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

Jahana Hayes

Democrat · U.S. House, Connecticut District 5
?Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 6 tracked votes

Hayes, the only Connecticut member voting for the 2026 $3.3 billion cut, said “I absolutely support Israel’s right to exist, but I’m horrified with what’s happening to these kids in Gaza”, while calling the amendment itself “poorly written”. She backed the April 2024 package.

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Deep Dive

Hayes has represented Connecticut’s 5th District since 2019. Her 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 the amendment to cut $500 million for Israeli missile-defense programs, and Yes on the 2026 amendment to cut $3.3 billion from aid to Israel, alone in Connecticut’s delegation.

Her statement on that vote is double-edged: the amendment was "poorly written and extremely broad", drafted "to be another political wedge issue", yet she voted for it anyway; outside the chamber she told CT Public: "I absolutely support Israel’s right to exist, but I’m horrified with what’s happening to these kids in Gaza. And while I hate the amendment, we need to open the door for some discussion on what aid looks like." She co-sponsors the Block the Bombs Act restricting offensive transfers, and in April 2024 signed the letter seeking a hold on offensive weapons after the World Central Kitchen strike, per the research record.

She backed the administration’s three-part ceasefire proposal in May 2024 and welcomed the January 2025 agreement. Her December 2023 meeting with CAIR’s Connecticut chapter drew criticism; she defended the engagement to a radio interviewer, distinguishing the local chapter from national leadership, per Jewish Insider.

On campuses she runs enforcement-first: calling campus antisemitism "unacceptable" and "intolerable" with more Nonprofit Security Grant funding, warning college presidents in May 2025 they would have "no safe harbor" for campus hate, and co-sponsoring the No Antisemitism in Education Act. Her November 2023 statements are on the research page. AIPAC’s and DMFI’s tracked support appears as badges on this card.

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 6 tracked votes · Backs 1 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 Yes
voted to limit or block 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
Co-sponsorbacks this bill to restrict weapons transfers
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 2 of 6 tracked votes.)

The money

$5K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $2,900 · DMFI: $2,000
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$2,900The 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$2,000Democratic 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.

In their words

“I absolutely support Israel’s right to exist, but I’m horrified with what’s happening to these kids in Gaza. And while I hate the amendment, we need to open the door for some discussion on what aid looks like.”
Source ↗, 2026-07-16
“It is unfortunate that Massie Amendment #8 is poorly written and extremely broad and fails to acknowledge the humanitarian efforts, potential impacts on Embassy operations, educational and cultural exchanges, and the ongoing support for Palestinian Security Forces which are funded through this aid.”
Source ↗, 2026-07-16

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

  • Her 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 the amendment to cut $500 million for Israeli missile-defense programs, Yes on the 2026 amendment to cut $3.3 billion from aid to Israel.
  • [Position, 2026-07-16] The amendment statement, verified and quoted on the card, and the CT Public interview, verified; CT Mirror’s report confirms the delegation split.
  • [Action] Block the Bombs Act co-sponsorship and the April 2024 offensive-weapons-hold letter, per the research record and trackers; reported, not confirmed directly.
  • Her November 2, 2023 supplemental statement is not on the card summary.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • [Position, 2026-07-16] Her criticism that the amendment failed to protect humanitarian efforts, verified in her own statement.
  • [Action, 2025-02-13] The letter opposing forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, per the letter file; reported, not confirmed directly.

Characterization of the conflict

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • [Episode, 2023-12/2024-03] The CAIR-chapter meeting and her defense of it, verified via Jewish Insider; the criticism is the critics’, her distinction is hers. The meeting itself is December 2023; her March 2024 defense is what the card carries.
  • [Action, 2024-03-12] The meeting with Jewish Voice for Peace-affiliated rabbis advocating a ceasefire, per movement coverage; reported, not confirmed directly.
  • Tracked committee support appears as badges on this card.

Safety and antisemitism

  • [Position, 2024-04-22] The campus statement, verified by page.
  • [Position, 2025-05-08] The no-safe-harbor warning, verified by the CT Examiner’s title and report.
  • [Action] The No Antisemitism in Education Act co-sponsorship, per trackers; reported, not confirmed directly.

Sources retrieved for this card

Race and status context

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

Also in this race

  1. ? Chris Shea (Republican)

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.