Grace Meng

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.

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.

Tracked votes: backed sending U.S. weapons or funding to the government of Israel in 4 of 6 recorded votes.

Research

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; card-leading]: 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; card-leading]: 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. The first 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.