But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Luz M. Rivas
- Backed with $17K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Endorsed by AIPAC +1 more
With the 2016 memorandum for U.S. military aid to Israel expiring, Rivas said in July 2026 "change to our Middle East policy must happen to ensure the safety and security of both Israelis and Palestinians." She voted against a Massie amendment she called poorly drafted, saying it endangered humanitarian aid.
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You asked Luz M. Rivas where they stand.
Deep Dive
On July 15, 2026 Rivas explained her vote against Republican Amendment 8, the Massie amendment to the State and foreign operations appropriations bill. She said, "Unfortunately, while I disagree with many of the actions of far-right Netanyahu, the Republican amendment is a poorly drafted and hyper-partisan amendment," and that "this amendment endangers the delivery of crucial humanitarian aid." Noting that the 2016 ten-year memorandum of understanding for U.S. military aid to Israel is near expiration, she said, "With the expiration of this MOU imminent, I believe change to our Middle East policy must happen to ensure the safety and security of both Israelis and Palestinians."
On October 7, 2025, marking two years since the Hamas attack, she said, "Two years ago, Hamas launched a deadly terrorist attack on Israel that resulted in the death of innocent lives and over 250 people taken hostage, including Americans," and "over the last two years, there have been too many innocent civilians in Gaza who have been subjected to loss and pain." She called for a resolution that brings hostages home, ensures humanitarian aid delivery, and ends the war.
In August 2025 she took part in an educational delegation trip to Israel organized by the American Israel Education Foundation, an AIPAC affiliate, with a group of House Democrats; reported itinerary items included meetings with Israeli families and government leaders and a review of Gaza humanitarian aid operations. On June 30, 2025 she met with a Jewish Federation Los Angeles delegation on security policies for nonprofits and faith-based institutions. As safety context: she supported state nonprofit security grant funding as an Assemblymember in 2023, attended a 2025 interfaith seder, condemned a December 2025 antisemitic attack in Australia, and in March 2026 co-signed a 148-member letter seeking $1 billion for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 2 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 more than half of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 2 tracked votes.)
The money
$17K 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.
Searched 2026-08-10 for Rivas and antisemitism, ceasefire, military aid, Israel/Palestine statements). Recorded key votes (NDAA FY26 missile-defense amendment, H.R. 8595) and the AIPAC funding total are badges and are not restated.
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
- 2026-07-15 [Current position; verified]: Statement on her No vote on Republican Amendment 8 (Massie amendment) to the National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Appropriations Act: "Unfortunately, while I disagree with many of the actions of far-right Netanyahu, the Republican amendment is a poorly drafted and hyper-partisan amendment"; "this amendment endangers the delivery of crucial humanitarian aid"; "With the expiration of this MOU imminent, I believe change to our Middle East policy must happen to ensure the safety and security of both Israelis and Palestinians" (referring to the 2016 ten-year MOU for military aid to Israel). Release.
Characterization of the conflict
- 2025-10-07 [Current position; verified]: Two-year anniversary statement: "Two years ago, Hamas launched a deadly terrorist attack on Israel that resulted in the death of innocent lives and over 250 people taken hostage, including Americans"; "And over the last two years, there have been too many innocent civilians in Gaza who have been subjected to loss and pain"; "Both Israelis and Palestinians should be able to lead their lives in safety and security." Advocated a peaceful resolution: hostages home, humanitarian aid delivery, end the war. Release.
Rhetoric and lobbying
- 2025-06-30 [Current position; source published 2025-07-01]: Met a Jewish Federation Los Angeles delegation on federal security policies for nonprofits and faith-based institutions. JFEDLA.
- 2025-08-06 to 2025-08-14 [Current position]: Took part in an American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF, AIPAC affiliate) educational delegation trip to Israel with House Democrats. House travel disclosure PDF (opened; PDF not confirmed as naming her). Itinerary details (post-October 7 conditions, meetings with Israeli families and government leaders, Gaza humanitarian aid operations review) come from CAIR-CA pages that would not open; those pages are not linked and the itinerary is rendered attributively. CAIR-CA also ran an action page condemning CA House Democrats for joining the trip (403, unlinked).
Safety and antisemitism (context, not a weapons or funding position)
- 2023-09 [Earlier record; month-only inline date, source listing undated]: As an Assemblymember, supported state nonprofit security grant funding to protect religious institutions and community sites from targeted violence and hate crimes. Agudah California listing (category listing page, weak as a citation).
- 2025-04-07 [Current position]: Attended an Interfaith Seder hosted by Jewish Federation Los Angeles. eJewishPhilanthropy.
- 2025-12-16 [Current position]: Issued a statement condemning an antisemitic attack in Australia. rivas.house.gov press listing (taxonomy listing page, not the release itself; weak as a citation, not used on the card).
- 2026-03-20 [Current position; multi-signer letter]: Co-signed the Amo-McCaul letter from 148 members requesting $1 billion for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program for houses of worship, Jewish institutions, and other at-risk organizations. Amo release.
Identity sources
- Wikipedia: Luz Rivas: incumbent CA-29 representative, former Assemblymember.
Also in this race
- ✓Opposes Angélica María Dueñas (Democrat)
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