But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Mark DeSaulnier
DeSaulnier signed the April 2024 letter urging President Biden to halt offensive weapons transfers to Israel after the World Central Kitchen strike, saying "this has got to stop." In January 2025 he restated support for a negotiated ceasefire and humanitarian relief for civilians in Gaza.
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Deep Dive
In April 2024 DeSaulnier was one of 40 House members, five from the Bay Area, who signed a letter asking President Biden to halt offensive weapons transfers to Israel pending investigation of the Israeli airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza. Explaining the letter to KQED, he said: "It just seemed to me, and to us, given what happened with the aid workers, it's just one more message, that this has got to stop." He also backed a pause in aid and a temporary ceasefire to let humanitarian assistance into Gaza and facilitate hostage releases.
In a January 2025 post he set out his position on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire: a negotiated ceasefire, urgent humanitarian relief for civilians in Gaza, the secure return of all hostages held by Hamas, and a long-term diplomatic path to a two-state solution. In May 2026, as Ranking Member at a House Education and Workforce subcommittee hearing, he said no one should be threatened, harassed, or assaulted for who they are or who they worship, called for doing more to combat antisemitism, and cautioned against using the issue for partisan objectives; that is context, not a weapons or funding position.
As earlier record: in a statement on House Resolution 311, he said he supports "Israel as a democratic, Jewish state," backed work toward a two-state solution, and expressed concern about actions of the Netanyahu government; the source page and the date in the search notes disagree on the year (2022 vs 2023), so the item is flagged.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 1 of 5 tracked votes · Cosponsors the Block the Bombs Act
• Vote record imported from official House Clerk roll calls for H.R. 6126, H.R. 8034, and H.R. 8369. Other position fields remain under investigation.
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.
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Voted to send weapons or funding in some, but no more than half, of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 1 of 5 tracked votes.)
The money
Checked the five lobbying groups we track; no direct 2026 support found
In their words
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
- 2024-04-05 [Current position; verified via KQED]: Signed the 40-member letter to President Biden and Secretary Blinken calling for a halt to offensive weapons transfers to Israel pending investigation of the World Central Kitchen strike. KQED, 2024-04-06
- 2024-04-06 [Current position; verified]: To KQED on the letter: "It just seemed to me, and to us, given what happened with the aid workers, it's just one more message, that this has got to stop." Advocated a pause in aid and a temporary ceasefire to allow humanitarian assistance into Gaza and facilitate hostage releases. KQED
Characterization of the conflict
- 2022-04-27 per source page, 2023-04-27 per an initial search [Earlier record; date conflict flagged]: Statement on H.Res. 311: supports "Israel as a democratic, Jewish state"; committed to "working toward a two-state solution"; concerned by "the troubling actions being taken by its current government" under Netanyahu. House blog post
- 2023-10-08 [Months after October 7, 2023; source page dated 2023-10-10]: Said he was "deeply troubled and saddened by the despicable terrorist attacks against the Israeli people" and condemned "Hamas and these heinous attacks in the strongest way". DeSaulnier Digest
- 2025-01-15 [Current position; date taken from the text itself; undated Facebook page; unverified text]: Detailed his position calling for a negotiated ceasefire, humanitarian relief for civilians in Gaza, secure return of all hostages held by Hamas, and a diplomatic path to a two-state solution. Facebook post
Rhetoric and lobbying
- 2022-04-27 per source page [Earlier record; date conflict flagged]: Criticized leadership's handling of H.Res. 311, saying it omitted the two-state solution goal and human rights concerns about the Netanyahu government's actions. House blog post
- An initial search found no statements or actions from DeSaulnier about Israel-related lobbying organizations.
Safety and antisemitism (context, not a weapons or funding position)
- 2023-10-09 [Months after October 7, 2023; source page dated 2023-10-10]: Joined community members at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette to support the local Jewish community after the October 7 attacks. DeSaulnier Digest
- 2026-05-20 [Current position; unverified text]: Opening statement as Ranking Member at a House Education and Workforce subcommittee hearing: "No one should be threatened, harassed, or assaulted because of who they are, who they worship, or what they stand for. We must do more to combat antisemitism in this country and ensure that all Americans are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve". Argued anti-Jewish animus must be meaningfully addressed while cautioning against partisan use of the issue. Committee release
Source notes
- An initial search’s identity claim cited only www.house.gov (generic homepage); identity rests on the district-specific sources above.
Also in this race
- –No Position Found Jeffrey Frese (Republican)
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