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

Hillary J. Scholten

Democrat · U.S. House, Michigan District 3
✗Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes

Scholten, an Abraham Accords Caucus member, voted for the April 2024 package while opposing standalone bills; her February 2024 statement called the standalone vote “not about supporting Israel and its right to defend itself”. In July 2025 she called Gaza “a full-blown crisis”.

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Deep Dive

Scholten has represented Michigan’s 3rd District since 2023. Her six recorded votes appear as badges on this card: Yes on the April 2024 package, No on the standalone and mandate bills, No on both amendments to cut aid to Israel.

Her February 2024 statement on the standalone bill, verified: "today’s vote was not about supporting Israel and its right to defend itself", faulting the Speaker for abandoning bipartisan negotiations on a package with humanitarian aid; her April 2024 statement, already sourced in this record, welcomed the package that "sends a strong, clear message that the United States will always support and stand with its allies". In May 2024 she framed her objective as "dismantling Hamas’ military capabilities so we can establish lasting peace and a two-state solution", and in July 2025 she said that "Hamas started this war and can end it today". Her July 2025 statement, already sourced in this record: "The humanitarian situation in Gaza is a full-blown crisis, with innocent women and children who are starving."

She is a member of the Abraham Accords Caucus, took the AIEF educational trip in August 2023, and led the November 2023 colleagues’ statement condemning the river-to-the-sea phrase, which is on the research page along with her October 2023 Iron Dome co-sponsorship. She condemned death threats against Michigan’s attorney general in a verified release, and co-leads the Protect Jewish Students and Faculty Act with Rep. Yakym applying the IHRA definition to campus civil-rights enforcement.

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes

Floor votes
H.R. 6126 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act2023-11-02 · Passed 226-196
✓ Voted No
voted against 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 No
voted against sending it
H.R. 7217 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-02-06 · Failed 250-180 (needed 2/3 under suspension)
✓ Voted No
voted against 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
Notable actions

• On May 28, 2025, Scholten was among roughly 40 House Democrats signing a joint statement praising the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza, stating aid 'must be disbursed swiftly and safely to Palestinian civilians and not Hamas' and calling on President Trump to secure the release of hostages and bring a swift end to the war.

• Scholten, a member of the Abraham Accords Caucus, has co-sponsored legislation to support Israel, including the U.S.-Israel Partnership and Abraham Accords Enhancement Act and a resolution condemning Hamas and reaffirming Israel's right to defend itself, per her Nov. 2, 2023 press release.

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 exactly half of their recorded tracked votes. The tie is broken by money this election cycle from a lobbying group we track and an endorsement from a group that backs sending weapons. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes.)

The money

$15K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $11,500 · DMFI: $3,000
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$11,500The 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.DMFI PAC$3,000Democratic Majority for Israel's PAC; calls itself the home for pro-Israel Democrats and backs Democratic candidates who support a strong U.S. alliance with 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 +1 more
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.DMFI PACDemocratic Majority for Israel's PAC; calls itself the home for pro-Israel Democrats and backs Democratic candidates who support a strong U.S. alliance with the government of Israel.These endorsements come from groups that back sending U.S. weapons and funding to the government of Israel.

In their words

“Today, I'm happy that the House finally came together to deliver much-needed aid to our allies while strengthening our national security. This package sends a strong, clear message that the United States will always support and stand with its allies during times of crisis.”
Source ↗, 2024-04-22
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is a full-blown crisis, with innocent women and children who are starving. They deserve regular access to food and water. It's a basic human right. The United States, Israel, regional partners, and international humanitarian organizations must work together to address the crisis immediately. Since the beginning of this war, I have prayed–and worked–for a ceasefire that secures the release of hostages and allows for the sustained delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”
Source ↗, 2025-07-26
“But today’s vote was not about supporting Israel and its right to defend itself.”
Source ↗, 2024-02-06
Endorsements

J Street PAC (endorsed; candidate page as modified 2025-03-27) · AIPAC (2026 endorsement) · DMFI PAC (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

  • Her recorded votes appear as badges on this card: No on H.R. 6126, Yes on H.R. 8034, No on H.R. 8369, No on H.R. 7217, No on both amendments to cut aid to Israel.
  • [Position, 2024-02-06] The standalone-bill statement, verified and quoted on the card.
  • [Position, 2024-04-22] The package statement; already sourced in this record from her own release.
  • [Reaction window, 2023-10-12, reported] Her Iron Dome supplemental co-sponsorship. Not on the card summary.
  • [Reaction window, 2023-11-02] Her statement after voting against Speaker Mike Johnson's standalone Israel supplemental, on her House site: "Instead of putting a bipartisan emergency Israel aid package on the floor, Speaker Johnson, in an unprecedented move, chose to prioritize an extreme Republican policy wish list item. Not only that, this package fails to include much-needed humanitarian aid for innocent civilians in Israel and Gaza, and has no chance of becoming law." (her statement on the vote). Not on the card summary.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • [Position, 2025-07-26] The humanitarian-crisis statement, already sourced in this record and quoted on the card. The same statement: "we must remain clear-eyed about one thing: Hamas started this war and can end it today."
  • [Action, 2025-05-28] The 40-Democrat statement on aid resumption, per the existing record.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Position, 2024-05-16] Her statement on the H.R. 8369 vote: "The United States’ support for our ally, Israel, is ironclad. This Republican bill does nothing to bring us closer to our goal of dismantling Hamas’ military capabilities so we can establish lasting peace and a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. I voted no."
  • [Reaction window, 2023-11-07] Her joint statement with colleagues on the phrase "from the river to the sea". Not on the card summary.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • [Membership] The Abraham Accords Caucus and the U.S.-Israel Partnership and Abraham Accords Enhancement Act co-sponsorship, per the existing record.
  • [Action, 2023-08] The AIEF (AIPAC-affiliated) delegation trip; pre-window, per contemporaneous coverage.

Safety and antisemitism

Race and status context

  • Sitting member, nominated. Her Republican challenger’s card carries its own record.

Also in this race

  1. – Terri DeBoer (Republican)
  2. – Joe Jock (Green)

All Michigan 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.