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

David P. Joyce

Republican · U.S. House, Ohio District 14
✗Supported sending weapons or funding in 5 of 5 tracked votes

Joyce helped introduce the 2024 Israel Security Assistance Support Act, barring federal funds from being used to withhold or delay U.S. weapons deliveries to the government of Israel. He said it ensures the administration provides security assistance Congress had already approved. His statements on the question stop in 2024.

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Deep Dive

The Israel Security Assistance Support Act was written in May 2024, after the Biden administration held back a shipment of bombs to the government of Israel. The bill bars any Defense or State Department money from being used to withhold, halt, reverse or cancel a weapons delivery to the government of Israel, orders the delivery within fifteen days of anything already withheld, and freezes unobligated money in the two departments and the National Security Council until that is certified to Congress. It was introduced on May 14, 2024 by Rep. Ken Calvert of California, with Joyce fourth in the list of members introducing it, and the House passed it two days later. Joyce’s office calls it his bill and says it curbs efforts to withhold security resources appropriated in U.S. law by compelling the delivery of defense weapons to Israel. His own words on it: “This bill does exactly that by simply ensuring the Administration provides the security assistance to Israel that was already approved by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress.”

A month earlier he had voted for the national security supplemental package and said the package provides the critical funding necessary for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan to defend their freedom. Those two statements, from April and May 2024, are the whole of what he has said in his own voice about U.S. weapons and money for the government of Israel since the start of 2024.

Before that his record on the subject runs through the boycott question rather than the aid question. In March 2022 he joined Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York in introducing the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, which would prohibit boycotts of Israel imposed or requested by international governmental organizations, and in July 2019 he backed a House resolution opposing the global boycott movement, saying he was standing with Israel and condemning antisemitism in all its forms. Nothing found at any date has him addressing U.S. aid to Palestinians, in Gaza or through UNRWA.

Since May 2024 his congressional newsroom carries nothing on the question. His July 2026 statement on the annual defense bill names China, Russia, Iran and North Korea and does not mention Israel, and his campaign site carries a biography and news items that stop in 2020. One later item exists and could not be read: an Ohio Jewish Communities page from October 2024 carries a post from his account on X rather than a statement, and its address is on his research page for anyone who wants to open it.

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 5 of 5 tracked votes

Committees

House Committee on Appropriations

Floor votes
H.R. 6126 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act2023-11-02 · Passed 226-196
– Did not vote
H.R. 8034 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-04-20 · Passed 366-58
✗ Voted Yes
supported sending it
H.R. 8369 - Israel Security Assistance Support Act2024-05-16 · Passed 224-187
✗ Voted Yes
supported sending it
H.R. 7217 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-02-06 · Failed 250-180 (needed 2/3 under suspension)
✗ Voted Yes
supported sending it
H.Amdt. 55 to H.R. 4016 - strike $500M for Israeli Cooperative Programs2025-07-18 · Failed 6-422 (only 6 voted to cut)
✗ Voted No
voted against limiting it
H.R. 8595 - Massie amendment (Part A No. 8) to bar FY27 funds for Israel and cut $3.3B in Foreign Military Financing2026-07-15 · Failed 104-314
✗ Voted No
voted against limiting it
Bill sponsorship
H.R. 3565 - Block the Bombs ActWould bar transfer of 2,000-lb/BLU-109 bunker busters, JDAMs, 120mm tank rounds, and 155mm artillery shells to Israel. Does not affect Iron
Not sponsoringhas not backed this restriction bill
H.R. 1229 - United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025Formalizes/expands bilateral defense cooperation with Israel.
Co-sponsorbacks this bill to send more support
Notable actions

• 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 5 of 5 tracked votes.)

The money

$18K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $15,000 · Republican Jewish Coalition: $2,500
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$15,000The American Israel Public Affairs Committee; its PAC backs candidates it sees as strengthening U.S. ties with the government of Israel, including continued U.S. military aid.Republican Jewish Coalition$2,500The Republican Jewish Coalition's PAC; it financially supports Republican candidates who reflect its priorities, including strong U.S. backing of the government of Israel.Direct contributions and independent expenditures supporting this candidate from the five lobbying groups we track, every cycle each has filed, through 2026. Excludes earmarked and conduit contributions.
Endorsed by AIPAC
AIPACThe American Israel Public Affairs Committee; its PAC backs candidates it sees as strengthening U.S. ties with the government of Israel, including continued U.S. military aid.These endorsements come from groups that back sending U.S. weapons and funding to the government of Israel.

In their words

“After 9/11, the United States would not have taken direction from our allies on how to defend our nation. As their ally, we must support Israel’s right to defend itself,”
Source ↗, 2024-05-16
“This bill does exactly that by simply ensuring the Administration provides the security assistance to Israel that was already approved by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress.”
Source ↗, 2024-05-16
“While the time to act was weeks ago, this package provides the critical funding necessary for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan to defend their freedom. Something every American should stand for.”
Source ↗, 2024-04-20
Endorsements

AIPAC (2026 endorsement)

Research log

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

Research for this card began on 2026-08-21, and every page cited below was opened and read on 2026-09-07 unless marked otherwise. His congressional newsroom was searched across its whole archive for Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Iran, Palestinian, Jewish, antisemitism and foreign aid, and its listing was also read forward from May 2024 to September 2026, 126 items. His campaign site was read. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07). David P. Joyce, a Republican, has represented Ohio’s 14th district since 2013 and chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. This card replaces an older one-sentence summary; everything below was checked again from the sources.

U.S. military aid and weapons to the government of Israel

  • [Position, 2024-05-14] H.R. 8369, the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, as introduced. The bill was introduced by Rep. Ken Calvert of California “for himself, Mr. Cole, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, Mr. McCaul” and about 110 others. Section 4 bars funds appropriated to the Department of Defense or the Department of State for fiscal 2024 or earlier from being used “to withhold, halt, reverse, or cancel the delivery of defense articles or defense services from the United States to Israel”, or to pay the salary of any official who acts to further such a withholding. Section 5 requires prompt delivery of everything expected in fiscal 2024 and 2025, including Foreign Military Sales and direct commercial sales, and requires anything already withheld to be delivered within fifteen days of enactment. Section 6 withholds unobligated balances from the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State and the National Security Council until that delivery is certified to the Appropriations Committees. Section 3 records the sense of Congress condemning the pause on arms transfers and calling for all previously approved transfers to proceed. The findings cite the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding under which the United States provides $3.8 billion a year through fiscal 2028, and $12.5 billion appropriated in fiscal 2024. The same introducing list separately names “Mr. Joyce of Pennsylvania”, a different member.
  • [Position, 2024-05-16] His own release on the bill’s passage, headed “Joyce’s Israel Security Assistance Support Act Passes House”, describing the act “he introduced alongside” Ken Calvert, Tom Cole and Mario Diaz-Balart, and saying the legislation “curbs President Biden’s misguided efforts to withhold critical security resources appropriated in U.S. law by compelling the delivery of defense weapons to Israel”. Joyce: “After 9/11, the United States would not have taken direction from our allies on how to defend our nation. As their ally, we must support Israel’s right to defend itself,” and, after the attribution, “This bill does exactly that by simply ensuring the Administration provides the security assistance to Israel that was already approved by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress. In doing so, we are not only supporting our ally in their time of need, but also providing long term security to America.”
  • [Position, 2024-04-20] His statement after voting for the national security supplemental package, which he lists as H.R. 8034 for Israel, H.R. 8035 for Ukraine, H.R. 8036 for the Indo-Pacific and H.R. 8038: “While the time to act was weeks ago, this package provides the critical funding necessary for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan to defend their freedom. Something every American should stand for.” The same statement calls China, Russia and Iran “anti-American regimes”.
  • [Earlier record, 2023-07-17] His release on House passage of the fiscal 2024 defense authorization bill. His own quoted words are about military readiness and foreign adversaries generally and do not mention Israel; his office’s summary of the bill says it “adds $50 million above the President’s budget request to research and develop advanced technology with Israel”.
  • [Reaction window, 2023-10-10] His release on joining the House resolution expressing support for Israel. It carries his statement that Congress has a responsibility to provide the resources needed, and his office’s claim that since taking office in 2012 he “has been a leading advocate of increasing military aid to Israel” and has used his Appropriations seat to fully fund the U.S.-Israel military financing agreement. Not on the card summary; recorded here.
  • [Position, 2025 and 2026] Nothing located. Reading his newsroom turns up no Israel item after May 16, 2024, and the 126 releases from then to September 4, 2026 include none on the subject. The July 22, 2026 statement on the fiscal 2027 defense authorization bill names China, Russia, Iran and North Korea and does not mention Israel. The campaign site carries a biography and news items dated 2020, and does not mention Israel, Gaza or foreign aid.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • Nothing located at any date. No release, statement or campaign material found addresses UNRWA, Gaza humanitarian funding or the aid pipeline. An empty record here carries no implication either way.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Position, 2024-05-16] In the release on his bill, his office describes the deliveries as going to Israel “as they fight to protect themselves against radical terrorists”, and the bill text he put his name to “stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists”.
  • [Position, reported 2024-10-07] Ohio Jewish Communities, a statewide Jewish public-affairs organization, collected statements from Ohio officials on the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attacks. Joyce’s entry on that page is not a statement but an embedded post from his account on X at https://twitter.com/repdavejoyce/status/1843294514099986475 , which could not be opened. Held for a person to open; not used on the card.
  • [Reaction window, 2023-10-10] In the same October 2023 release he called the attacks “heinous”, the situation “a human tragedy beyond words”, and said “I unequivocally stand with Israel.” Not on the card summary; recorded here.
  • [Earlier record, 2019-07-24] In the Problem Solvers Caucus release on H. Res. 246, the resolution is described as opposing the global boycott movement and supporting a two-state solution. Joyce’s own quoted words in that release address the boycott movement and antisemitism, not the two-state question.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

Safety and antisemitism (context, not an answer to what the United States sends)

Not on the card, and why

  • The October 10, 2023 release and the October 19, 2023 delegation letter fall in the weeks this site records here rather than on cards.
  • The October 2024 anniversary item is a post on his account on X, which could not be opened; a person needs to read it before it can be used.
  • One reported claim credited Joyce with a sentence about rising antisemitism continuing to “strike fear in the hearts” of Jewish communities, dated October 7, 2024 and credited to Ohio Jewish Communities. Reading that page shows the sentence belongs to Rep. Emilia Sykes of Ohio’s 13th district, not to Joyce. It is not used, and it is a correction rather than an omission.
  • The boycott legislation and the Kol Israel memorial bill: not about U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, so they sit here rather than on the front.
  • The antisemitism material is context and does not answer what the United States sends.
  • The recorded vote rows and the funding total on this record: the card does not restate them in prose.

Sources read for this card (address; opened or could not open; date read)

  • https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-118hr8369ih/html/BILLS-118hr8369ih.htm (opened; 2026-09-07; bill as introduced May 14, 2024)
  • https://joyce.house.gov/posts/joyces-israel-security-assistance-support-act-passes-house (opened; 2026-09-07; dated May 16, 2024)
  • https://joyce.house.gov/posts/joyce-votes-to-support-allies-protect-america (opened; 2026-09-07; dated April 20, 2024)
  • https://joyce.house.gov/posts/joyce-joins-resolution-expressing-support-for-israel (opened; 2026-09-07; dated October 10, 2023)
  • https://joyce.house.gov/posts/joyce-joins-zeldin-in-introducing-bill-to-combat-anti-semitic-bds-movement (opened; 2026-09-07; dated March 28, 2022)
  • https://joyce.house.gov/posts/house-passes-fy24-defense-authorization-bill-with-joyce-priorities (opened; 2026-09-07; dated July 17, 2023)
  • https://joyce.house.gov/posts/joyce-votes-to-support-service-members-with-house-passage-of-fy27-national-defense-authorization-act (opened; 2026-09-07; dated July 22, 2026)
  • https://joyce.house.gov/posts/problem-solvers-caucus-applauds-schneider-on-the-passage-of-bipartisan-resolution-opposingglobal-bds-movement-and-supporting-two-state-solution (opened; 2026-09-07; dated July 24, 2019)
  • https://joyce.house.gov/posts/joyce-takes-legislative-action-to-combat-rise-in-anti-semitic-hate-crimes (opened; 2026-09-07; dated May 28, 2021)
  • https://joyce.house.gov/posts/joyce-releases-statement-on-resolution-to-remove-rep-ilhan-omar-from-foreign-affairs-committee (opened; 2026-09-07; dated February 2, 2023)
  • https://joyce.house.gov/posts/joyce-ohio-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-designate-kol-israel-holocaust-memorial-as-a-national-memorial (opened; 2026-09-07; dated April 28, 2022)
  • https://www.jewishcleveland.org/news/blog/thank_you_to_ohio_reps_standing_up_to_antisemitism/ (opened; 2026-09-07; published June 8, 2021)
  • https://ohiojc.org/oct7anniversary (opened; 2026-09-07; undated collection page marking October 7, 2024)
  • https://joyce.house.gov/press/ (opened; 2026-09-07; searched across the whole archive and read forward from May 2024)
  • https://joyceforcongress.com/ and https://joyceforcongress.com/bio/ and https://joyceforcongress.com/connect-with-dave/in-the-news/ (opened; 2026-09-07; news items dated 2020)
  • https://twitter.com/repdavejoyce/status/1843294514099986475 (could not open; 2026-09-07)
  • https://cincyjewfolk.com/2023/10/19/read-ohio-congresspeople-pledge-support-for-jewish-community-israel-in-public-letter/ (could not open; 2026-09-07)
  • This is a record of what was checked on 2026-09-07, not a claim that no other statement exists.

Also in this race

  1. – Maria Jukic (Democrat)

All Ohio candidates.

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.