But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Emilia Sykes
- Backed with $34K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Endorsed by AIPAC +1 more
Sykes opposed the July 2026 amendment because it "would have eliminated all funding for the American Embassy in Israel under this bill and cut billions in foreign aid to Israel, and also the Palestinian and Lebanese people."
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You asked Emilia Sykes where they stand.
Deep Dive
Sykes has represented Ohio's 13th District since 2023.
Her position has been consistent across four votes: she supports assistance to Israel when it travels with humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, and votes against measures that separate them.
On the July 2026 amendment she said: "Israel is one of our most important allies and I strongly support its security and right to defend itself. I opposed this amendment because it would have eliminated all funding for the American Embassy in Israel under this bill and cut billions in foreign aid to Israel, and also the Palestinian and Lebanese people."
In February 2024 she voted against the standalone Israel bill, H.R. 7217, which her release describes as legislation that "delays Congress' ability to help Israel defend itself and fails to include funding for humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza." Her words: "Once again, the House Majority is playing political games with our national security."
In April 2024 she supported the bipartisan packages that carried defence assistance for Israel, humanitarian relief for Gaza and support for Ukraine together.
In August 2023 she travelled to Israel and the West Bank on a delegation sponsored by an AIPAC affiliate, met Israeli and Palestinian officials, and, as reported called Israel one of the United States' most important strategic allies while urging a viable two-state framework. That release was not opened, so it is summarised rather than quoted.
Her recorded votes appear as badges on this card, and the statements above are her own explanations of three of them.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes
• Voted No on first weapons package (Nov 2023), switched to Yes on $26.38B package (April 2024), then voted No on H.R. 8369 bomb delivery bill (May 2024). Went on a trip sponsored by the lobby. Endorsed by the lobby.
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 exactly half of their recorded tracked votes. The tie is broken by money this election cycle from a lobbying group we track and an endorsement from a group that backs sending weapons. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes.)
The money
$34K 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
- [Position, 2026-07-15] Her statement on the national security funding bill, opened and confirmed word for word. The release notes she "also opposed an amendment to the bill that would have eliminated U.S. assistance to Israel," and quotes her: "Israel is one of our most important allies and I strongly support its security and right to defend itself. I opposed this amendment because it would have eliminated all funding for the American Embassy in Israel under this bill and cut billions in foreign aid to Israel, and also the Palestinian and Lebanese people." Note she opposed the underlying bill on unrelated grounds, over a voting-access provision, as well as opposing the amendment.
- [Position, 2024-02-06] Her statement on H.R. 7217, opened and confirmed word for word: the release states she "voted against H.R. 7217, legislation that delays Congress' ability to help Israel defend itself and fails to include funding for humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza," and quotes her: "Once again, the House Majority is playing political games with our national security. By refusing to pass a bipartisan national security agreement that would secure the border, support the people of Israel, and provide humanitarian assistance to people directly impacted by Hamas' te[rror]..." The quotation is truncated where the opened extract ends and is not completed by inference.
- [Position, 2024-04-20] Statement supporting three security funding bills:, as reported, defence assistance for Israel alongside humanitarian relief for Gaza and support for Ukraine. Not opened.
- [After October 7, 2023-11-02] Statement objecting to conditioning emergency aid on IRS funding cuts, arguing military assistance to Israel must be paired with humanitarian aid for Gaza and support for Ukraine. From the weeks right after October 7; not used on the card.
- Her recorded votes appear as badges on this card, and three of the statements above are her own explanations of them.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- [Position, 2026-07-15] Her stated objection names "the Palestinian and Lebanese people" among those the amendment would have cut (confirmed verbatim, above).
- [Position, 2024-02-06] Her objection to the standalone bill rests on its omission of humanitarian assistance for Gaza (confirmed verbatim).
- [After October 7, 2023-11-22] Statement welcoming a humanitarian pause. From the weeks right after October 7.
- [Undated] The research also cites Rep. Nikema Williams's release leading a call for humanitarian aid to Gaza. That is another member's release; if Sykes signed the letter it does not establish her wording, and no individual quote is drawn from it.
Characterization of the conflict
- [Prior, 2023-08-14] After her delegation trip, as reported, called Israel one of the United States' most important strategic allies and urged a viable two-state framework; not quoted, because the release was not opened. Before 2023-10-07, so prior band. Not opened.
- [Position, 2025-01-19] Statement welcoming the agreement ending fifteen months of fighting, as reported saying long-term peace requires mutual recognition of statehood. Not opened.
- [Position, 2025-10-07 and 2025-10-09] Two-year anniversary statement and statement on the hostage-release agreement. Not opened.
- [After October 7, 2023-10-26] Described the October 7 attacks as "barbaric" and "heinous" while distinguishing Palestinian civilians from Hamas. From the weeks right after October 7.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Prior, 2023-08-05 to 2023-08-13] Educational trip to Israel sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation, an AIPAC affiliate, recorded in a House travel disclosure. Prior band; the disclosure is the appropriate record.
- [Undated] Coverage of AIPAC spending in Ohio races. Third-party reporting about spending decisions, not a statement by her.
- [2024-01-15] Two of her sources found are pages on an advocacy site, cited twice. Advocacy sources are consulted, never card sources.
Safety and antisemitism (context)
- [After October 7, 2023-12-19] Condemned threats against Temple Israel in Canton (Legistorm record). the weeks right after October 7 and safety context.
- [Position, 2024-05-01] Statement condemning antisemitism. Safety context, never an answer about U.S. weapons or funding.
Note on sources
- One of the research's twenty entries resolved to no URL at all, and two are the same advocacy page. Fourteen are her own releases.
Also in this race
- –No Position Found Carey Coleman (Republican)
All Ohio candidates.
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