But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Nick LaLota
- Backed with $20K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Endorsed by AIPAC
- Sits on House Appropriations
LaLota says that as a Navy veteran he will "always prefer sending bombs and bullets to our allies" rather than risk American soldiers. In an editorial titled "America's Commitment to Israel Must Not Waver" he wrote that America "cannot afford to abandon our closest ally".
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Deep Dive
LaLota represents New York’s 1st District, covering Suffolk County on Long Island, and is running for re-election.
His position on U.S. weapons is on his own site and it is not ambiguous. In April 2024, after voting for the national security supplemental, he wrote: "The bills we passed today will help replenish American stockpiles, counter China’s aggression, defeat Putin’s Russia, and support our ally Israel. As a Navy Veteran, I will always prefer sending bombs and bullets to our allies to defeat a common adversary if it means not having to put American soldiers in harm’s way." The package he was describing included the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act.
In July 2024 he published an editorial headed "America’s Commitment to Israel Must Not Waver", writing that "America cannot afford to abandon our closest ally" and that the administration’s inconsistent support for Israel was contrary to U.S. national security interests and should be condemned.
He has said nothing located about U.S. aid to Palestinians, in either direction, so this card claims nothing there.
His most detailed asks were made in November 2023 and so fall inside the months after October 7, 2023. They are on the research page rather than the card. His recorded votes on the tracked bills and his funding from pro-Israel committees are shown separately on this card.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 6 of 6 tracked votes
House Committee on Appropriations
• 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
$20K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
In their words
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
- 2024-04-20 [Current position; VERIFIED]: Statement on his House site after voting for the national security supplemental: "The bills we passed today will help replenish American stockpiles, counter China's aggression, defeat Putin's Russia, and support our ally Israel. As a Navy Veteran, I will always prefer sending bombs and bullets to our allies to defeat a common adversary if it means not having to put American soldiers in harm's way." The page also records that he voted YES on each bill in the supplemental and describes the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act as supporting Israel against Iran and its proxies, reimbursing U.S. military operations, and replenishing stockpiles. Read in full.
- 2024-07-30 [Current position; VERIFIED]: An editorial on his House site headed "America's Commitment to Israel Must Not Waver": "America cannot afford to abandon our closest ally." He also wrote that "The Biden-Harris Administration's inconsistent support for Israel is contrary to our national security interests and should be condemned", and that Prime Minister Netanyahu's address to Congress and the protests around it "have only reaffirmed my commitment to Israel and to combating antisemitism in all forms".
An initial search additionally reported that this statement cited legislation to compel the executive branch to release already-appropriated defence funding to Israel. That specific claim was not located in the page text read, so it is recorded here as an initial search’s and is not on the card.
- 2023-11-03 [Months after October 7, 2023; on this page only]: A statement urging emergency aid for Israel, calling for munitions, Foreign Military Financing and missile-defence replenishment, and saying: "We must sanction Iran, continue to stand with Israel, continue to combat antisemitism and hatred, and wipe terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah off the face of the earth." This is his most specific set of asks about what the United States should send, and it is in the months after October 7, 2023.
- 2023-11-29 [Months after October 7, 2023]: An initial search reports a CNN News Central appearance supporting passage of a comprehensive military aid package for Israel. Its source page is a video with no retrievable text.
- 2023-10-10 [Months after October 7, 2023]: An update on the war.
- 2023-10-12 [Months after October 7, 2023]: A joint release carried by a colleague's office.
- 2023-05-04 [Earlier record]: An earlier statement on Israel, predating 2023-10-07.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- Nothing located. No statement on UNRWA, Gaza humanitarian funding or the aid pipeline was found in either direction.
Characterization of the conflict
- 2024-07-24 [Current position]: A statement applauding Prime Minister Netanyahu's address to Congress.
- 2024-02-14 [Current position]: A statement on Hamas.
Rhetoric and lobbying
- No statement located on domestic pro-Israel lobbying organisations.
Safety and antisemitism
[Context only, never the answer to what America sends.]
- 2024-03-04 [Current position]: He condemned antisemitism, listed twice in the sources.
- 2025-03-27 [Current position]: A campus antisemitism measure announced by Sen. Scott's office and Rep. Lawler's office. Both are colleagues' releases; his role in the measure is not established by them and campus antisemitism is out of scope for cards in any case.
- 2025-06-27 [Current position]: He voted to condemn the antisemitic terror attack in Boulder.
What came back empty or unusable
- No position located on U.S. aid to Palestinians in either direction, which is the half of the content rule this record is silent on.
- One source found is a video with no retrievable text.
- Two sources found are colleagues' press releases about a campus antisemitism measure and do not establish his own action.
Also in this race
- ✓Opposes Chris Gallant (Democrat)
All New York candidates.
See everyone on the New York 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.