But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Sam Forstag
Democrat · U.S. House, Montana District 1
?Mixed
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: His one statement, split across two quotes, puts strict humanitarian conditions on aid to Israel, which is conditions rather than an end to it; the reported no on more weapons is unconfirmed. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-01. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
Forstag would put conditions on U.S. aid to the government of Israel. He told Jewish Insider in May 2026 that "We need to have strict enforced humanitarian requirements on any aid that we are providing countries overseas," adding: "That needs to apply to Israel".
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Forstag is the Democratic nominee in Montana’s 1st District, a wildland firefighter and union leader backed by national progressives.
"We need to have strict enforced humanitarian requirements on any aid that we are providing countries overseas," he told Jewish Insider in May 2026. "That needs to apply to Israel, that needs to apply to any country, because if we cannot afford to feed our hunger, if we cannot afford to make sure that the elderly in this country are not living on the streets, we sure as hell cannot afford to rain cruelty in chaos overseas, Israel or Iran." The same story reports that he disavowed AIPAC support and blamed U.S. support for the government of Israel for a lack of services and government assistance at home.
In a March 2026 Montana Free Press questionnaire he called for Congress to stop "this stupid and costly war with Iran"; that answer does not mention Israel. JStreetPAC's candidate list names him a priority candidate; JStreetPAC is the political action committee of the advocacy group J Street. Nothing located has him addressing U.S. humanitarian aid for Palestinians as a distinct funding question. A video interview in which he was asked whether he would vote to send more weapons to the government of Israel is listed on his research page.
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
“We need to have strict enforced humanitarian requirements on any aid that we are providing countries overseas”
“That needs to apply to Israel, that needs to apply to any country, because if we cannot afford to feed our hunger, if we cannot afford to make sure that the elderly in this country are not living on the streets, we sure as hell cannot afford to rain cruelty in chaos overseas, Israel or Iran.”
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 the government of Israel
[Position, 2026-05-29] Jewish Insider's primary story: "We need to have strict enforced humanitarian requirements on any aid that we are providing countries overseas," Forstag said. "That needs to apply to Israel, that needs to apply to any country, because if we cannot afford to feed our hunger, if we cannot afford to make sure that the elderly in this country are not living on the streets, we sure as hell cannot afford to rain cruelty in chaos overseas, Israel or Iran." The story also reports, in the reporter's words, that he "said that he agreed with Busse and Cleveland, also disavowing AIPAC support while blaming U.S. support for Israel for a lack of services and government assistance at home."
[Reported, 2026-05-20] A video interview with Independent Thought asks "Would You Vote To Send More Weapons To Israel?" (at 10:24) and "Should The U.S. Continue To Be Allied With Israel?" (at 13:04). His answers are in the video, which has no transcript and has not been confirmed in writing; earlier research recorded his answer as a no.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
Nothing located as a distinct funding question.
Characterization of the conflict
Nothing further located.
Questionnaires
[Questionnaire, March 2026] The Montana Free Press election guide carries his answers to a written questionnaire "conducted by Montana Free Press in March 2026". On war powers: "Congress should do their job as outlined in the War Powers Resolution and Article I of the U.S. Constitution, stop this stupid and costly war with Iran, and finally stop the endless wars that have us spilling blood and treasure abroad while working people at home struggle to afford the basics." The answer does not mention Israel.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
[Endorsement, read 2026-09-26] JStreetPAC's candidate list names him a "Priority candidate" and lists a "Forstag Victory Fund". JStreetPAC is the political action committee of the advocacy group J Street. No tracked funding badge appears because no committee support is recorded for him.
[Reported, 2026-05-29] Jewish Insider reports that he disavowed AIPAC support (above). In the same story, Rabbi Chaim Bruk of Bozeman said he had talked with Forstag about invoking AIPAC on the campaign trail ("I don’t think he realized the practical ramifications," Bruk said), and state Senator Cora Neumann, a former Democratic nominee for the seat, said she found him "receptive and sensitive to feedback on how problematic this disproportionate focus on Israel is." These are others' views of him, not his words.
Democratic nominee in an open-seat race; his Republican opponent’s card carries its own record. He has held no office, so there are no recorded votes on this card.
Not on the card, and why
The Independent Thought video: his answers were not confirmed in writing, so the claim that he would vote against more weapons stays here.
Rabbi Bruk's and Senator Neumann's comments: others' views of him.
Sources retrieved for this card (address; opened or could not open; date)
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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