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 Himes

Democrat · U.S. House, Connecticut District 4
?Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes

Himes called the 2026 amendment cutting $3.3 billion “way too overbroad” while endorsing conditions: “I am all in favor of making sure that the Israelis don’t get weapons that can find their way into settlers’ hands”. He backed the April 2024 package and defended the 2024 pause on heavy bombs.

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Deep Dive

Himes has represented Connecticut’s 4th District since 2009 and is the House Intelligence Committee’s top Democrat. His six recorded votes appear as badges on this card: Yes on the April 2024 package, No on the three standalone or mandate bills, No on both amendments to cut aid to Israel.

His conditions-not-cuts frame is explicit. To Jewish Insider in June 2026: "The Massie amendment is way too overbroad... I am all in favor of making sure that the Israelis don’t get weapons that can find their way into settlers’ hands in the West Bank, [and] put some conditions on the way they conduct their wars in Gaza and in Lebanon. But this proposal is way overbroad." In May 2024 he defended the administration’s pause on heavy bombs while opposing the Republican mandate bill, telling NOTUS the GOP’s framing "is insane, especially on the day that the president was preparing a $1 billion package" and noting artillery and tank ammunition kept moving.

After the March 2024 aid-convoy deaths he called the loss of life "horrific" and pressed for conventional aid deliveries beyond airdrops. He welcomed the January 2025 ceasefire and called the October 2025 agreement "a welcome development that offers hope after more than two years of devastating violence."

His October 2023 town-hall remarks on Palestinian claims and lobbying dynamics are on the research page; his June 2025 frustration at learning of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran through social media is there too. AIPAC’s tracked support appears as a badge on this card.

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes · Backs 0 of 1 tracked bills to restrict weapons transfers

Floor votes
H.R. 6126 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act2023-11-02 · Passed 226-196
✓ 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 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. 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
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
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
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 some, but no more than half, of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes.)

The money

$11K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $10,500
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$10,500The 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.

In their words

“I am all in favor of making sure that the Israelis don’t get weapons that can find their way into settlers’ hands in the West Bank, [and] put some conditions on the way they conduct their wars in Gaza and in Lebanon. But this proposal is way overbroad.”
Source ↗, 2026-06-30

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

  • His recorded votes appear as badges on this card: No on H.R. 6126, Yes on H.R. 8034, No on H.R. 8369, No on H.R. 7217, No on both amendments to cut aid to Israel.
  • [Position, 2026-06] The overbroad-but-conditions interview, verified and quoted on the card.
  • [Position, 2024-05-16] The NOTUS interview, verified: defense of the pause with the insane-framing quote.
  • [Position, 2024-04-20] His package statement, verified by page.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Position, 2025-01-15 and 2025-10-15] The ceasefire statements, verified.
  • His October 23, 2023 remarks (Palestinian claims; the path-of-least-resistance observation about lobby meetings) are not on the card summary.
  • [Prior era, 2014-07-22] His self-defense framing of the 2014 operation; his own release, reported by listing.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • His October 2023 observation on AIPAC and J Street meeting cadence is not on the card summary, like the rest of that town hall.
  • [Iran, 2025-06-24] His war-powers frustration at learning of strikes via social media, per NPR and CT Mirror; Iran material, research page only.
  • Tracked committee support appears as a badge on this card.

Safety and antisemitism

  • [Action] The bipartisan Holocaust-education study bill co-sponsorship, per a colleague’s release; reported, not confirmed directly.
  • [Statement, 2025-05] His condemnation of the embassy-staffers shooting; his own social account, held for human verification.

Sources retrieved for this card

Race and status context

  • Sitting member, nominated. His Republican challenger’s card carries its own record.

Also in this race

  1. ✗ Michael Ted Goldstein (Republican)
  2. – Benjamin Wesley (Other)

All Connecticut 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.