But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check

Terri Sewell

?Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes

Backed with $18K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)

Sewell backed the April 2024 package, “defend Israel in its proxy wars with Iran” with humanitarian aid included, while voting against the standalone bills she called “a cynical effort to sabotage” the bipartisan deal, and against both amendments to cut aid to Israel.

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Your record on weapons and funding for the government of Israel [ref: al7-sewell]

Dear Terri Sewell,

I plan to vote in the November elections, but before I vote for you, I want to be sure I understand your plan going forward when it comes to weapons and funding for the government of Israel, because your record is mixed.

Will you commit, if re-elected, to voting against further transfers of weapons and funding to the government of Israel, or to supporting enforceable conditions on that support?

Your record points in different directions, so I'm asking for clarity: where do you stand now, and what will you do?

I may share your answer publicly so other voters can see it.

Respectfully,
[Your name]

✆ Call DC office

Deep Dive

Sewell has represented Alabama’s 7th District since 2011. Her six recorded votes appear as badges on this card: Yes on the April 2024 package, No on the three standalone or mandate bills, No on both amendments to cut aid to Israel.

Her standalone-versus-package pattern is explained in her own releases: in February 2024 she called the standalone Israel bill "a cynical effort to sabotage the deal reached by White House and Senate negotiators", noting it "denies humanitarian relief to civilians in Gaza", while restating support for assistance to Israel; in April 2024 she backed the $95 billion package to "deliver humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, defend Israel in its proxy wars with Iran, and deter aggression by China".

Her alliance frame is long-standing. In 2019, objecting to Israel’s decision to bar two members of Congress, she called the ban "both outrageous and misguided" while affirming "Our relationship with Israel is sacred and must be protected." In 2015 she supported the Iran nuclear agreement while affirming her commitment to Israel’s security; Iran material sits on the research page. In 2017 she condemned bomb threats against Birmingham’s Jewish community center, and her district’s civil-rights commemorations include standing "in solidarity with our Jewish partners".

Her November-December 2023 statements, including support for extending the bilateral pause toward a ceasefire, are on the research page. AIPAC’s tracked support appears as a badge on this card.

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes · Backs 0 of 1 tracked bills to restrict weapons transfers

Floor votes

H.R. 6126 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act2023-11-02 · Passed 226-196

✓ Voted No

voted against sending it

H.R. 7217 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-02-06 · Failed 250-180 (needed 2/3 under suspension)

✓ Voted No

voted against sending it

H.R. 8034 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-04-20 · Passed 366-58

✗ Voted Yes

supported sending it

H.R. 8369 - Israel Security Assistance Support Act2024-05-16 · Passed 224-187

✓ Voted No

voted against sending it

H.R. 8595 - Massie amendment (Part A No. 8) to bar FY27 funds for Israel and cut $3.3B in Foreign Military Financing2026-07-15 · Failed 104-314

✗ Voted No

voted against limiting it

H.Amdt. 55 to H.R. 4016 - strike $500M for Israeli Cooperative Programs2025-07-18 · Failed 6-422 (only 6 voted to cut)

✗ Voted No

voted against limiting it

Bill sponsorship

H.R. 3565 - Block the Bombs ActWould bar transfer of 2,000-lb/BLU-109 bunker busters, JDAMs, 120mm tank rounds, and 155mm artillery shells to Israel. Does not affect Iron

Not sponsoringhas not backed this restriction bill

H.R. 1229 - United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025Formalizes/expands bilateral defense cooperation with Israel.

Not sponsoringhas not backed this support bill

How this mark works

We track key votes on sending U.S. weapons and money to the government of Israel. A check means every tracked vote they cast came down against sending more, on the side of peace and de-escalation. A question mark means a mixed record: they sided with sending up to half of the time. An X means they voted to send more weapons and money in over half of their tracked votes, even as the way those weapons and dollars were being used became more and more obvious. At exactly half, money this election cycle from a lobbying group we track, or an endorsement from a group that backs sending weapons, makes it an X. Only votes actually cast are counted. Where a candidate has no recorded votes on these bills, the mark comes instead from a reviewed reading of their public record (money from the lobbying groups we track, endorsements, and their own words since January 26, 2024). There an X also covers fully backing the conduct of the war by the government of Israel without significant reservations, and a question mark also covers speaking about Israel without saying clearly where they stand on U.S. weapons and funding. A dash means No Position Found: we found nothing in their own words about Israel, Gaza or the war.

See a dash? Ask the candidate where they stand, then send us their answer and we'll review it and update the mark. Or volunteer to help review candidates.

Voted to send weapons or funding in some, but no more than half, of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes.)

The money

$18K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

AIPAC PAC: $17,900

Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.

Who these lobbying groups are

AIPAC$17,900The American Israel Public Affairs Committee; its PAC backs candidates it sees as strengthening U.S. ties with the government of Israel, including continued U.S. military aid.Direct contributions and independent expenditures supporting this candidate from the five lobbying groups we track, every cycle each has filed, through 2026. Excludes earmarked and conduit contributions.

In their words

“At a time of growing national security challenges, the standalone bill that House Republicans attempted to force through is a cynical effort to sabotage the deal reached by White House and Senate negotiators.”

Source ↗, 2024-02-06

“Our relationship with Israel is sacred and must be protected.”

Source ↗, 2019-08-31

Research log

The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

Her recorded votes appear as badges on this card: No on H.R. 6126, Yes on H.R. 8034, No on H.R. 8369, No on H.R. 7217, No on both amendments to cut aid to Israel.
[Position, 2024-02-06] The standalone-bill statement, verified and quoted on the card.
[Position, 2024-04-20] The package statement, verified and quoted on the card; the Iran phrase sits inside her own sentence.
Her November 2, 2023 standalone statement is not on the card summary.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

[Position, 2024-02/04] Humanitarian relief for Gaza as a stated requirement in both 2024 statements, verified.

Characterization of the conflict

Her October 25, 2023 resolution-vote statement (steadfast-with-Israel and two-state language) and her December 2023 support for extending the bilateral pause (reported by the Alabama Political Reporter, retrieved) are not on the card summary.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

[Position, 2019-08] The barred-members statement, verified: sacred-relationship line with criticism of the entry ban.
[Iran, 2015-09-09] The nuclear-agreement statement, verified; her Israel-security commitment framing within it; research page only.
Tracked committee support appears as a badge on this card.

Safety and antisemitism

[Action, 2017-02] The bomb-threats statement, verified, and the 2017 letter to federal agencies on JCC threats, reported.
The research reports a November 2023 letter on funding antisemitism programs; the offered release does not name her, so it stays out of the card summary.
[Held for human verification, 2024-10-07] Her October 7 anniversary statement; her own social account.

Sources retrieved for this card

Pages our search retrieved on 2026-08-21 (HTTP 200, naming the candidate) and read for this card; each is listed once, and those already cited above are not repeated.
[Retrieved 2026-08-21, published 2023-11-02] sewell.house.gov/rep-sewell-statement-on-partisan-republican-israeli-suppleme
[Retrieved 2026-08-21, published 2023-10-25] sewell.house.gov/rep-sewell-votes-in-favor-of-bipartisan-resolution-standing-
[Retrieved 2026-08-21] facebook.com/1093334128828632
[Retrieved 2026-08-21, published 2023-11-21] raskin.house.gov/raskin-joins-wasserman-schultz-fitzpatrick-in-bipartisan-let
[Retrieved 2026-08-21, published 2025-03-07] ncjw.org/national-council-of-jewish-women-to-lead-jewish-community-at

Race and status context

Sitting member, nominated. Her Republican challenger’s card carries its own record.

Also in this race

– Ammie Akin (Republican)

All Alabama candidates.