But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Melanie A. Stansbury
Stansbury split the tracked votes, backing the 2024 supplemental but voting to cut $3.3 billion in 2026, joining a 27-member statement: “we do not support providing an additional $3.3 billion of American taxpayer dollars to be used for Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon”.
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You asked Melanie A. Stansbury where they stand.
Deep Dive
Stansbury has represented New Mexico’s 1st District since 2021. Her six recorded votes, mixed across the tracked bills, appear as badges on this card: she opposed three of the four aid measures, backed the April 2024 supplemental, voted against the amendment to cut $500 million for Israeli missile-defense programs, and voted for the 2026 amendment cutting $3.3 billion.
Her position has been conditions-forward since her first campaign. In a May 2021 Jewish Insider interview she said U.S. aid "must only be used for security and defense and never for actions against Palestine", supporting restrictions if aid endangered Palestinians. After her April 2024 supplemental vote, she wrote President Biden supporting "the resupply of defensive weapons" while "opposed to the transfer of offensive weapons that may be used in Gaza and result in civilian harm".
In June 2024 she condemned the Rafah operations: Netanyahu and his military leadership "have shown a blatant disregard for civilian life and have clearly and repeatedly crossed the red line." Marking one year since October 7, she called it "the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust", with "may their memories be a blessing". In September 2025 she co-sponsored the Block the Bombs Act restricting offensive transfers, and in July 2026 joined the 27-member statement explaining the cutting vote quoted on the card.
She rejected the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement in her 2021 campaign while supporting targeted measures fostering a two-state solution, and in May 2026 co-sponsored a resolution on countering antisemitism.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 6 tracked votes · Cosponsors the Block the Bombs Act
• 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.
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Voted to send weapons or funding in some, but no more than half, of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 6 tracked votes.)
The money
Checked the five lobbying groups we track; no direct 2026 support found
In their words
A New Policy 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 the amendment to cut $500 million for Israeli missile-defense programs, Yes on the 2026 amendment to cut $3.3 billion from aid to Israel.
- [Position, 2021-05-25] The Jewish Insider interview, verified: aid-for-defense-only and restriction-support quotes.
- [Position, 2024-04-23] Her letter to President Biden, verified: defensive-resupply support, offensive-transfer opposition, and a call to investigate civilian-harm concerns.
- [Position, 2025-09-22] The Block the Bombs Act co-sponsorship, reported by the IMEU Policy Project newsletter naming her; an advocacy-organization source, named directly.
- [Position, 2026-07-15] The 27-member joint statement, verified with her in the signatory list; quoted on the card.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- Her humanitarian-aid demands appear within the conflict statements below; no separate aid-program position located outside that period.
Characterization of the conflict
- [Position, 2024-06-06] The Rafah statement, verified and quoted in the deep dive.
- [Position, 2024-10-07] The one-year statement, verified and quoted in the deep dive.
- Her July 2025 floor remarks on Gaza atrocities and her June 2026 moral-moment remarks are carried on her Facebook account; not yet confirmed.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Prior position, 2021-03] Her 2021 boycott-movement rejection with support for targeted two-state-oriented measures, per Jewish Insider’s campaign coverage.
- [Iran, 2026-04-08] Her reported call to invoke the 25th Amendment over Iran escalation is carried only on a third-party Facebook post; unused. Iran material is kept out of the card summary in any case.
Safety and antisemitism
- [Action, 2026-05-13] The resolution on countering antisemitism and Jewish-American education, her co-sponsorship verified in the bill tracker’s list.
- Her October 2023 Tree of Life resolution co-sponsorship is not on the card summary.
Race and status context
- Sitting member, nominated. Her Republican challenger’s card carries its own record.
Also in this race
- –No Position Found Didi Okpareke (Republican)
All New Mexico candidates.
See everyone on the New Mexico ballot →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.