But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Aaron Bean
- Backed with $30K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Endorsed by AIPAC
Back from Israel in April 2024, Bean said: “We must guarantee that our ally has the weapons to defend herself, bring the hostages home, defeat bloodthirsty Hamas”. His tracked votes point one way except a No on the February 2024 standalone aid bill, which no located statement explains.
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Deep Dive
Bean represents Florida’s 4th District, Jacksonville’s northern and western reaches, and he is the sitting member.
His words are unambiguous about weapons. Returning from an April 2024 congressional delegation to Israel, where he visited Kibbutz Nir Oz and the Nova festival site, he said: “We must guarantee that our ally has the weapons to defend herself, bring the hostages home, defeat bloodthirsty Hamas, and face down the Iran regime and its terror proxies”, and in the same release called the administration’s approach “weak-kneed appeasement”. Days later he told a local paper that Hamas militants were “butchers” and described Prime Minister Netanyahu’s resolve as “comforting”.
His votes carry one unexplained exception: he voted for the November 2023 package and the April and May 2024 bills, and against both cutting amendments, but voted No on the February 2024 standalone bill, and no statement of his explaining that vote was located. The badge stands without his reasons.
As an education subcommittee chairman he has made campus and school antisemitism a signature subject, convening a 2024 hearing on antisemitism in K-12 schools and calling it “repugnant in all its forms”. Nothing located has him addressing U.S. humanitarian aid for Palestinians at any date.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 5 of 6 tracked votes · Backs 0 of 1 tracked bills to restrict weapons transfers
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 5 of 6 tracked votes.)
The money
$30K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
In their words
AIPAC (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
- His recorded votes on the tracked bills appear as badges on this card: for the November 2023 and April-May 2024 bills, against both cutting amendments, and a No on the February 2024 standalone bill with no located explanation. The grounding for each sits in the record section.
- [Position, 2024-04-18] His post-trip release, quoted on the card, including “weak-kneed appeasement”. His own House site.
- [Reaction window, 2023-11-02] His release backing the November 2023 package: “Today, there is only one foreign policy solution: we must guarantee that our ally has all the weapons and support they need to annihilate bloodthirsty Hamas”, with the package’s defensive-systems detail. Not on the card summary; this is his explanation of the hr6126 badge and it lives here.
- [Position, 2024-12-12] His release on the FY2025 defense authorization, highlighting expanded U.S.-Israel exercises and cooperative missile defense funding. Defensive-systems material stays off the front of the card under the standing rule.
- [Position, 2024-04-18, offered and unsupported] A letter led by Representative Fry demanding pressure on Hamas rather than Israel is reported with his signature; the address offered is a different member’s Facebook post that does not name him and does not open. Nothing claimed.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- Nothing located at any date.
Characterization of the conflict
- [Prior, 2023-07-19] His release on House Concurrent Resolution 57: Israel “the only democracy in the Middle East”; “When Israel is safer, America is safer. When Israel is stronger, we are stronger.”
- [Reaction window, 2023-10-07] His statement on the attack, per Florida Politics’ roundup. Not on the card summary.
- [Reaction window, 2023-11-02] The “barbaric Iranian-backed terrorist organization” and “savage, unprovoked war” characterizations, per his release above. Not on the card summary.
- [Position, 2024-04-28] Clay Today’s interview: “butchers”, and Prime Minister Netanyahu as “refreshing and confident” with “comforting” resolve.
- [Position, 2024-10-01] His release on Iran’s missile strike: Israel “has every right to defend itself”. Iran material stays off the front of the card.
- [Position, 2025-10-07] His second-anniversary release: “Hamas exposed its evil in a savage, unprovoked assault on Israel”; “never again is now”.
- [Reaction window, 2023-10-17] Co-sponsored the Stevens resolution condemning the attack, per the sponsor’s release. Not on the card summary.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- The April 2024 delegation trip above, meeting the Prime Minister and President of Israel. Tracked funding totals appear as a badge on this card.
Safety and antisemitism (context)
- [Reaction window, 2023-11-15] The campus-funding bill with Representative Nehls: “Under no circumstance should taxpayers be funding toxic, hatred dogma anywhere on college campuses.” Not on the card summary.
- [Reaction window, 2023-12-06] His remarks on university presidents, per Times Higher Education. Not on the card summary.
- [Position, 2024-05-08] His K-12 antisemitism hearing, quoted in the deep dive.
- [Position, 2025-07-17, single tracker] Co-sponsorship of the resolution condemning “Globalize the Intifada”, per BillTrack50; the registry’s claim, which we could not corroborate.
Race and status context
- Sitting representative, nominated, in one of this cycle’s priority districts. His three general-election opponents’ cards carry their own records, including the clearest restraint-side platform among them.
Also in this race
- –No Position Found LaShonda "L.J." Holloway (Democrat)
- –No Position Found Mike Sell (Other)
- ✓Opposes Todd Schaefer (Other)
All Florida candidates.
See everyone on the Florida ballot →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.