— Michael the Libertarian 🇺🇸 ☭⃠ (@Bl00dOld) July 19, 2026
Massie also introduced an amendment to end aid to Israel, which failed to pass.
He was the lone Republican to vote for the amendment.
“I was the only Republican to vote for my amendment to cut $3.3 billion of welfare to Israel. The GOP can’t seriously claim to be America First,” Massie said.
I was the only Republican to vote for my amendment to cut $3.3 billion of welfare to Israel. The GOP can’t seriously claim to be America First. pic.twitter.com/m0BqB5RApz
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 19, 2026
Roll Call shared further:
Massie’s amendment would have prohibited any of the funding in the bill from being used for Israel. The amendment would have also cut $3.3 billion included in the bill for Israel from the Foreign Military Financing program.
The amendment split Democratic leadership, opening up simmering wounds within the party over Israel. Opponents of the amendment, such as Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., argued it was overly broad and would restrict humanitarian aid, while supporters, such as Minority Whip Katherine M. Clark, D-Mass., said it was important to send a message that the status quo is unacceptable.
Ultimately, the amendment was rejected 104-314.
In addition to the Israel amendment, the House rejected another Massie amendment to prohibit funding for Jordan in a 6-421 vote and one from Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, to ban funding for the United Nations in a 136-291 vote.
One amendment from Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., that was approved by voice vote would withhold 100 percent of funding for Nigeria until the State Department certifies that the country is “taking effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable,” among other criteria.
While the amendment itself did not specify the nature of the violence, Steube posted on social media that it was intended to address anti-Christian violence. Republicans have claimed that sectarian violence in the country is targeting Christians, but experts say the reality is more complicated.
The House had originally planned to vote on the spending bill last month but was forced to scrap that plan when the floor became frozen over an unrelated fight among Republicans on the voter ID bill and immigration policies.
