John R. Moolenaar

Republican · U.S. House, Michigan District 2

Moolenaar's votes run one way: for U.S. weapons and money for the government of Israel. In 2021 he backed U.S. funding to replenish its Iron Dome interceptors. His official foreign-policy page names no country and no aid program, and says nothing about U.S. aid to Palestinians.

Moolenaar represents Michigan's 2nd District, which covers much of the center and west of the state's lower peninsula.

The clearest thing he has said about American money for the government of Israel he said before this war. In September 2021, on legislation to pay for replenishing Iron Dome interceptors, he said: "The Iron Dome saved countless lives earlier this year when it intercepted terrorist rocket attacks aimed at the people of Israel. This vital technology is made possible by the strong partnership between the United States and Israel, and today's legislation will help ensure Israel has the resources it needs to defend itself in the future." Since then he has spoken about the war often and about what America sends almost never.

His votes are consistent and worth naming rather than counting. He voted for the April 2024 package, of which $4 billion was for the Iron Dome and David's Sling interceptor systems and $1.2 billion for Iron Beam, systems for shooting things down; the Gaza health ministry had by then reported 34,049 people killed, 14,685 of them children. Four weeks later he voted for the bill written to force delivery of the 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs the administration had paused, which is a different kind of weapon, at a reported 35,272 killed. He voted against striking $500 million for Israeli Cooperative Programs in 2025, and against the July 2026 amendment that would have barred the year's funds for Israel and cut $3.3 billion from Foreign Military Financing, taken at a reported 73,246 killed. He has published no explanation of any of them.

What he publishes instead is about the war rather than about the transfers. He blamed the administration for the Iranian missile attack on Israel and wrote that the United States must never let Iran wipe Israel off the face of the earth. He called the death of a Hamas leader justice for the families of his victims, and said he would keep standing with Israel as it fought to free the hostages. His own foreign-policy page states his priorities in three sentences about allies, accountability and sanctions and names no country and no aid program at all. On U.S. aid to Palestinians there is nothing: not in his fourteen campaign issue pages, not in his official issues index, not in any release his office has published during this war. A voter in his district can close that gap faster than we can. Ask him whether he would fund humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and send us the reply; it will go on his research page in his own words.

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

Research

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)

Race and status context

Consulted

Also in this race: Ben Ambrose (Democrat), Charlotte Magoon (Green) · All Michigan candidates.

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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.