But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Grace Meng
- Backed with $25K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Endorsed by AIPAC +1 more
- Sits on House Appropriations
Meng has repeatedly secured U.S. funding for Israeli missile defense, including Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow, and in 2019 announced $500 million for those programs while backing $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing.
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You asked Grace Meng where they stand.
Deep Dive
Meng represents New York’s 6th District in Queens. Her record here is appropriations rather than rhetoric, and it runs continuously for more than a decade.
She co-led letters with Rep. Peter Roskam in 2014 and 2015 urging House appropriators to increase defense funding for Israeli missile defense, writing in June 2015 that "Israel remains under constant threat from Hamas, Iran and Hezbollah". In March 2015 she requested tens of millions for Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow. In July 2017 she announced securing funding for U.S.-Israel defense cooperation in the House Defense Appropriations Bill, and met the director of the Israeli Missile Defense Organization on Capitol Hill. In April 2018 she called for $500 million in joint defense funding including U.S. Army co-production of Iron Dome, and in July 2019 announced securing that $500 million while supporting $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing to maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge.
She has also issued a statement on the Israel Security Supplemental Act and secured provisions described as critical to Israel and the Jewish community.
Two outlets have reported constituent pressure on her over ceasefire calls she did not join. Her recorded votes on the tracked bills are shown separately on this card.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 4 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.
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Voted to send weapons or funding in more than half of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 4 of 6 tracked votes.)
The money
$25K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
In their words
AIPAC (2026 endorsement) · DMFI 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
- 2014-04-06 and 2015-06-14 [Earlier record]: Co-led letters with Rep. Peter Roskam urging House appropriators to increase defense funding for Israeli missile defense including Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow, stating on 2015-06-14 that "Israel remains under constant threat from Hamas, Iran and Hezbollah". Also covered by Israel National News and the Times of Israel.
- 2015-03-25 [Earlier record]: Requested tens of millions in funding for Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow.
- 2017-07-21 [Earlier record]: Announced securing funding in the House Defense Appropriations Bill for U.S.-Israel defense cooperation programs including Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow-3, and met Col. Moshe Patel of the Israeli Missile Defense Organization.
- 2018-04-20 [Earlier record]: Called for $500 million in joint defense funding including U.S. Army acquisition and co-production of Iron Dome. Jerusalem Post.
- 2019-07-19 [Earlier record]: Announced securing $500 million for U.S.-Israel missile defense programs and supported $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing to ensure Israel maintains its qualitative military edge.
- Undated [Current position]: Statement on the Israel Security Supplemental Act; provisions described as critical to Israel and the Jewish community.
Characterization of the conflict
- Undated [Earlier record]: Among lawmakers urging a veto of an anti-settlement resolution.
Rhetoric and lobbying
- 2024-03 [Current position; about her, not by her]: City & State listed New York officials calling for a ceasefire, and People’s World reported a local coalition pressing her over not joining them. Both are reports about pressure on her rather than statements by her, and neither is on the card.
Safety and antisemitism
- Nothing located separately from the provisions release above.
What came back empty or unusable
- **Almost nothing from the current war.** Her documented record runs 2014 to 2019 plus two undated releases. An initial search surfaced no dated statement from her on U.S. weapons or funding after October 2023, which for a sitting member is itself notable.
- No statement located on U.S. aid to Palestinians, UNRWA or Gaza humanitarian funding.
Also in this race
- ?Mixed Joseph Chou (Republican)
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.