But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Brendan F. Boyle
- Backed with $27K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Endorsed by AIPAC +1 more
Boyle was the only Pennsylvania Democrat to vote against the July 2026 amendment. He said the U.S. "must change course in response to the far-right Netanyahu government's conduct," but "this sweeping amendment was not the answer."
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Deep Dive
Boyle has represented Pennsylvania's 2nd District, in Philadelphia, since 2015.
On the July 2026 amendment he was the only Democrat in Pennsylvania's delegation to vote no, and he explained it in a statement to the Philadelphia Inquirer: "This amendment would have forced the closure of the U.S. Embassy in Israel, ended refugee resettlement programs, cut off vital humanitarian and diplomatic efforts, and weakened our ability to combat terrorist organizations."
He then said what he does think should change: "The United States must change course in response to the far-right Netanyahu government's conduct, the settler violence, and the devastating suffering of Palestinian civilians. But this sweeping amendment was not the answer."
His earlier record runs the other way and predates the war. In 2017 he co-introduced a bill to add precision-guided munitions to the U.S. war reserve stockpile in Israel, and in 2021 he backed funding for Iron Dome, describing it as a vital defensive system that has saved thousands of Israeli lives. That release was not opened, so it is summarised rather than quoted.
In January 2025 he welcomed the agreement to pause fighting and release hostages.
His recorded votes appear as badges on this card, and the July 2026 statement is his own explanation of the most recent one.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes
• 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 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
$27K 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, 2026-07-16] The Philadelphia Inquirer, opened and confirmed word for word. The paper reports that he "was the only Pennsylvania Democrat who voted against" the amendment, that "the six other Pennsylvania Democrats supported the measure, while all Republicans present from the state voted no," and that Reps. Scott Perry and Ryan Mackenzie missed the vote. It also records that the amendment "would have cut $3.3 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Israel" and failed 104 to 314.
His statement to the paper, verbatim: "This amendment would have forced the closure of the U.S. Embassy in Israel, ended refugee resettlement programs, cut off vital humanitarian and diplomatic efforts, and weakened our ability to combat terrorist organizations." And: "The United States must change course in response to the far-right Netanyahu government's conduct, the settler violence, and the devastating suffering of Palestinian civilians. But this sweeping amendment was not the answer."
- [Prior, 2017-12-21] Co-introduced the Procure PGMs for Israel Act, authorising precision-guided munitions to be added to the U.S. War Reserve Stockpile in Israel. Nine years old, prior band. Not opened.
- [Prior, 2021-09-21] Statement on Iron Dome funding, as reported describing it as a vital defensive system that has saved thousands of Israeli lives. Prior band, not opened, so summarised rather than quoted.
- His recorded votes appear as badges on this card.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- [Position, 2026-07-16] His stated objection names refugee resettlement and humanitarian efforts among what the amendment would have cut, and "the devastating suffering of Palestinian civilians" among what should change (confirmed verbatim, above).
Characterization of the conflict
- [Position, 2026-07-16] "The far-right Netanyahu government's conduct, the settler violence" (confirmed verbatim).
- [Position, 2025-01-15] Statement welcoming the agreement to pause fighting and release hostages. Not opened.
- [After October 7, 2023-10-07] Statement on the attacks, as reported condemning them as "barbaric" and "reminiscent of ISIS" and saying "Israel has every right to respond accordingly in defense of its citizens." From the weeks right after October 7; not used on the card.
- [Prior, 2021-05-20] Statement on the ceasefire, as reported noting that "innocent lives, both Israeli and Palestinian, have been lost." Prior band.
- [Prior, 2019-05-05] Statement on rocket strikes from Gaza, as reported saying "Israel, like any other country, has a right to defend itself." Prior band.
- [Prior, 2015-10-22] Remarks at a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on incitement. Eleven years old, prior band.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Prior, 2019-02-11] Statement on antisemitic comments and support for Israel, as reported saying "one can criticize the Israeli government without necessarily being anti-Semitic" while arguing certain views invoke tropes, and restating support for a two-state solution. Prior band. Not opened.
- [Undated] A page on socialistdemocracy.org was returned among his sources. Third-party advocacy writing; consulted, never a card source, and no claim about him is drawn from it.
Safety and antisemitism (context)
- [Position, 2024-10-23] Statement on vandalism at Congregation Mikveh Israel, also carried via Legistorm. Safety context, never an answer about U.S. weapons or funding.
⚠ Note on the sources
- Three of the sixteen entries are **paginated issue-index pages** on his own site (national-security-and-foreign-policy?page=7 twice, and ?page=12). Paginated indexes are listing pages and cannot support a claim about anyone; nothing is drawn from them. The same shape appeared on oh3-beatty.
Also in this race
- ?Mixed Jessica Arriaga (Republican)
All Pennsylvania candidates.
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