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

Richard Hudson

Republican · U.S. House, North Carolina District 9
✗Supported sending weapons or funding in 6 of 6 tracked votes

Hudson wrote in April 2024 that President Biden's "failure to support Israel has escalated" the conflict, having voted for every Israel funding measure on this card and against both later measures to cut it.

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Deep Dive

Hudson has represented North Carolina's 9th District since 2013 and chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee.

His April 2024 newsletter faults the administration: "President Biden's continued appeasement of Iran and failure to support Israel has escalated" the situation.

In the same newsletter he wrote that "countless innocent men, women, and children have been held hostage, tortured, and killed by Hamas" and that "This senseless violence is sickening and evil."

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 6 of 6 tracked votes

Floor votes
H.R. 6126 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act2023-11-02 · Passed 226-196
✗ Voted Yes
supported 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 Yes
supported sending it
H.R. 7217 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-02-06 · Failed 250-180 (needed 2/3 under suspension)
✗ Voted Yes
supported 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

• Vote record imported from official House Clerk roll calls for H.R. 6126, H.R. 8034, and H.R. 8369. Other position fields remain under investigation.

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 more than half of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 6 of 6 tracked votes.)

The money

$23K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $20,000 · Republican Jewish Coalition: $2,500
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$20,000The 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.Republican Jewish Coalition$2,500The Republican Jewish Coalition's PAC; it financially supports Republican candidates who reflect its priorities, including strong U.S. backing of 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
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.These endorsements come from groups that back sending U.S. weapons and funding to the government of Israel.

In their words

Endorsements

AIPAC (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

  • [Position, 2024-04-28] "Standing Up Against Evil", his own eNewsletter, opened and confirmed word for word: "On October 7th, we witnessed a barbaric and unprovoked attack on our greatest democratic ally in the Middle East, Israel, by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists. Since then, countless innocent men, women, and children have been held hostage, tortured, and killed by Hamas. This senseless violence is sickening and evil." And: "President Biden's continued appeasement of Iran and failure to support Israel has escalated" the situation. Position band.
  • [After October 7, 2023-11-02] "Hudson Votes to Fund and Arm Israel", opened and confirmed word for word: the bill is "an emergency supplemental appropriations bill that is supplying Israel with the resources needed to defend itself against the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists," and his words are "Israel has every right to defend itself against the barbaric attacks launched by Hamas, and the United States should stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our ally in this terrible time," and "Today and everyday, I will stand with Israel and continue to pray for the innocent victims and their families." From the weeks right after October 7, so research page only.
  • [Prior, 2021-08-05] Statement supporting Israeli strikes after rocket fire from Lebanon, opened and confirmed word for word: "Rocket fire from Lebanon is just the latest example of aggression most likely backed by Iran. These attacks are unacceptable and it is essential that the United States fully support and help defend our greatest Middle Eastern ally." Prior band.
  • [Prior, 2021-05-19] A further vote release. Prior band. Not opened.
  • His recorded votes appear as badges on this card.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • No statement or documented position located.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Position, 2024-04-28] "A barbaric and unprovoked attack on our greatest democratic ally in the Middle East" by "Iran-backed Hamas terrorists," and the violence as "sickening and evil" (confirmed verbatim, above).
  • [Prior, 2021-08-05] Described cross-border attacks as "increasingly dangerous and reckless attacks on its people" and rocket fire from Lebanon as "aggression most likely backed by Iran." Prior band.
  • [After October 7, 2023-10-25] Release on a House resolution describing October 7 as a "barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists." From the weeks right after October 7.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • [Prior, 2019-07-23] Urged support for H.Res. 246 against the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, opened and confirmed word for word: "The toxic attack on Israel's right to exist has no place in our society, and I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation condemning the BDS movement." And: "We must confront this anti-Semitic poison head on and continue to stand up for Israel and its citizens." He also said the resolution "is a good step, but we need to have a vote on the bipartisan Senate bill with teeth." Prior band; all three quotations come from the same release. The research rendered the first as "a toxic attack" where the source has "The toxic attack"; corrected.

Safety and antisemitism (context)

  • Covered by the 2019 BDS release above, which the research lists under both headings. It is one statement, not two.

Consulted

Also in this race

  1. – Richard Ojeda (Democrat)

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.