James E Mr. Risch
Jim Risch (R), Idaho's three-term incumbent senior senator and the 2026 Republican nominee (he won the May 19, 2026 GOP primary), is one of the Senate's most forceful supporters of U.S. weapons and security assistance to the government of Israel. He is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (ranking member 2021-2024) and is one of the four congressional 'tier one' members who formally sign off on major arms sales. On every Israel arms-sale joint resolution of disapproval brought by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Risch voted 'Nay' — i.e., against blocking the sale — across all four rounds: three votes on Nov. 20, 2024 (S.J.Res.111/113/115, Votes 292/293/294), two on Apr. 3, 2025 (S.J.Res.33/26, Votes 165/166), two on Jul. 30, 2025 (S.J.Res.41/34, Votes 454/455), and two on Apr. 15, 2026 (S.J.Res.32/138, Votes 80/81). He has repeatedly and vocally opposed any conditioning of U.S. arms on Israel's conduct in Gaza: he condemned the Biden administration's May 2024 pause on precision-weapons shipments as a 'horrible mistake,' attacked its NSM-20 human-rights reporting framework as 'failed foreign policy,' and praised President Trump's February 2025 revocation of NSM-20 as 'excellent news.' No statements were found in which Risch supported conditioning, restricting, or reducing weapons or aid to Israel. He faces Democrat David Roth, independent Todd Achilles, and others in the November 3, 2026 general election.
Tracked votes: backed sending weapons or funding in 9 of 10 recorded votes.
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 is sourced. Open the interactive card for votes, funding and contact details.