But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Patty Garcia
Democrat · U.S. House, Illinois District 4
✓OpposesFrom their own words
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.
No recorded votes on the bills we track. In their own words on August 12, 2026.
Garcia's platform calls for "immediate and permanent ceasefire and cessation of all United States military assistance and arms shipments to Israel in its attack on Gaza," says "humanitarian assistance must be restored," and describes what Israel's government has done in Gaza as genocide.
The email has replies@butwhatcanyoudo.org in cc, so we can post their answer on their page in their own words; remove it if you prefer. Keep the subject line as it is, add your name, and send.
Garcia is a candidate for Illinois's 4th District.
Her position is published on her own issues page, read in full: "Patty believes that what the Israeli government has been doing to Palestinians in Gaza through mass murder and starvation is genocide. Her position is for immediate and permanent ceasefire and cessation of all United States military assistance and arms shipments to Israel in its attack on Gaza. Humanitarian assistance must be restored and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu must be held accountable for violations of internati[onal law]." The page is written in the third person about her, so it is her campaign's statement of her position.
The same page sets that inside a wider foreign-policy view: she "favors more congressional control over the use of military force, increased humanitarian relief, protection of civilians, renewed emphasis on diplomacy and peace-making, and re-channeling of funds into domestic areas such as health care, education, and infrastructure." It also says she "rejects the influence of AIPAC and billionaire-funded super PACs."
In July 2026 her campaign posted on the House vote approving military cooperation funding, and she attended the unveiling of street signs for "Little Palestine" and Wadea Al-Fayoume in Illinois. Both posts are on Facebook and could not be opened.
In their words
“Her position is for immediate and permanent ceasefire and cessation of all United States military assistance and arms shipments to Israel in its attack on Gaza.”
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, published 2026-08-12] Her campaign issues page, opened and confirmed word for word: "Her position is for immediate and permanent ceasefire and cessation of all United States military assistance and arms shipments to Israel in its attack on Gaza." Also on the same page: "Patty favors more congressional control over the use of military force, increased humanitarian relief, protection of civilians, renewed emphasis on diplomacy and peace-making, and re-channeling of funds into domestic areas such as health care, education, and infrastructure." Third-person campaign copy, attributed as the campaign's statement.
[Position, 2026-07-12, unverified source] The research turns up a social-media comment on a House measure approving $750 million in military cooperation with Israel: "History will remember who kept funding this genocide." The source is her campaign's Facebook post, whose own web address reads "I stand with the House Democrats who voted to stop using taxpayer dollars for a..." The post itself was not readable, so the quotation is not used.
[Position, 2026-07-16, unverified source] Her campaign highlighted congressional efforts to stop U.S. funding for the military campaign in Gaza (same source class).
She has no federal voting record.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
[Position, published 2026-08-12] Same page, confirmed verbatim: "Humanitarian assistance must be restored and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu must be held accountable for violations of internati[onal law]." This is the direction her card names alongside the arms cessation, so a reader cannot mistake one for the other.
Characterization of the conflict
[Position, published 2026-08-12] Confirmed verbatim: "Patty believes that what the Israeli government has been doing to Palestinians in Gaza through mass murder and starvation is genocide."
[Position, 2026-07-12, unverified source] Attended the unveiling of street signs for "Little Palestine" and Wadea Al-Fayoume, saying she was humbled to stand with the Palestinian community and honor "Wadea and the countless innocent children of Gaza we have lost" (campaign Facebook photo post; not readable).
Related rhetoric and lobbying
[Position, published 2026-08-12] Confirmed verbatim: she "rejects the influence of AIPAC and billionaire-funded super PACs that use money and intimidation to silence criticism of Israeli government policy and manipulate American elections." Recorded as its own item; never phrased as an answer about U.S. weapons or funding.
Listed by Our Revolution; advocacy source, never a card source.
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.