Jim McGovern

Democrat · U.S. House, Massachusetts District 2

McGovern led a 27-member statement in July 2026 against $3.3 billion in U.S. military financing for the government of Israel: “For decades, U.S. taxpayers have funded Israeli military operations that have killed civilians & caused humanitarian catastrophes. Enough already.” He has opposed “unconditional offensive military assistance” to it since 2024.

McGovern has represented central Massachusetts, from Worcester to Northampton and Leominster, since 1997. He is the senior Democrat on the House Rules Committee and co-chairs the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. He is seeking re-election in the 2nd District; Ballotpedia lists no opponent on the November ballot.

His position took shape in early 2024. On January 29, 2024 he and Senator Elizabeth Warren led a letter to Secretary of State Blinken asking why the administration had used emergency authority twice to send weapons to the government of Israel without congressional review, and whether civilian harm had been weighed. On April 5, 2024, after an Israeli strike killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, he, Mark Pocan and Jan Schakowsky led 40 members in asking President Biden to withhold pending offensive weapons transfers to the government of Israel and to put conditions on future military assistance. On April 20, 2024, explaining his votes on that week’s national security bills, he wrote: “I have always considered myself a friend of Israel. I believe Israel has a right and responsibility to defend its people. But Prime Minister Netanyahu’s response to the October 7th terror attack has been indiscriminate.” He said “U.S. law demands that we withhold weapons to anyone who frustrates the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid”, and closed: “While I strongly support the humanitarian aid component of this bill, I cannot support providing more unconditional offensive military assistance. I voted NO, and I’m doing so to demand a change in Netanyahu’s behavior.”

On July 24, 2024 he stayed away from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress and co-hosted a briefing with families of hostages held in Gaza. He told GBH News: “I don’t think he should be here in Washington,” adding, “This war has to come to an end.” He said: “I want humanitarian aid to be able to get to the Palestinians, some of them who are starving to death.” In October 2024 he led 64 House Democrats in asking the administration to press the government of Israel to allow foreign journalists into Gaza.

In 2025 he moved from letters to legislation. In March 2025 he was among the sponsors of a resolution to block one of three pending U.S. arms sales to the government of Israel, and on June 9, 2025 he became a cosponsor of H.R. 3565, the Block the Bombs Act, which would bar the transfer of certain offensive weapons to the government of Israel. As the government of Israel prepared to take Gaza City in August 2025, he told GBH News: “Netanyahu has crossed one red line after another.” He went on: “America should not spend one more penny to fund his war crimes, nor should we provide diplomatic cover for his illegal and immoral plan to occupy the Gaza Strip.”

On July 15, 2026, before the House voted on Rep. Thomas Massie’s amendment to strike $3.3 billion in military financing for the government of Israel from the State Department funding bill, he released a statement signed by 27 members: “we do not support providing an additional $3.3 billion of American taxpayer dollars to be used for Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon”. The statement said “It is clear that existing human rights conditions on the use of American security assistance have not been meaningfully enforced. Enough is enough.” and “Diplomacy is the answer, and as long as America provides constant funding for more war, peace will always remain out of reach.” Those are the group’s collective words; his own, posted the same day, were: “For decades, U.S. taxpayers have funded Israeli military operations that have killed civilians & caused humanitarian catastrophes. Enough already.” In April 2026, after the Knesset passed a death penalty law that applies almost only to Palestinians, he wrote that “Anyone involved in carrying out this directive should be sanctioned by the United States government. It is long past time to put our money where our mouth is and impose consequences for the Israeli government’s ongoing occupation of the Palestinian territories and two-tiered system of justice.” In August 2026 he signed a letter led by Senators Warren and Chris Van Hollen urging the administration to end settler violence in the West Bank and restore sanctions on violent settlers.

On antisemitism, as co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission he convened a hearing on the worldwide persecution of Jews on May 20, 2025 and said there: “Antisemitism is unacceptable. It is disgusting, and it is wrong. Unfortunately, it is on the rise in this country and around the world.” His October 2023 ceasefire statement and his earlier record are dated on the research page.

Tracked votes: opposed sending U.S. weapons or funding to the government of Israel in 5 of 6 recorded votes.

Research

One search (run 2026-09-04) was read as a lead list for this card, and every page cited below was opened and read on 2026-09-05 unless marked otherwise. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated. His recorded votes on the bills this site tracks are not described here; they are on the card’s record, filled from the House Clerk. Where he has spoken about a vote, his words are quoted.

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

U.S. aid to Palestinians

Characterization of the conflict

Related rhetoric and lobbying

Safety and antisemitism (context, not a position on what America sends)

Not on the card, and why

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

See the full record →

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 the interactive card for votes, funding and contact details.