But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Raul Ruiz
- Backed with $23K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Endorsed by AIPAC +1 more
In July 2025 Ruiz wrote to President Trump and Secretary Rubio demanding increased humanitarian resources for Gaza, calling the hunger there a man-made crisis. In August 2025 he joined physician colleagues calling conditions in Gaza a humanitarian catastrophe.
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Deep Dive
On U.S. aid to Palestinians, Ruiz said on July 31, 2025 that he had sent letters to President Trump and Secretary Rubio demanding they increase humanitarian resources to Gaza, urge Israel and Hamas to end the war, release all hostages, and guarantee unfettered access for international humanitarian organizations and the United Nations. He called the hunger in Gaza "a dire humanitarian emergency" and "a man-made crisis." On August 1, 2025 he co-led congressional physicians in a letter calling conditions in Gaza a humanitarian catastrophe, citing severe hunger, displacement, and the near-collapse of the healthcare system.
A July 2025 remark attributed to Ruiz, that the U.S. must tell Netanyahu it "will not provide another dollar" for the war, would be his sharpest statement on U.S. money to the government of Israel, and a reported account of an unproductive meeting with Netanyahu travels with it. Both rest solely on another senator's Facebook post that would not open and does not name him, so they are held out of the card summary as misattribution risks pending a real source. A May 2026 video criticizing billions spent abroad while constituents pay more at home also sits on a Facebook link that would not open and does not name where the money goes.
In October 2023 he condemned the Hamas attacks as horrific and said "I stand by our ally Israel and their right to defend themselves," and worked with the State Department on departures of Americans from Israel and Gaza. In March 2026 he opposed U.S. strikes on Iran without congressional approval. A March 2026 statement condemning the Temple Israel shooting in Detroit is reported from a Facebook link that would not open.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes
• 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 exactly half of their recorded tracked votes. The tie is broken by money this election cycle from a lobbying group we track and an endorsement from a group that backs sending weapons. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes.)
The money
$23K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
In their words
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
- 2025-07-27 [Current position; source did not open and belongs to another account; EXCLUDED from card]: Attributed quote: "The United States must make it clear to Netanyahu that we will not provide another dollar to support his inhumane, illegal war," with an argument for using U.S. leverage to end indiscriminate bombing and secure a ceasefire. Only source is a Senator Klobuchar Facebook post returning 400 that does not name Ruiz. Misattribution risk; unlinked; needs a primary source.
- 2026-05-01 [Current position; source did not open, own-account Facebook; direction ambiguous]: Video: "60 days of war. Billions spent abroad. Meanwhile, our communities are still paying more for groceries, rent, and medicine. This is not the right priority." Does not name Israel or say where the money goes; unlinked; not used on the card.
- Recorded key votes (H.R. 6126, H.R. 7217, H.R. 8034, H.R. 8369, NDAA FY26 missile-defense amendment, H.R. 8595) are badges and are not restated here.
Characterization of the conflict
- 2023-10-11 [Months after October 7, 2023; verifiable house.gov source]: Condemned the attacks as "horrific," "appalling and unacceptable," Hamas's harm to civilians "callous and cowardly"; "I stand by our ally Israel and their right to defend themselves." Release.
- 2023-10-18 [Months after October 7, 2023]: Discussed coordinating with the State Department on safe departure of constituents and Americans from Israel and Gaza. YouTube (video does not name him in metadata; treated as supporting only).
- 2025-07-31 [Current position; verified]: "The extreme hunger and starvation unfolding in Gaza is a dire humanitarian emergency." "This is a man-made crisis, and urgent action is needed." Reports of Palestinians, including children, dying of hunger called heartbreaking and unacceptable. Release.
- 2025-08-01 [Current position; multi-signer letter]: Co-led congressional physicians characterizing Gaza as a "humanitarian catastrophe" with severe hunger, displacement, and healthcare collapse. Release.
Rhetoric and lobbying
- 2025-07-27 [Current position; source did not open and belongs to another account; EXCLUDED]: Reported account of a personal meeting with Netanyahu pressing for expanded humanitarian aid into Gaza and against displacement of Palestinians, saying he "never got a good answer." Same Klobuchar Facebook source; unlinked.
- 2025-07-31 [Current position; verified]: Letters to President Trump and Secretary Rubio demanding increased humanitarian resources to Gaza, an end to the war, hostage release, and guaranteed access for humanitarian organizations and the UN. Release.
- 2026-02-28 [Current position; date per statement, coverage published 2026-03-01/02]: Opposed U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran without congressional approval. KESQ; also carried on Rep. Brownley's site (multi-member article; his lines only).
Safety and antisemitism (context, not a weapons or funding position)
- 2026-03-13 [Current position; source did not open, own-account Facebook]: Statement on the Temple Israel shooting in Detroit: "We cannot live in fear of practicing our faith in America. There is no place for hatred and violence in a place of worship," with a call to combat antisemitism and protect places of worship. Unlinked; not used on the card.
Also in this race
- –No Position Found Joe Males (Republican)
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