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

Dave Bushaw

Independent · U.S. House, Iowa District 2
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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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Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: His platform objects by name to the defense-act military funding for Israel, says he cannot see the logic in it, and pledges to cut the military budget to strictly domestic defense, with nothing pointing the other way. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-01. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.

Bushaw's platform objects to defense-bill funding for the government of Israel: “we are giving American taxpayer dollars to a country – Israel – who guarantees healthcare to all of their citizens.” His campaign refuses money from AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobbying group.

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Deep Dive

Dave Bushaw is running for Congress in Iowa's 2nd District, in northeast Iowa, as an independent. He was born and raised in West Union, owns farmland, and has worked as a folk and labor musician and as a community organizer, including for Bernie Sanders' 2019 presidential campaign. He reached the ballot by petition. The seat is open, and four candidates are on the ballot on November 3: Lindsay James, the Democrat, Joe Mitchell, the Republican, Rick Stewart, the Libertarian, and Bushaw. He has never held federal office, so there are no congressional votes on this record.

His platform's section on the military, headed "Fighting the Wars at Home", says a significant share of U.S. military spending goes directly to other countries through the annual National Defense Authorization Act. Its example, which it credits to AIPAC, is the 2025 act's $500 million for the Iron Dome, David's Sling and Arrow missile defense programs and $80 million for anti-tunnel cooperation with the government of Israel. It sets that against medical bills: “Here in the United States, one hospital bill can cripple a family financially without health insurance and we are giving American taxpayer dollars to a country – Israel – who guarantees healthcare to all of their citizens.” It goes on: “I cannot see the logic in this, and is just one example of many where the Military Industrial Complex is directing US tax dollars abroad rather than to the benefit of America’s domestic wellbeing and stability.”

In Congress, the platform says, he would “Prioritize military spending domestically, on our own borders and territorial waters, rather than imperial conquest across the globe” and “work to cut this military budget to strictly prioritize domestic defence.” It does not say how he would vote on funding for the government of Israel, and it does not mention offensive weapons, Foreign Military Financing or any bill other than the defense act.

He has twice named AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group, in pledges about his own fundraising. In his answers to Ballotpedia's candidate questionnaire, submitted on April 2, 2026, he wrote: “I am not accepting money from SuperPACs, AIPAC, or any other billionaire funders.” The opening of his platform says the same: “I’m not owned by either of the corrupt parties, their billionaire owners, SuperPACs, and definitely not AIPAC.” These are statements about his own campaign's money, not about what the United States sends.

Nothing located has him speaking to U.S. aid to Palestinians or describing the war in Gaza. What he has said about the 2026 strikes on Iran, and the campaign accounts that could not be read, are on his research page.

The money

Checked the five lobbying groups we track; no direct 2026 support found

2026 support from the five lobbying groups we track
Nothing recorded (as of 2026-09-27) from the five lobbying groups we track; earlier cycles and earmarked donations not yet tracked.
Support-only OpenFEC data. Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.

In their words

“Here in the United States, one hospital bill can cripple a family financially without health insurance and we are giving American taxpayer dollars to a country – Israel – who guarantees healthcare to all of their citizens. I cannot see the logic in this, and is just one example of many where the Military Industrial Complex is directing US tax dollars abroad rather than to the benefit of America’s domestic wellbeing and stability.”
Source ↗, 2026-10-01
“I am not accepting money from SuperPACs, AIPAC, or any other billionaire funders.”
Source ↗, 2026-04-02

Research log

The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.

Our research for this card began with a search run on 2026-09-28, and every page below was opened and read on 2026-10-01 unless the entry says otherwise. His campaign site was read in full: its home, Meet Dave, Platform and In the News pages; its events, volunteer and pledge links lead to a separate sign-up site. The platform page carries no publication date, so it is recorded on the date we read it and banded as a position. Bushaw has never held federal office, so none of the congressional votes this site tracks is his, and no funding from the committees this site tracks is recorded on this record. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated. Nothing located falls in the reaction window or earlier.

U.S. military aid and weapons to the government of Israel

  • [Position; read 2026-10-01] His platform, under the heading "Fighting the Wars at Home" and the subheading "Domestic Defence & International Military Engagement". It opens with the size of the U.S. military budget and the Pentagon's failed audits, then says: "A significant portion of military spending is also allocated directly to other nations under annual legislation such as the National Defence Authorization Act. Most recent examples can be seen in the 2025 fiscal year NDAA funding for Israel, as noted by AIPAC, which provided $500 million for Israel’s Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow programs and $80 million for their “US-Israel anti-tunnel cooperation.” Here in the United States, one hospital bill can cripple a family financially without health insurance and we are giving American taxpayer dollars to a country – Israel – who guarantees healthcare to all of their citizens. I cannot see the logic in this, and is just one example of many where the Military Industrial Complex is directing US tax dollars abroad rather than to the benefit of America’s domestic wellbeing and stability." Under "In Congress, I will:" it lists three commitments: to "work to build a bulwark of America First legislators, regardless of party or affiliation, who have the guts to take on the Military Industrial Complex."; to "Prioritize military spending domestically, on our own borders and territorial waters, rather than imperial conquest across the globe."; and to "Critically evaluate the current military budgets, demand transparency and accountability in spending, and work to cut this military budget to strictly prioritize domestic defence." The section names no other country, does not mention offensive weapons, Foreign Military Financing or any bill other than the defense act, and does not say how he would vote on the funding it describes.
  • Our research also reported a video on his campaign's Facebook page, dated September 16, 2026, in which he was said to call for a "cessation of all military funding to Israel". The address it gave opens to a short video whose caption is about the war with Iran (quoted below) and contains no such words. The video itself was not watched, so what he says in it is not known, and nothing from it is written on this card. The address is https://www.facebook.com/BushawforCongress/videos/on-march-1st-iowa-suffered-the-first-casualties-in-the-illegal-war-with-iran-the/935533646277711/

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • Nothing located, at any date. Gaza, the West Bank, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees and humanitarian aid appear nowhere on his campaign site or in his questionnaire answers. The only occurrence of the word Palestine on his site is the town of East Palestine, Ohio, in his railroad safety plank and his biography.

Characterization of the conflict

  • Nothing located that describes the war in Gaza. Our research reported that promotional posts for his campaign videos call the war a genocide. The page it cited is a general Facebook page that does not name him and does not open, and no such wording was found on his site or in anything he has published that opened, so the claim is not repeated here.

Israel-related rhetoric and lobbying

  • [Position, 2026-04-02] His Ballotpedia Candidate Connection answers, which the page records as submitted on April 2, 2026. The third of his three key messages begins: "I am not accepting money from SuperPACs, AIPAC, or any other billionaire funders." It goes on to describe a grassroots campaign without "overpriced consultants and liaisons".
  • [Position; read 2026-10-01] The opening of his platform: "I’m not owned by either of the corrupt parties, their billionaire owners, SuperPACs, and definitely not AIPAC."
  • [Undated] A video on his campaign's Facebook page, posted by the page Bushaw for Congress. Its caption reads: "On March 1st, Iowa suffered the first casualties in the illegal war with Iran the US is waging on behalf of Israel. I stand with Congressman Thomas Massie filing articles of impeachment against Secretary Pete Hegseth for his role in leading this illegal regime change campaign." It goes on: "We have wars to win at home, folks. Let's focus on fighting and winning them here." The page carries no date; the caption refers to casualties on March 1. It is about the war with Iran, not about what the United States sends the government of Israel.
  • [Position, 2026-03-03] Decorah News reported his reaction to the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran: he criticized the strikes as part of what he called "illegal regime change wars", said even one American life lost is too many, called on Congress to pass a War Powers resolution, and argued that taxpayer dollars should go to domestic priorities rather than overseas conflicts. Apart from the quoted phrase, this is the outlet's summary rather than his own words. It is about the war with Iran.

Safety and antisemitism (context, not an answer to what America sends)

  • Nothing located, at any date.

What the campaign site and own pages say

  • [Read 2026-10-01] His platform is headed "Where Dave Bushaw stands on the issues" and runs to about 3,400 words. Its planks cover universal public health care, union rights, child care and pre-K, national ballot initiatives, an Election Day holiday, a ban on stock trading by members of Congress, enlarging the House, campaign finance, railroad regulation, artificial intelligence and data centers, the military section quoted above, borders and naturalization, and marijuana reform. Its only other mention of weapons is in a passage about the gun debate.
  • [Read 2026-10-01] His Ballotpedia page records that he graduated from North Fayette High School and works as a community organizer, and that he completed the Candidate Connection survey. None of his answers mentions Israel, Gaza or foreign aid. Asked about the first historical event he remembers, he names the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The page lists an endorsement from a voting group called Paul's Picks.
  • [Position, 2025-11-12] Iowa Capital Dispatch, on his campaign launch, quotes him: "We deserve health care that doesn’t cripple our bank accounts, a job market that values workers over billionaires, and a government that wants to win the wars at home, not endless regime change war around the world," Bushaw said. It names no country.
  • [Position, 2025-11-12] Iowa Public Radio, on the same launch, reports that he cut his teeth as an anti-war protester in the early 2010s, that he was a rural field organizer for Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign in 2019, and that he would try to pay for universal health care "by redirecting funds from wars the U.S. is involved in overseas". It says nothing about the government of Israel.
  • [Position, 2026-08-15] Iowa Capital Dispatch on his Iowa State Fair speech at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox reports a speech about building an independent movement and running without big money. It says nothing about foreign policy.
  • [Read 2026-10-01] His iVoterGuide profile lists him as having no party affiliation and carries only a biography heading; no questionnaire answers are published on it. The guide's Iowa page says its full voter guide is due in October 2026.

The race

  • [Read 2026-10-01] His Ballotpedia page: "Lindsay James (D), Joe Mitchell (R), Rick Stewart (L), and Dave Bushaw (Independent) are running in the general election for U.S. House Iowa District 2 on November 3, 2026." It adds that there are no incumbents in the race. KCRG reported on May 6, 2026 that he said he had collected enough signatures to reach the ballot.

Places that could not be read, so nothing is claimed from them

  • The spoken content of the campaign video at https://www.facebook.com/BushawforCongress/videos/on-march-1st-iowa-suffered-the-first-casualties-in-the-illegal-war-with-iran-the/935533646277711/ , whose caption alone was read.
  • His campaign's other accounts, linked from his site and from Ballotpedia: https://www.youtube.com/@BushawForCongress , https://x.com/Dave_Bushaw , https://www.instagram.com/bushawforcongress/ and https://www.tiktok.com/@bushawforcongress . None was read for this card.
  • A Facebook page of general answers about genocide, https://www.facebook.com/fb-answers/leaders-responsible-for-genocide/ , which did not open and does not name him.

Not on the card, and why

  • The missile defense programs his platform names: they are in the deep dive, not the card front, which does not discuss defensive weapons.
  • What he has said about the 2026 war with Iran, in the Decorah News report and the campaign video caption: not about U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel. Recorded above.
  • The reported call for a "cessation of all military funding to Israel": not found in anything that opened. Recorded above with its address.
  • The reported description of the war in Gaza as a genocide: its only cited page does not name him and did not open.
  • Our research reported that he criticized pro-Israel lobbying in "campaign discussions" on June 22, 2026. The page it cited is a Facebook video about Drew Warshaw, a candidate for New York State Comptroller, and says nothing about Bushaw.
  • Our research attributed his defense-act passage to a Local Candidates page belonging to Kathryn Dolter, who ran in the Democratic primary in this district. The words are on his own platform, which is the source used. That host does not render for us and is not used.
  • His remarks about wars in general, in Iowa Capital Dispatch and Iowa Public Radio: they name no recipient of U.S. weapons or money.
  • His platform on health care, labor, elections, railroads, data centers, borders and marijuana: out of scope. Listed above so the rest of the record is checkable.
  • Lindsay James's, Joe Mitchell's and Rick Stewart's records belong on their own cards.

Sources retrieved for this card (address; opened or could not open; date)

  • https://www.davebushaw.com/ , https://www.davebushaw.com/platform , https://www.davebushaw.com/meet-dave and https://www.davebushaw.com/news (opened; 2026-10-01; undated)
  • https://ballotpedia.org/Dave_Bushaw (opened; 2026-10-01; questionnaire submitted 2026-04-02)
  • https://www.facebook.com/BushawforCongress/videos/on-march-1st-iowa-suffered-the-first-casualties-in-the-illegal-war-with-iran-the/935533646277711/ (opened; 2026-10-01; the caption only; undated)
  • https://www.facebook.com/fb-answers/leaders-responsible-for-genocide/ (could not open; 2026-10-01)
  • https://decorahnews.com/news/16805/iowa-lawmakers-and-candidates-offer-divided-reactions-on-iran-strikes/ (opened; 2026-10-01; published 2026-03-03)
  • https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/11/12/independent-candidate-dave-bushaw-joins-iowa-2nd-congressional-district-race/ (opened; 2026-10-01; published 2025-11-12)
  • https://www.iowapublicradio.org/political-news/2025-11-12/independent-dave-bushaw-2nd-congressional-district-race-2026-midterms (opened; 2026-10-01; published 2025-11-12)
  • https://www.kcrg.com/2026/05/06/independent-dave-bushaw-makes-ballot-iowas-2nd-congressional-district/ (opened; 2026-10-01; published 2026-05-06)
  • https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/08/15/dave-bushaw-calls-for-building-political-independent-movement-in-iowa/ (opened; 2026-10-01; published 2026-08-15)
  • https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/93994/race/33526/election/1485 and https://ivoterguide.com/voter-guide/state/ia (opened; 2026-10-01)
  • https://www.localcandidates.org/politicians/kathryn-dolter/positions/eb03b9dc-67fc-4168-bd64-e41998f7f156 (not used; a different candidate, on a host this project does not use)
  • https://www.facebook.com/radiocatskill/videos/drew-warshaw-is-running-for-new-york-state-comptroller-in-the-democratic-primary/1010117628276178/ (not used; about a different person)
  • This is a record of what was checked on 2026-09-28 and 2026-10-01, not a claim that no other statement exists.

Also in this race

  1. – Lindsay James (Democrat)
  2. ✗ Joe Mitchell (Republican)
  3. – Rick Stewart (Libertarian)

All Iowa 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.