Jason Smith
No statement from Smith explaining his votes on aid to the government of Israel has been located since January 2024. Since then he has used his committee chairmanship to pursue the tax-exempt status of groups he accuses of supporting Hamas.
Smith has represented Missouri's 8th District since 2013 and chairs the House Ways and Means Committee.
What he has done since is use the Ways and Means chairmanship. In June 2024 he pledged to use the committee's authority against the tax-exempt status of non-profit and media organisations he accuses of supporting or funding Hamas, and he asked the IRS to revoke the status of nine non-profits. He has held hearings on campus antisemitism and pressed universities on their own tax exemptions.
In September 2024, after six hostages were killed, he wrote that "anyone with a sliver of decency would agree that Hamas is pure evil," and criticised demonstrations in the United States where he said groups paint slogans including "from the river to the sea" and burn the American flag.
His recorded votes appear as badges on this card.
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
- **No statement located in the position band** (from 2024-01-26) in which he addresses U.S. weapons, funding or conditions for Israel. His recorded votes appear as badges on this card and are uniform.
- [After October 7, 2023-10-13] "Standing with Israel", as reported: whether through weapons, aid or intelligence, the United States must ensure Israel has all necessary resources to complete its mission against Hamas. From the weeks right after October 7; not used on the card. Not opened.
- [After October 7, 2023-11-03] Statement applauding the emergency defence package, opened and confirmed word for word: "As one of our oldest allies and the sole democracy in the Middle East, Israel needs our support now more than ever as they work to push back against the unprovoked and barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas. The successful passage of this legislation in the House is a testament to the special and longstanding relationship between the United States and Israel." From the weeks right after October 7, so research page only. **This is his fullest statement on U.S. assistance to Israel anywhere in the record, and its date is what keeps it off the card.**
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- No statement or documented position located.
Characterization of the conflict
- [Position, 2024-09-06] "Standing up to antisemitism", opened and confirmed word for word: "Anyone with a sliver of decency would agree that Hamas is pure evil. But as we've seen at so-called 'pro-Palestinian protests' across the country, far too many people here in the U.S. support Hamas and its evil goal of wiping Israel - and millions of innocent people - off the face of the earth. These hate-filled groups spray paint awful phrases like 'Death to America', 'Hamas is coming', and 'from the river to the sea' on public property. They take down the American flag, burn it, and replace it with the Palestinian flag."
- [Position, 2026-03-09] Missourinet reports that he characterised joint U.S. and Israeli action against Iran as directed at an "extremist Islamic dictatorship" rather than the Iranian people. **That host served 548 bytes to every request **, so it could not be read and the phrase is not quoted on the card.
- [After October 7, 2023-10-11] Statement calling the attacks a "terror campaign, pure and simple" and saying "this is not the time for appeasement, for de-escalation, or for Israel to stand down." From the weeks right after October 7. Not opened.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Position, 2024-06-14] "Cracking down on tax-exempt organizations that fund terrorism", opened and confirmed as his own post, dated June 14, 2024. He describes the June 8 Israeli operation freeing four hostages and sets out his intention to use the committee's authority. Per the research he pledged to strip tax-exempt status from non-profits and media entities suspected of supporting or funding Hamas.
- [Position, 2024-09] He asked the IRS to revoke the tax-exempt status of nine non-profit organisations (Jewish Insider, St. Louis Jewish Light). Not opened.
- [Position, 2024-03-21; first raised in January 2024] Committee statements pressing universities on tax-exempt status and foreign-sourced funding (January, March). Committee releases in his name as Chairman.
Safety and antisemitism (context)
- [Position, 2025-03-14] "Cracking down on antisemitism", opened and confirmed as his own post: he writes that he has been "alarmed by the rise in antisemitism we've seen ever since Hamas' October 7 terror attack against Israel," particularly at colleges. Read in full: it contains nothing about U.S. assistance to Israel.
- [After October 7, 2023-11-15] Convened a Ways and Means hearing on campus antisemitism and tax-exempt funding. Also a June 2024 hearing round-up and JPost coverage. Safety and campus-speech context under the content rule, never an answer about what America sends.
Note on the shape of this record
- Six of his nineteen sources found are unlabelled YouTube videos and most of the rest concern tax-exempt status and campus antisemitism. That is the bulk of his public activity in this area since early 2024, and it is context rather than an answer about assistance. The card says what the record is rather than converting committee activity into an aid position.
Also in this race: Rebecca Sharpe Lombard (Libertarian), Chris Reichard (Democrat) · All Missouri candidates.
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.