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

Joseph Cinquemani

Republican · U.S. House, New York District 16
?
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.

Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: On his campaign website he writes that U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in 2025 "stripped a hostile dictatorship of its ultimate leverage, to nuke America and Isreal", without saying where he stands on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-09. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.

Cinquemani has not spoken publicly on U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, or on U.S. aid to Palestinians. No statement was found in source-checked research across 6 sources.

The email has replies@butwhatcanyoudo.org in cc, so we can post their answer on their page in their own words; remove it if you prefer. Keep the subject line as it is, add your name, and send.

Deep Dive

6 sources checked and read, every one listed on the research page. Most candidates at this level have simply never been asked.

You are better placed to change that than we are. Ask Cinquemani directly, or at a candidate forum, and send us the reply: it goes on this page in their own words, which is worth more than anything we could write about them.

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.

Research log

The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.

What was looked for, and what came back

  • **U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel:** There are no recorded public statements, official campaign policy platform positions, or actions from Joseph Cinquemani specifically addressing U.S. military aid, arms sales, or direct weapons transfers to Israel.
  • **Characterization of the conflict:** Cinquemani has not publicly issued a formal platform or detailed statements outlining his characterization of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict or proposed solutions (such as a two-state framework).
  • **Rhetoric and lobbying:** Material returned; set out in full below.
  • **Safety and antisemitism:** Material returned; set out in full below.

What an initial search did return, on the other questions

The card's claim is about what the United States sends, and that question came back empty. These questions did return material. It is reproduced word for word so nothing found is lost, and it is context rather than a position on U.S. weapons or money. Em dashes are rendered as hyphens to satisfy house style; no wording is changed.

### Rhetoric and lobbying Cinquemani’s political rhetoric regarding Israel is tied to his broader support for conservative foreign policy and Middle Eastern deterrence.

* **Political Rhetoric:** On July 25, 2026, Cinquemani issued a statement praising Trump's Middle East posture as "a masterclass in geopolitical strategy". He emphasized the importance of building a unified regional front to isolate hostiles and protect long-term stability, explicitly identifying Israel and the United States as vital allies threatened by Iranian aggression. * **Lobbying:** No statements or actions were found regarding domestic pro-Israel lobbying organizations, political action committees, or lobbying activities.

---

### Safety and antisemitism * **Public Safety:** On August 5, 2026, Cinquemani weighed in on local law enforcement oversight in Westchester County, condemning "institutional excuses" and calling for "community-first public safety reform" and stronger municipal accountability in Mount Vernon, New York, following municipal public safety controversies. On his campaign website, he has also voiced opposition to identity politics, calling on July 25, 2026, for the abolition of DEI and CRT programs in favor of merit-based principles. * **Antisemitism:** There are no recorded public statements or campaign platform materials from Cinquemani explicitly addressing antisemitism.

---

### Sources 1. *Local Candidates / Campaign Positions* (July 25, 2026) – "Joseph Cinquemani on Diplomacy & International Relations" 2. *Black Westchester* (August 5, 2026) – "Cinquemani Condemns 'Institutional Excuses,' Calls For Community-First Public Safety Reform In Mount Vernon" 3. *City & State New York / Ballotpedia / Branch Politics* (2026) – NY-16 Candidate Overview & Filer Records

Sources consulted and read (6)

Not found

  • No position located on U.S. weapons, arms sales or military funding for the government of Israel.
  • No position located on U.S. aid to Palestinians, UNRWA or Gaza humanitarian funding.
  • This is a record of what was checked on 2026-08-11, not a claim that no statement exists anywhere.

Also in this race

  1. ✗ George Latimer (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.