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

Mike Bost

Republican · U.S. House, Illinois District 12
✗Supported sending weapons or funding in 6 of 6 tracked votes

Bost pressed over delayed weapons deliveries in May 2024: "Congress approved emergency aid to Israel and expected the aid would be delivered swiftly. Now, President Biden's slow-rolling weapons to Israel while using American taxpayer dollars to build a pier in Gaza. These decisions hurt Israel and help Hamas."

✉  Copy a message to send them

The only address on file for this campaign is its compliance or filing contact, which will not answer a policy question. Copy this message and send it through their website or a public social account.

If you send this from your own email, cc replies@butwhatcanyoudo.org so we can post their answer.

✆  Call DC officeWebsite ↗X ↗Facebook ↗

Deep Dive

Bost represents Illinois's 12th District in the southern tip of the state, chairs the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, and is running for re-election.

His position-band statement is a demand that approved weapons move faster. In May 2024 he joined 104 House members asking the President to explain delays in delivering weapons and artillery to Israel, after reports that the White House had paused 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs. His release also faults the administration for "withholding critical aid to our strongest partner in the Middle East" and contrasts it with U.S. money spent on the Gaza aid pier.

That pairing is his clearest statement on both directions of the American cheque: he wants the weapons delivered and objects to the humanitarian pier being funded alongside them.

In 2025 he co-sponsored H.R. 1229, the United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act. In January 2026 he was part of a bipartisan congressional delegation that met Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 6 of 6 tracked votes

Floor votes
H.R. 6126 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act2023-11-02 · Passed 226-196
✗ Voted Yes
supported 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 Yes
supported sending it
H.R. 7217 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-02-06 · Failed 250-180 (needed 2/3 under suspension)
✗ Voted Yes
supported sending 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
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
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.
Co-sponsorbacks this bill to send more support
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 more than half of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 6 of 6 tracked votes.)

The money

$30K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $25,000 · Republican Jewish Coalition: $5,000
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$25,000The 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.Republican Jewish Coalition$5,000The Republican Jewish Coalition's PAC; it financially supports Republican candidates who reflect its priorities, including strong U.S. backing of 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.
Endorsed by AIPAC
AIPACThe 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.These endorsements come from groups that back sending U.S. weapons and funding to the government of Israel.

In their words

“Congress approved emergency aid to Israel and expected the aid would be delivered swiftly.”
Source ↗, 2024-05-17
“Now, President Biden's slow-rolling weapons to Israel while using American taxpayer dollars to build a pier in Gaza. These decisions hurt Israel and help Hamas.”
Source ↗, 2024-05-17
Endorsements

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

  • [Position, 2024-05-17] His release, confirmed verbatim: "Congress approved emergency aid to Israel and expected the aid would be delivered swiftly," said Bost. "Now, President Biden's slow-rolling weapons to Israel while using American taxpayer dollars to build a pier in Gaza. These decisions hurt Israel and help Hamas. This is failed leadership on, literally, a global scale. The American people deserve answers as to why the administration is withholding critical aid to our stronge[st partner in the Middle East]." The release notes he joined a bipartisan coalition of 104 House members, and that the push followed reports the White House paused delivery of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs designated for Israel's military response to Hamas. Note: the research rendered this quote with an ellipsis between "pier in Gaza" and "These decisions"; the page has a full stop and no elision, so the card quotes it whole.
  • [Position, 2025] Co-sponsored H.R. 1229, the United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025 (BillTrack profile).
  • His recorded votes on the tracked bills appear as badges on this card and align with the stated position: for the aid packages, against the cuts.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • [Position, 2024-05-17] The same release objects to "using American taxpayer dollars to build a pier in Gaza" alongside the delayed weapons. That is a statement about U.S. money for the Gaza aid pipeline and is quoted on the card in his own words, with the recipient named in the same clause.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Position, 2024-05-17] Called Israel "our strongest partner in the Middle East" (same release).
  • [Position, 2024-07-24] After Prime Minister Netanyahu's address to Congress, said the Prime Minister "rightly resolved to protect his people from the evils of Hamas." Not opened.
  • [After October 7, 2023-10-08] Statement condemning the October 7 assault, describing Hamas as an "Iran-backed terrorist organization" and affirming Israel's right to defend its sovereignty.
  • [Earlier record, 2023-06-06] Told the U.S.-Israel Leaders Summit there is "no greater US ally than Israel".

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • [Earlier record, 2015-03-03] After Netanyahu's 2015 address, said "Israel's steadfast friendship remains more important to the United States than ever before."
  • [Position, 2026-01-29] Part of a bipartisan congressional delegation that met Prime Minister Netanyahu (Israeli government readout).
  • [Earlier record, 2021-05-22] Podcast interview during the May 2021 escalation; audio source, not opened.

Safety and antisemitism (context)

  • The research's fourth dimension returned Veterans' Affairs oversight material about an agency employee's social-media conduct, across several committee releases in his capacity as committee chairman. Recorded here; not a statement about U.S. aid and not used on the card.

Also in this race

  1. ? Julie Fortier (Democrat)

All Illinois 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.