But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Fred Wellman
Democrat · U.S. House, Missouri District 2
✓Opposes
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.
Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: On his campaign policy page in August 2026 he writes that "the Israeli government has committed war crimes in Gaza" and "The killing must end", and says he supports the Stop the Bombs Act, with nothing pointing the other way. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-09. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
Wellman's platform says "the United States must ensure that our military assistance is used in accordance with American and international law," and "I support the Stop the Bombs Act, the West Bank Violence Prevention Act, and enforcement of the Leahy Law."
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Wellman is the Democratic candidate for Missouri's 2nd District, a retired Army officer running against Rep. Ann Wagner.
His policy platform sets out both halves of the question in one passage, and it names legislation rather than sentiment: "The killing must end, humanitarian aid must reach civilians, and the United States must ensure that our military assistance is used in accordance with American and international law. I support the Stop the Bombs Act, the West Bank Violence Prevention Act, and enforcement of the Leahy Law."
It is equally specific about what he is not saying. He calls Hamas "a terrorist organization" and the October 7 killings, violence and hostage-taking "atrocities and war crimes," says "the hostages must be released, and Israel has a right to protect its people," and then: "Credible evidence also shows that the Israeli government has committed war crimes in Gaza, including restricting food, water, medicine, and humanitarian assistance to civilians." He draws the distinction himself: "Holding a government accountable is not the same as opposing Israel's existence, just as defending Palestinian civilians is not the same as supporting Hamas."
He opens the section with the principle: "Israelis and Palestinians have the same fundamental rights: to live in safety, raise their families in peace, and determine their own futures."
He has no federal voting record.
The money
Checked the five lobbying groups we track; no direct 2026 support found
2026 support from the five lobbying groups we track
Nothing recorded (as of 2026-07-23) from the five lobbying groups we track; earlier cycles and earmarked donations not yet tracked.
Support-only OpenFEC data. Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
In their words
“The killing must end, humanitarian aid must reach civilians, and the United States must ensure that our military assistance is used in accordance with American and international law. I support the Stop the Bombs Act, the West Bank Violence Prevention Act, and enforcement of the Leahy Law.”
“Holding a government accountable is not the same as opposing Israel's existence, just as defending Palestinian civilians is not the same as supporting Hamas.”
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, read 2026-08-12] His campaign policy page, opened and confirmed word for word, in a section headed "Israel and Palestine": "The killing must end, humanitarian aid must reach civilians, and the United States must ensure that our military assistance is used in accordance with American and international law. I support the Stop the Bombs Act, the West Bank Violence Prevention Act, and enforcement of the Leahy Law. America should use its influence to protect innocent people, secure the release of the hostages, and help create lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians." A live page with no publication date, so read-date.
Note the platform says "I support" those bills. The research rendered this as a pledge to "immediately sign on to" them if elected, and gave the first bill's name as "Stop the BOMBs ACT". Neither form appears on the page, so the card uses the platform's own wording and the bill's own name.
He has no federal voting record.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
[Position, read 2026-08-12] "Humanitarian aid must reach civilians" and the charge that the Israeli government has restricted "food, water, medicine, and humanitarian assistance to civilians" (confirmed verbatim, above).
Characterization of the conflict
[Position, read 2026-08-12] Confirmed verbatim on the same page: "Israelis and Palestinians have the same fundamental rights: to live in safety, raise their families in peace, and determine their own futures. Hamas is a terrorist organization. The murder of civilians, violence, and hostage-taking on October 7 were atrocities and war crimes. The hostages must be released, and Israel has a right to protect its people. Credible evidence also shows that the Israeli government has committed war crimes in Gaza, including restricting food, water, medicine, and humanitarian assistance to civilians. Holding a government accountable is not the same as opposing Israel's existence, just as defending Palestinian civilians is not the same as supporting Hamas."
Related rhetoric and lobbying
[Position, 2026-07-22, reported] Said of Middle East policy that "the status quo must end now." That phrase is not on the policy page and no other source was located; it is not quoted on the card.
Safety and antisemitism (context)
The research's fourth dimension opens on public condemnations of antisemitism but supplies no dated item, and its sources for it are unrelated (below). Nothing located.
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.
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