Susan Collins

Collins backs U.S. military aid to the government of Israel: she urged the supplemental's $5.2 billion in missile defense and demanded answers when munitions shipments were paused. She fought to permanently defund UNRWA, a cut in U.S. money to Palestinians, saying other organizations can deliver that aid.

Collins, Maine's senior senator and the Appropriations chair, has one of the most consistent records in the Senate on this question, and she has explained it in her own words throughout. Her ten tracked-vote badges all point toward more U.S. support for the government of Israel, including votes against every resolution that sought to block arms transfers; her May 2024 letter with Sen. Graham demanding answers on the paused munitions shipments is already quoted on this record.

On the Senate floor in February 2024 she itemized what the supplemental sends: "this bill fully funds the budget request to support Israel in the war against Hamas. It includes $5.2 billion for Israel's missile defense programs, including Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Iron Beam," plus foreign military financing.

Her position on U.S. money to Palestinians is specific and she has stated both halves: the same floor remarks note the bill's "outright prohibition" on payments to UNRWA and add, "We can distribute that humanitarian assistance through other organizations." Her January 2024 statement said U.S. funding for UNRWA "should not continue" until Congress has confidence it employs no participants in terrorism, and by June 2026 she told an Orthodox Union luncheon she had fought to make the defunding permanent, saying it "should not have been a close call." At the same event: "Our support for Israel remains as strong as ever. We must all stand with Israel."

She welcomed the January 2025 ceasefire and hostage agreement, and on the second anniversary of October 7 pointed to the Abraham Accords as a pathway to stability for Israelis and Palestinians.

Tracked votes: backed sending U.S. weapons or funding to the government of Israel in 10 of 10 recorded votes.

Research

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

• [Position, 2024-02-09] Senate floor remarks (her office, read and verified verbatim; also carried by Appropriations minority): "this bill fully funds the budget request to support Israel in the war against Hamas. It includes $5.2 billion for Israel's missile defense programs, including Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Iron Beam. The first two of those are co-produced with the United States." Plus foreign military financing for Israel.
• [Position, 2024-02-11] Further floor remarks: supplemental aid essential to support a close ally battling terrorism and rebuilding defense stockpiles (Appropriations).
• [Position, 2024-04-02, reported] Statement supporting the $16.8 billion Middle East security package with guardrails on humanitarian aid to prevent diversion by Hamas (Appropriations, dated 2024-02-04 at resolution; the April date in an earlier account is that account's own claim).
• [Position, 2024-05-15] Collins-Graham letter to Austin and Blinken on the paused munitions shipments (her release); two existing record quotes carry this item.
• Her badges: Yea on hr815-118 (the supplemental) and Nay on all nine tracked resolutions of disapproval against arms sales/transfers (2024-11-20 ×3, 2025-04-03 ×2, 2025-07-30 ×2, plus sjres32/sjres138). Characterized on the card because she has spoken about the underlying policy repeatedly.
• [Reaction window, 2023-10-19] Advocated robust emergency military assistance after October 7 (Bangor Daily News). Off the card.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

• [Position, 2024-02-09] The floor remarks' UNRWA passage, verified verbatim: allegations that at least 12 UNRWA employees were directly involved in October 7; "this bill includes an outright prohibition on funding in this supplemental and prior appropriations, from being used for any grants, contributions, or other U.S. payments to UNRWA. We can distribute that humanitarian assistance through other organizations." Both halves named on the card: the UNRWA cut, and the through-other-channels caveat.
• [Position, 2024-01-26] Statement on UNRWA allegations, read and verified: "United States funding for UNRWA should not continue until Congress and the American people have full confidence that UNRWA is not employing individuals who participate in acts of terrorism"; called the allegations "appalling". First day of the position band.
• [Position, 2024-03-22, reported] Floor remarks urging permanent UNRWA defunding, alleging the agency functioned as a front for terrorist elements.
• [Position, 2026-06-23] Orthodox Union luncheon (Jewish Insider, read and verified): cutting UNRWA funding "should not have been a close call"; she fought to add and extend permanent defunding provisions (JI's reporting of her remarks).

Characterization of the conflict

• [Position, 2024-10-07] One-year anniversary statement: Hamas's brutal assault devastated families; support for Israel; immediate release of hostages.
• [Position, 2025-01-15] Statement welcoming the ceasefire and hostage agreement; an existing record quote carries this.
• [Position, 2025-10-07] Second-anniversary statement after a "Sukkah of Hope" event: Hamas's cruelty threatens the region; Abraham Accords as a pathway to stability for Israelis and Palestinians.
• [Reaction window, 2023-10-19/22] Deadliest attack on the Jewish community since the Holocaust; bipartisan Senate delegation to Israel; closest democratic ally facing unprovoked terrorist invasion. Off the card.
• [Reaction window, 2023-12-18] Condemned Hamas's use of sexual violence as a weapon of war (Maine Wire). Off the card.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

• [Reaction window, 2023-10-19] Co-sponsored the Senate solidarity resolution (King release). Off the card; multi-sponsor.
• [Position, 2024-07-24 and 2025-02-06, reported] Attended Netanyahu's address to Congress; met him on Capitol Hill.
• RJC lifetime $1,164,373 (with $14,373 this cycle) and AIPAC $4,993 are badges; not restated. A sunlighthub.org aggregator page appears among the sources; aggregator, not used.

Safety and antisemitism (context)

• [Position, 2024-04-30] Appropriations hearing: pressed the Education Secretary on a reported 360% surge in campus antisemitic incidents (her release).
• [Position, 2025-02-14] Co-sponsored the reintroduced Antisemitism Awareness Act (IHRA definition for campus investigations) (Crapo release; multi-sponsor).
• [Position, 2026-06-23] Orthodox Union remarks: "the oldest hatred is not only still alive, but sicker than ever"; family history against religious intolerance (Jewish Insider above).