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

Adam Gray

Democrat · U.S. House, California District 13
✗Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 2 tracked votes

Gray, one of six House Democrats to vote for the 2027 defense bill, wrote that it "included support for Israel" and that leaving Israel exposed to Iran and Hamas "would not make the world safer." He also wrote: "I do not condone the suffering inflicted on innocent people in Gaza."

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Deep Dive

Gray represents California's 13th District and is running for a second term. In July 2026 he was one of six House Democrats who voted for H.R. 8800, the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed 216 to 212 and drew criticism in his district for its cost and for a section establishing a United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative. His office's statement, sent to The Merced Focus after more than two weeks of requests, said: "I also believe America must keep its commitments to our allies, including Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and NATO. The Israel provisions in this bill focus on defense technology cooperation and do not authorize new military aid or give Israel authority over U.S. military decisions."

On September 2 he answered that story in a column of his own: "The bill included support for Israel and strengthened technological cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli militaries. I do not condone the suffering inflicted on innocent people in Gaza. But leaving our only democratic ally in the Middle East exposed to Iran, Hamas and other militants would not make the world safer." It is his fullest statement on the subject. It does not say what he would do about U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel beyond that bill, and it says nothing about U.S. aid to Palestinians.

His recorded votes on the tracked Israel measures appear on this card's vote rows; he has not spoken about those votes specifically. His campaign issues page mentions the region only for his votes on war powers over Iran.

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 2 tracked votes

Floor votes
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
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
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.
Co-sponsorbacks this bill to send more support
Notable actions

• Freshman - won 2024 by only 187 votes. Broke with Democrats to end a government shutdown. Predecessor John Duarte (R) voted Yes on all three weapons packages.

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 more than half of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 2 tracked votes.)

The money

$6K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $5,000 · DMFI: $1,000
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$5,000The 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.DMFI PAC$1,000Democratic Majority for Israel's PAC; calls itself the home for pro-Israel Democrats and backs Democratic candidates who support a strong U.S. alliance with the government of Israel.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.
Endorsed by AIPAC +1 more
AIPACThe 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.DMFI PACDemocratic Majority for Israel's PAC; calls itself the home for pro-Israel Democrats and backs Democratic candidates who support a strong U.S. alliance with the government of Israel.These endorsements come from groups that back sending U.S. weapons and funding to the government of Israel.

In their words

“The bill included support for Israel and strengthened technological cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli militaries. I do not condone the suffering inflicted on innocent people in Gaza. But leaving our only democratic ally in the Middle East exposed to Iran, Hamas and other militants would not make the world safer.”
Source ↗, 2026-09-02
“I also believe America must keep its commitments to our allies, including Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and NATO. The Israel provisions in this bill focus on defense technology cooperation and do not authorize new military aid or give Israel authority over U.S. military decisions.”
Source ↗, 2026-08-26
Endorsements

AIPAC (2026 endorsement) · DMFI PAC (2026 endorsement)

Research log

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

Two searches were read as one lead list for this card: one run 2026-08-10 and one run 2026-09-03. Every page cited below was opened and read on 2026-09-03 unless marked otherwise. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated. Roll-call votes and PAC money are held elsewhere on the record and are not written here.

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

  • [Position, 2026-09-02] Rep. Adam Gray, opinion column in The Merced Focus, "Want to know why I voted that way? Just ask," written in response to the paper's August 21 story. Relevant passage, verbatim and consecutive: "The bill included support for Israel and strengthened technological cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli militaries. I do not condone the suffering inflicted on innocent people in Gaza. But leaving our only democratic ally in the Middle East exposed to Iran, Hamas and other militants would not make the world safer." Also: "I’m not ashamed of my vote on the National Defense Authorization Act. I supported the NDAA because I believed it was the best way to protect American service members and maintain our national defense. If I and five other Democrats had allowed it to fail, a much worse bill would have been negotiated without us and passed in its place." And: "Whatever our disagreements about Ukraine, Israel, American involvement overseas or unrelated legislation, defeating the NDAA would not have solved any of them." (The Merced Focus).
  • [Position, 2026-08-26 source date; story first published by The Merced Focus 2026-08-21 per the column's editor's note] "Facing mounting criticism over transparency, Gray finally explains controversial House defense vote," by Caleb Sprous, CV Journalism Collaborative, read in the Turlock Journal's copy. Facts: Gray voted for the 2027 NDAA, which passed the House 216-212; he was the only California House Democrat and one of six House Democrats to vote yes; the House version drew controversy for its $1.15 trillion cost and for a section establishing the "United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative" (Section 219); Reps. Harder and Costa voted no. Gray's statement, verbatim in the part on Israel: "I also believe America must keep its commitments to our allies, including Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and NATO. The Israel provisions in this bill focus on defense technology cooperation and do not authorize new military aid or give Israel authority over U.S. military decisions." The statement also says: "My vote for the NDAA does not mean I support President Trump’s war in Iran. I have repeatedly voted for War Powers resolutions to end the conflict and cosponsor legislation to end U.S. involvement in Iran." and "The SAVE America Act was not part of the NDAA when I voted for it." (Turlock Journal).
  • [Position, 2026-08-24 and 2026-07-23; sources 403 to direct retrieval, read through a summarizing reader] GV Wire, "Facing Mounting Criticism, Adam Gray Finally Explains House Defense Vote" (same statement as above) and "Gray Among Just 6 House Democrats to Back Defense Bill" (July 23: he "had not responded to requests for comment"). Raw addresses: https://gvwire.com/2026/08/24/facing-mounting-criticism-adam-gray-finally-explains-house-defense-vote/ and https://gvwire.com/2026/07/23/gray-among-just-6-house-democrats-to-back-defense-bill-how-did-other-valley-reps-vote/ . The two summaries gave different vote dates (July 16; July 23); the day is therefore not stated on the card.
  • The FY2027 NDAA passage is not one of the tracked votes on this record; it is on the card only in his own words about it. His tracked votes (the FY2026 NDAA amendment to strike $500 million for Israeli Cooperative Programs; the Massie amendment to H.R. 8595 on FY2027 funds for Israel) are shown as vote rows. No statement by him about either of those specific votes was located.
  • [Position, read 2026-09-03] His campaign issues page mentions the Middle East only in a veterans and foreign-policy passage: "Adam voted in March to stop forever wars and halt the war in Iran, supporting a War Powers Resolution" and that he "opposes endless, politically-motivated wars." Nothing on Israel, Gaza or aid. His official site's homepage carries nothing on the subject.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • Nothing located on UNRWA, Gaza humanitarian funding or the aid pipeline. The column's sentence on "the suffering inflicted on innocent people in Gaza" is a characterization, not a position on aid.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Position, 2026-09-02] From the column above: "I do not condone the suffering inflicted on innocent people in Gaza"; Israel described as "our only democratic ally in the Middle East"; threats named as "Iran, Hamas and other militants."
  • [Reaction window, 2023-11-22; third party] The California Republican Party's post "4 Days of Silence" lists "Adam Gray, 13th Congressional District candidate" among Democratic candidates it says had not commented on protests that disrupted the state Democratic convention (CAGOP). A party attack listing; no words of his. Not on the card summary, and from a third party.
  • The September search attributed to Gray a June 25, 2025 statement "posted to his official Facebook page" on Iran war powers ("For decades, the regime in Iran has oppressed its own people and funded terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah..."). The cited source is https://www.facebook.com/adamsmithforcongress/posts/i-am-backing-a-new-war-powers-resolution-aimed-at-limiting-president-trumps-abil/1121220269818281/ , a page named for Adam Smith, not Adam Gray. Treated as another person's words; excluded.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • [Undated] The Jewish Democratic Council of America's endorsements page lists "Rep. Adam Gray (CA-13)" and says it endorsed him in 2022 and 2024 (JDCA). An endorsement received, not a statement by him; research page only.
  • Nothing located from Gray on lobbying organizations or anti-boycott legislation. Contribution records are held elsewhere on the record.

Safety and antisemitism (context)

  • Nothing located from Gray on antisemitism or Jewish community safety. The CAGOP item above is the only material returned under this heading and it is a third party's characterization of his silence.

Not on the card, and why

  • Vote day of the FY2027 NDAA: sources disagree (GV Wire summaries July 16 and July 23); the deep dive says "In July 2026."
  • The word "support for Israel" is his; authored text elsewhere uses "the government of Israel."
  • Defensive systems are not discussed on the front (standing rule from the LA rewrite); his tracked FY2026 vote on Israeli Cooperative Programs is a vote row, not front text.
  • CAGOP "4 Days of Silence": not on the card summary; also from a third party.
  • June 25, 2025 Facebook statement: misattributed source (Adam Smith for Congress); excluded.
  • JDCA endorsement: not a statement by him.
  • Iran war powers material: outside this site's question; research page only.

Sources retrieved for this card (URL, HTTP status, date read)

  • https://themercedfocus.org/opinion-want-to-know-why-i-voted-that-way-just-ask/ (200, 2026-09-03; published 2026-09-02T13:00Z)
  • https://www.turlockjournal.com/news/government/facing-mounting-criticism-over-transparency-gray-finally-explains-controversial-house-defense-vote/ (200, 2026-09-03; datePublished 2026-08-26)
  • https://gvwire.com/2026/08/24/facing-mounting-criticism-adam-gray-finally-explains-house-defense-vote/ (403 to direct retrieval; read through a summarizing reader, 2026-09-03)
  • https://gvwire.com/2026/07/23/gray-among-just-6-house-democrats-to-back-defense-bill-how-did-other-valley-reps-vote/ (403 to direct retrieval; read through a summarizing reader, 2026-09-03)
  • https://www.adamgrayforcongress.com/issues (200, 2026-09-03)
  • https://gray.house.gov/ (200, 2026-09-03)
  • https://cagop.org/4-days-of-silence/ (200, 2026-09-03; published 2023-11-22)
  • https://jewishdems.org/endorsements/ (200, 2026-09-03)
  • https://ballotpedia.org/Adam_Gray (200, 2026-09-03; identity; no Israel content)
  • https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/07/20/redistricting-adds-stockton-to-ca-13-as-rep-gray-d-and-former-mayor-lincoln-r-face-off-on-nov-3/ (200, 2026-09-03; race context)
  • https://www.facebook.com/adamsmithforcongress/posts/i-am-backing-a-new-war-powers-resolution-aimed-at-limiting-president-trumps-abil/1121220269818281/ (400, per the September search; wrong page)
  • Returned by the August search, not read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Gray ; https://www.adamgrayforcongress.com/about

Also in this race

  1. – Kevin Lincoln II (Republican)

All California candidates.

But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Every claim on this page goes through at least two verification steps. Open Find Your Candidates for votes, funding and contact details.