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

Brad Sherman

Democrat · U.S. House, California District 32
✗Supported sending weapons or funding in 4 of 6 tracked votes

Sherman spoke on the House floor in July 2026 against the Massie amendment ending $3.3 billion in annual military financing for Israel. In April 2024 he backed the $14.1 billion in military aid to Israel in the national security supplemental.

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Deep Dive

On July 15, 2026 Sherman spoke on the House floor against the Massie amendment, which would have eliminated the $3.3 billion in annual Foreign Military Financing for Israel; Democrats for Israel LA reports he argued the U.S.-Israel alliance serves America's national security and strengthens the defense industrial base (no verbatim floor quotes were available). On April 4, 2024 he urged passage of the Senate supplemental providing "$14.1 billion military aid to Israel," and said, "It is appropriate for President Biden to insist that Israel comply with the international law of armed conflict and comply with the Leahy Law and other U.S. laws that require that the recipients of our weapons act appropriately." At a 2019 town hall he called the $3.8 billion in annual security assistance to Israel a floor, not a ceiling, and the best investment America makes in its national security, per the Jewish Journal.

In the same April 2024 statement he said, "War is chaotic, and urban warfare more so. I believe that Israel is doing as good a job as can be done and is working hard to avoid civilian casualties," citing analysts comparing Israel's record favorably to U.S. operations in Fallujah and Mosul. On October 7, 2023 he condemned Hamas's assault as horrific terrorist acts and war crimes. In November 2024 he called the ICC arrest warrants against Israeli officials absurd, maintaining Israel is engaged in a legitimate war of self-defense. In July 2025 he condemned Israeli extremist settler violence in the West Bank after the death of a Palestinian-American, and in August 2025 called the hunger crisis in Gaza tragic, per his issues page.

On rhetoric: in July 2023 he defended Israel on the House floor against apartheid characterizations. In June 2025 he called Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure justified and co-sponsored a resolution supporting them, per Common Dreams. In a November 2025 JNS interview he said he has worked against anti-Israel factions in the Democratic Party since the 1980s and supported the IHRA antisemitism definition. He co-chairs the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus. As safety context, his record runs from a 2018 letter against an SJP conference at UCLA through 2024-2026 appropriations requests and statements on antisemitic attacks.

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.
Co-sponsorbacks this bill to send more support
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

$29K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $22,900 · DMFI: $6,500
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$22,900The 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.DMFI PAC$6,500Democratic 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 +2 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.ICANThe Israeli-American Civic Action Network is an advocacy group that endorses candidates; its platform calls for expedited U.S. aid to Israel and for keeping Israel's qualitative military edge.These endorsements come from groups that back sending U.S. weapons and funding to the government of Israel.

In their words

“It is appropriate for President Biden to insist that Israel comply with the international law of armed conflict and comply with the Leahy Law and other U.S. laws that require that the recipients of our weapons act appropriately.”
Source ↗, 2024-04-04
“War is chaotic, and urban warfare more so. I believe that Israel is doing as good a job as can be done and is working hard to avoid civilian casualties.”
Source ↗, 2024-04-04
Endorsements

AIPAC (2026 endorsement) · DMFI PAC (2026 endorsement) · ICAN (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 Sherman: conflict statements, military aid, antisemitism, AIPAC rhetoric). Recorded key votes (H.R. 6126 No, H.R. 8034 Yes, H.R. 8369 No, H.R. 7217 Yes, NDAA FY26 missile-defense No, H.R. 8595 No) and funding totals (AIPAC, DMFI) are badges, not restated; the July 2026 Massie-amendment floor speech is characterized because he spoke.

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

  • 2026-07-15 [Current position; speech confirmed, no verbatim quotes available]: Floor speech opposing the Massie amendment to eliminate $3.3 billion in annual FMF to Israel; argued the alliance serves U.S. national security and strengthens the defense industrial base. DFI-LA; a YouTube video of the speech (not confirmed as naming him).
  • 2024-04-04 [Current position; verified]: Urged passage of the Senate supplemental with "$14.1 billion military aid to Israel"; "It is appropriate for President Biden to insist that Israel comply with the international law of armed conflict and comply with the Leahy Law and other U.S. laws that require that the recipients of our weapons act appropriately." Release.
  • 2019-04-22 [Earlier record; source published 2019-04-24]: Town hall in Woodland Hills: the $3.8 billion annual security assistance is "a floor, not a ceiling" and "the best investment we make in our national security" (quote fragments per the search notes, not independently verified). Jewish Journal.

Characterization of the conflict

  • 2023-10-07 [Months after October 7, 2023]: Condemned Hamas's assault as horrific terrorist acts and war crimes against civilians. Release.
  • 2023-10-16 [Months after October 7, 2023]: Forbes Newsroom interview: Israel attempts to minimize civilian casualties; warned media against Hamas-affiliated sources. Forbes.
  • 2024-04-04 [Current position; verified]: "War is chaotic, and urban warfare more so. I believe that Israel is doing as good a job as can be done and is working hard to avoid civilian casualties"; "Analysts indicate that Israeli efforts in this area are favorable to U.S. military actions in Fallujah and Mosul." Release.
  • 2024-11-21 [Current position]: Called ICC arrest warrants against Israeli officials "absurd" (quote per the search notes); Israel engaged in a legitimate war of self-defense. LegiStorm feed of the release.
  • 2025-07-17 [Current position]: Condemned Israeli extremist settler violence in the West Bank after the death of a Palestinian-American; called for accountability. Issues listing; supporting issues page.
  • 2025-08-07 [Current position]: Called the Gaza hunger crisis "tragic" (quote per the search notes); urged international efforts to reverse food shortages. Issues listing.
  • 2025-12-10 [Current position; only source a YouTube video that could not be confirmed as naming him; EXCLUDED from card]: At a House Foreign Affairs hearing, reportedly said "every group of human beings is a group of colonial settlers" on land history. Video; needs confirmation of speaker and context.

Rhetoric and lobbying

  • 2023-07-19 [Earlier record]: Floor speech defending Israel against apartheid characterizations; criticized partisan hypocrisy on antisemitism. Release.
  • 2025-06-18 [Current position; his own release published 2025-06-12]: Co-sponsored a bipartisan resolution supporting Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure as justified self-defense. Release; Common Dreams.
  • 2025-11-28 [Current position]: JNS interview: has countered anti-Israel factions in the Democratic Party since the 1980s; supports the IHRA definition, which he argued does not prevent legitimate criticism of Israeli policy. JNS.
  • Undated: Co-chair, Congressional Israel Allies Caucus; senior Democratic member, House-Knesset Parliamentary Friendship Group. Campaign priorities page; issues listing.

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

  • 2018-10-18 [Earlier record]: Letter to UCLA's chancellor denouncing an SJP conference, alleging antisemitic rhetoric. JNS.
  • 2024-05-20 [Current position]: Requested $2.4 million in federal appropriations for LA County security programs including the Jewish Federation LA Community Security Initiative. LegiStorm feed.
  • 2024-06-14 [Current position; only source a YouTube video that could not be confirmed as naming him]: Floor speech on expanded federal measures against antisemitism and hate crimes. Video.
  • 2025-05-14 [Current position]: After an ADL report named him a top target of online antisemitic harassment, said online hate contributes to real-world violence. Release.
  • 2025-06-02 [Current position; only source a YouTube video that could not be confirmed as naming him]: On TMZ Live, condemned the Boulder attack on a hostage-awareness event. Video.
  • 2025-12-15 [Current position]: Joined a bipartisan joint statement of Jewish House members condemning the antisemitic attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Australia. Issues page.
  • 2026-05-05 [Current position]: Announced over $1 million in federal funding for security of religious institutions in Southern California. Issues page.

Also in this race

  1. ? Larry Thompson (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.