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

Mary Gay Scanlon

Democrat · U.S. House, Pennsylvania District 5
?Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 5 tracked votes

In September 2025 Scanlon cosponsored a bill to bar transfers of bombs and artillery shells to the government of Israel without new legislation and assurances. She has issued no statement about it. In April 2024 she backed a package she said carried "critical aid for Israel" and aid for Palestinians.

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Deep Dive

Mary Gay Scanlon is a Democrat who has represented Pennsylvania's 5th District, covering Delaware County and parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County, since a November 2018 special election. She sits on the Judiciary and Rules Committees and is the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution. She faces Republican Nick Manganaro on November 3, 2026.

In 2024 she explained herself at length, twice. On February 6 she voted against a standalone Israel funding bill and said it was written to politicize support for Israel while denying military aid to Ukraine and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Gaza, adding in the same statement that she had stood with House Democrats to strongly support Israel and that Congress must act to support Israel and surge humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Ten weeks later she voted to bring the spring supplemental package to the floor and said the package included critical aid for Israel and urgent humanitarian assistance for Palestinians.

Her record on weapons changed in 2025, and she did not announce the change. On September 9, 2025 she signed on to the Block the Bombs Act, a bill that would stop the President from transferring bunker busting bombs, MK80 series bombs, small diameter bombs, guidance kits, tank ammunition and artillery shells including white phosphorus to the government of Israel unless Congress passes a law setting out the purpose and the government of Israel gives written assurances that the weapons will be used in accordance with international humanitarian law. Rep. Delia Ramirez, who wrote the bill, still listed Scanlon among its 73 cosponsors in June 2026, and WHYY reported the Pennsylvania signatures at the time. Two of the three Pennsylvania members who signed gave WHYY a statement explaining why. Scanlon did not, and her office has published nothing about the bill.

Every item her congressional office published between 2018 and September 2026 was read for this card, 422 in all. She has said nothing about U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel since April 2024, a period covering the bill she cosponsored and the votes recorded on this card. Her campaign site has no issues page and raises none of it. Her earlier statements, her March 2025 letter on the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, and her work on antisemitism are on the research page. Ask Scanlon directly and send us the reply: it goes on this page in her own words.

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 5 tracked votes · Cosponsors the Block the Bombs Act

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 No
voted against sending it
H.R. 7217 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-02-06 · Failed 250-180 (needed 2/3 under suspension)
✓ Voted No
voted against 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 Yes
voted to limit or block 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
Co-sponsorbacks this bill to restrict weapons transfers
H.R. 1229 - United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025Formalizes/expands bilateral defense cooperation with Israel.
Not sponsoringhas not backed this support bill
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.

See a dash? Ask the candidate where they stand, then send us their answer and we'll review it and update the mark. Or volunteer to help review candidates.

Voted to send weapons or funding in some, but no more than half, of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 5 tracked votes.)

The money

Checked the five lobbying groups we track; no direct 2026 support found

2026 support from the five lobbying groups we track
Nothing recorded (as of 2026-07-23) from the five lobbying groups we track; earlier cycles and earmarked donations not yet tracked.
Support-only OpenFEC data. Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.

In their words

“H.R. 7217 is designed to politicize support for Israel, while denying military aid to Ukraine and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Gaza. It would undermine the longstanding bipartisan support for Israel in Congress, while harming both America’s and Israel’s national security.”
Source ↗, 2024-02-06
“Congress must act now to support Israel, surge humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, support Ukraine against Russian aggression, tackle the challenges at the southern border, and strengthen our democratic allies in the Indo-Pacific.”
Source ↗, 2024-02-06
“This package of bills also includes critical aid for Israel, our allies in the Indo-Pacific, and urgent humanitarian assistance for Palestinians and others in need of relief.”
Source ↗, 2024-04-19
“For decades and on a bipartisan basis, the House and our country have strongly supported the shared values underpinning the US-Israel relationship while promoting efforts to provide both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples with security, dignity, and rights through a negotiated resolution of the conflict.”
Source ↗, 2023-07-18

Research log

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

Our research began with a search on 2026-08-21, whose results were treated as leads rather than as evidence, and every page cited below was opened and read on 2026-09-07 unless the entry says otherwise. Her congressional press index was walked year by year from 2018 to 2026 and all 422 items were read, along with her campaign site. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated. Mary Gay Scanlon is a Democrat who has represented Pennsylvania's 5th District since a November 2018 special election and is the Democratic nominee in PA-05 in 2026. This card replaces an older summary of her record, and everything below was checked again at the source. Her recorded votes appear as badges on this card and are not restated here.

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

  • [Position, 2025-09-09] Cosponsor of H.R. 3565, the Block the Bombs Act, introduced by Rep. Delia Ramirez on May 21, 2025. The bill would bar the President from selling, transferring or licensing the export of a listed set of defense articles, or the services directly related to them, to the Government of Israel unless a law is enacted identifying the specific purpose for which they may be used and the Government of Israel gives written assurances satisfactory to the President that they will be used for that purpose and in accordance with international humanitarian law, international human rights law and relevant bilateral agreements. The listed articles are BLU-109 bunker busting bombs, MK80 series bomb variants, GBU-39 small diameter bomb variants, Joint Direct Attack Munition assemblies, SPICE gliding bomb assemblies, 120mm tank ammunition, and 155mm artillery ammunition including white phosphorus munitions. She was not an original cosponsor; the cosponsor list gives her joining date as September 9, 2025. Rep. Ramirez's release of June 5, 2026 marking a year since introduction lists "Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5)" among the bill's 73 cosponsors, so the signature stood in June 2026. Her own office has published nothing about the bill at any point.
  • [Position, 2025-10-02] WHYY reported that Scanlon, Rep. Madeleine Dean and Rep. Dwight Evans had signed on to the Block the Bombs Act in September, describing it as prohibiting the transfer of specific military weapons to Israel without authorization from Congress and assurances that their use is within international humanitarian law. Dean and Evans each gave the station a statement explaining their decision. Scanlon is named in the report but is not quoted in it.
  • [Position, 2024-02-06] Her statement on voting against H.R. 7217, a standalone Israel funding bill: "House Democrats are ready to work in a bipartisan manner to pass a comprehensive bill that addresses our interconnected national security challenges. Unfortunately, instead of working in good faith to protect our national security, the standalone legislation House Republicans brought to the floor today is nothing more than a cynical political maneuver." And: "Since the horrific October 7 attack, I have stood with President Biden and House Democrats to strongly support Israel and secure the return of the hostages. Our commitment to Israel's security and existence has not wavered, and we remain ready to support serious, bipartisan efforts that honor the special relationship between the United States and Israel." And: "H.R. 7217 is designed to politicize support for Israel, while denying military aid to Ukraine and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Gaza. It would undermine the longstanding bipartisan support for Israel in Congress, while harming both America’s and Israel’s national security." And: "Congress must act now to support Israel, surge humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, support Ukraine against Russian aggression, tackle the challenges at the southern border, and strengthen our democratic allies in the Indo-Pacific."
  • [Position, 2024-04-19] Her statement after voting for the rule allowing floor votes on the four spring supplemental measures: "This package of bills also includes critical aid for Israel, our allies in the Indo-Pacific, and urgent humanitarian assistance for Palestinians and others in need of relief." And: "Although this package is far from perfect, it presents the fastest path forward to provide critical foreign aid to further America’s national security interests and send the message that we stand firmly behind our allies and for democracy."
  • [Position, April 2024 onward] Nothing else located from her. Her congressional press index for 2024, 2025 and 2026 was read item by item, and no release after April 19, 2024 addresses U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel. She published no statement when she cosponsored the Block the Bombs Act, and none about the July 2026 House amendment vote recorded on this card. The Foundation for Middle East Peace, which collects members' public statements on that vote, does not list her.
  • [Position, read 2026-09-07] Her campaign site has no issues page. Its news list ends in 2024 and its biography page sets out her work on children, families, legal aid and the Judiciary and Rules Committees. Neither mentions Israel, Gaza, foreign aid or U.S. weapons transfers.
  • [Undated; read 2026-09-07] Action Network hosts a campaign letter asking members of Congress to support the Block the Bombs Act. It is an advocacy tool rather than a statement by or about her, and nothing from it is used.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • [Position, 2024-02-06] The February 2024 statement above says the standalone bill denied humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Gaza, and calls on Congress to "surge humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza".
  • [Position, 2024-04-19] The April 2024 statement above names "urgent humanitarian assistance for Palestinians and others in need of relief" as part of what she voted to advance.
  • [Reaction window, 2023-11-16] Her statement on the war says she has "also joined calls for legislation to fully fund President Biden’s request for security and humanitarian aid in support of Israel and other allies" and sets out her concern for Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Not on the card summary; recorded here with its date.
  • Nothing located from her on United Nations Relief and Works Agency funding at any date.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Earlier record, 2023-07-18] Her statement on her Yes vote on H.Con.Res. 57, expressing the sense of Congress supporting the State of Israel: "For decades and on a bipartisan basis, the House and our country have strongly supported the shared values underpinning the US-Israel relationship while promoting efforts to provide both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples with security, dignity, and rights through a negotiated resolution of the conflict. But once again, important, sensitive issues related to Israel and antisemitism have been turned into partisan political footballs." And: "Israelis and Palestinians face real challenges and threats. They deserve more from US leaders than political grandstanding."
  • [Reaction window, 2023-11-16] Her statement on the conflict condemns the Hamas attack, calls for the release of the hostages, supports Israel's right to defend itself, calls for an end to Hamas's operational control, and states her concern for Palestinian civilians in Gaza and for a two-state solution. Not on the card summary; recorded here with its date.
  • [Reaction window, 2023-11-22] Jewish Insider reported that she had signed a letter led by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Betty McCollum and Mark Pocan calling for a cease-fire, and that she then met constituents whose relative, an 84-year-old woman, was held hostage in Gaza. The report quotes the constituents, not her. Not on the card summary; recorded here with its date.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

Safety and antisemitism (context, not a position on what America sends)

Earlier record

  • Nothing located before July 2023 in which she addresses U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel. Her congressional press index from 2018 to 2022 was read in full, 245 items, and contains no item on the subject.

Not on the card, and why

  • The November 16 and November 22, 2023 items, including the cease-fire letter: they fall in the weeks this site records here rather than on cards. Both are above with their dates.
  • The July 2023 statement on H.Con.Res. 57: her earlier record, and about a sense-of-Congress resolution rather than about what the United States sends. Quoted above.
  • The March 2025 Khalil letter and the antisemitism bills and letter: free speech, immigration enforcement, and safety and antisemitism context, none of which answers what the United States sends. All above.
  • The two advocacy newsletters cited for the Khalil letter: neither address opens, so nothing is claimed from either and neither is linked.
  • The recorded vote rows on this record: they are shown as badges, and the card characterises only the two votes she herself spoke about, in her own words.

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

  • https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr3565ih/html/BILLS-119hr3565ih.htm (opened; 2026-09-07; bill as introduced May 21, 2025)
  • https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/hr3565/cosponsors (opened; 2026-09-07)
  • https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ramirez-members-congress-advocates-commemorate-one-year-anniversary-bipartisan (opened; 2026-09-07; dated June 5, 2026)
  • https://whyy.org/articles/international-flotilla-gaza-glenside-veteran/ (opened; 2026-09-07; dated October 2, 2025)
  • https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=480 (opened; 2026-09-07; dated July 18, 2023)
  • https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=605 (opened; 2026-09-07; dated November 16, 2023)
  • https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=634 (opened; 2026-09-07; dated February 6, 2024)
  • https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=651 (opened; 2026-09-07; dated April 19, 2024)
  • https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1875 (opened; 2026-09-07; dated March 14, 2025)
  • https://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?Year=2026 (opened; 2026-09-07; her press index walked page by page for 2018 through 2026, 422 items, each one opened and read)
  • https://jewishinsider.com/2023/11/amichai-and-corey-shdaimah-rep-mary-gay-scanlon-hostages-israel-gaza/ (opened; 2026-09-07; dated November 22, 2023)
  • https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr6806ih/html/BILLS-119hr6806ih.htm (opened; 2026-09-07; introduced December 17, 2025)
  • https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/hr6806/cosponsors and https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1918283 (opened; 2026-09-07)
  • https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-new-bipartisan-holocaust-education-bill-introduced-in-the-house-on-international-holocaust-remembrance-day (opened; 2026-09-07)
  • https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/92-bipartisan-members-congress-call-dhs-secretary-address-antisemitism (opened; 2026-09-07; dated June 29, 2022)
  • https://fmep.org/resource/members-on-the-record-re-ending-aid-to-israel-re-7-15-26-house-vote-on-massie-amendment/ (opened; 2026-09-07; her name does not appear in it)
  • https://scanlonforcongress.com/ and https://scanlonforcongress.com/about (opened; 2026-09-07)
  • https://ballotpedia.org/Pennsylvania%27s_5th_Congressional_District_election,_2026 (opened; 2026-09-07)
  • https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-block-the-bombs/ (opened; 2026-09-07; undated)
  • https://www.imeupolicyproject.org/newsletters/members-of-congress-speak-out-against-detention-of-mahmoud-khalil (could not open; 2026-09-07)
  • https://www.rightsanddissent.org/news/gaza-first-amendment-alert-march-19-2025/ (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. – Nick Manganaro (Republican)

All Pennsylvania 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.