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

Jim Costa

Democrat · U.S. House, California District 21
✗Supported sending weapons or funding in 4 of 6 tracked votes

In April 2024 Costa backed the bipartisan aid package that replenished Iron Dome and David's Sling for Israel and funded humanitarian aid for Gaza, saying America cannot turn its back on allies. In October 2025 he welcomed the ceasefire, calling hostage returns and expanded aid to Gaza critical steps forward.

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Deep Dive

On U.S. weapons and money to the government of Israel, Costa supported the April 2024 national security package, which replenished the Iron Dome, David's Sling, and other defense systems for Israel and included $9.15 billion for humanitarian assistance, with Gaza named among the recipients. In the first weeks after October 7, 2023, he said he was pushing for additional military and economic resources so Israel could defend itself, and in an October 19, 2023 interview he supported President Biden's emergency military assistance request and rejected early ceasefire calls; that interview's source page would not open.

On the conflict itself, he condemned the October 7 attack as an act of war against an ally. In January 2025 he welcomed the announced ceasefire as long overdue. On the two-year anniversary of October 7 he called the Hamas assault the largest instance of violence against Jews since the Holocaust and said the war has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, over a third of them women and children, calling for a ceasefire and hostage release. On October 9, 2025 he said hostage returns and more humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza are critical steps forward. In March 2024, Fresnoland reported that Palestinian and Muslim advocacy groups criticized his reluctance to support a permanent ceasefire and said he had declined for months to meet with pro-Palestinian constituents.

His earlier record includes a 2019 statement opposing the BDS movement against Israel and a July 2023 joint statement calling Israel the legitimate homeland of the Jewish people. On antisemitism, as context, he signed letters on the UN special rapporteur (2023) and campus antisemitism (2023), and in June 2025 condemned the Boulder attack and signed a letter to social media executives on online hate.

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 4 of 6 tracked votes

Committees

House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Floor votes
H.R. 6126 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act2023-11-02 · Passed 226-196
✓ 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. 7217 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-02-06 · Failed 250-180 (needed 2/3 under suspension)
✗ Voted Yes
supported sending 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
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.
Not sponsoringhas not backed this support bill
Notable actions

• 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.

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 4 of 6 tracked votes.)

The money

$33K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $32,900
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$32,900The 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.
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

“This development, along with the provision of more humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, are critical steps forward for peace, stability, and security for the Israeli and Palestinian people.”
Source ↗, 2025-10-09
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.

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

  • 2023-10-11 [Months after October 7, 2023; source is a resources page published 2023-10-10]: Said as a House Foreign Affairs Committee member he was "pushing to provide additional military and economic resources so that Israel can successfully defend itself." costa.house.gov.
  • 2023-10-19 [Months after October 7, 2023; source did not open, GV Wire]: In a GV Wire interview, supported President Biden's emergency military assistance request for Israel, framing it as backing Israel's effort to eliminate Hamas. Not linked; not used on card.
  • 2024-04-20 [Current position; verified]: Supported the bipartisan national security aid package; release confirms replenishment of Iron Dome, David's Sling and other defense systems and $9.15 billion in humanitarian assistance including Gaza; statement opens "America is stronger when it stands with its allies." Release.
  • Recorded key votes (H.R. 6126, H.R. 8034, H.R. 8369, H.R. 7217, NDAA FY26 missile-defense amendment, H.R. 8595) are badges and are not restated here.

Characterization of the conflict

  • 2023-10-07 [Months after October 7, 2023]: Called the Hamas attack an "unprovoked attack on Israel by Hamas" and an "act of war on one of our most trusted and long-term allies in the Middle East." Release.
  • 2023-10-19 [Months after October 7, 2023; source did not open, GV Wire]: Rejected early ceasefire calls, saying Hamas's objective is to eliminate Israel. Not linked.
  • 2024-03-23 [Current position]: Fresnoland reported local Palestinian and Muslim advocacy groups criticized his characterization of the conflict and his reluctance to support a permanent ceasefire. Fresnoland.
  • 2025-01-15 [Current position]: Welcomed the announced ceasefire as "long overdue," citing "the power of America's diplomacy." Release.
  • 2025-10-07 [Current position]: Two-year anniversary statement: called the assault "the largest such instance of violence against Jews since the Holocaust" and said the war "has also claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, with over a third being innocent women and children"; called for ceasefire and hostage release. Release.
  • 2025-10-09 [Current position; verified]: Said hostage returns and more humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza "are critical steps forward for peace, stability, and security for the Israeli and Palestinian people." Release.

Rhetoric and lobbying

  • 2019-07-23 [Earlier record]: Opposed the BDS movement, calling it "an overt attempt to isolate and weaken our ally"; said attacking Israel's economic and cultural stability does nothing for the well-being of the Palestinian people. Release; companion GV Wire piece would not open.
  • 2023-07-17 [Earlier record; multi-signer statement hosted on another member's site]: Joined Democratic colleagues asserting "Israel is the legitimate homeland of the Jewish people." Pappas release.
  • 2024-03-23 [Current position]: CAIR and other groups held a news conference outside his Fresno office over his declining for months to meet pro-Palestinian constituents. Fresnoland.

Safety and antisemitism (context, not a weapons or funding position)

  • 2008-05-19 [Earlier record]: Jewish American Heritage Month statement. Release.
  • 2023-01-25 [Earlier record; multi-signer letter]: Signed a bipartisan letter urging the UN to remove Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese over alleged antisemitic comments. JNS; the letter PDF is a multi-signer document that does not single him out.
  • 2023-08-28 [Earlier record; multi-signer letter; source is another campaign's repost]: Signed a letter pressing the Department of Education on campus antisemitism. Repost.
  • 2025-06-01 [Current position]: Condemned the Boulder attack as a "hateful act of terror against the Jewish community." Release.
  • 2025-06-06 [Current position; multi-signer letter]: Signed a bipartisan letter to social media executives on online hate and pro-terrorist content. Bell release; also Friedman repost.

Also in this race

  1. ✗ Kyle Kirkland (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.